Randal rose at the sound of the first breakfast bell, and on the
staircase met Mrs Hazeldean. He gave her back the book; and as he
was about to speak, she beckoned to him to follow her into a little
morning-room appropriated to herself. No boudoir of white and gold,
with pictures by Watteau, but lined with large walnut-tree presses,
that held the old heirloom linen strewed with lavender--stores for
the housekeeper, and medicines for the poor.
Seating herself on a large chair in this sanctum, Mrs Hazeldean
looked formidably at home.
"Pray," said the lady, coming at once to the point, with her usual
straightforward candour, "what is all this you have been saying to
my husband as to the possibility of Frank's marrying a foreigner?"
RANDAL.--"Would you be as averse to such a notion as Mr Hazeldean
is?"
MRS HAZELDEAN.--"You ask me a question, instead of answering mine."
Randal was greatly put out in his fence by these rude thrusts. For
indeed he had a double purpose to serve--first thoroughly to know if
Frank's marriage with a woman like Madame di Negra would irritate
the Squire sufficiently to endanger the son's inheritance; and,
secondly, to prevent Mr and Mrs Hazeldean believing, seriously that
such a marriage was to be apprehended, lest they should prematurely
address Frank on the subject, and frustrate the marriage itself.
Yet, withal, he must so express himself, that he could not be
afterwards accused by the parents of disguising matters. In his
talk to the Squire the preceding day, he had gone a little too
far--farther than he would have done but for his desire of escaping
the cattle-shed and short-horns. While he mused, Mrs Hazeldean
observed him with her honest sensible eyes, and finally exclaimed--
"Out with it, Mr Leslie!"
"Out with what, my dear madam? The Squire has sadly exaggerated
the importance of what was said mainly in jest. But I will own to
you plainly, that Frank has appeared to me a little smitten with a
certain fair Italian."
"Italian!" cried Mrs Hazeldean. "Well, I said so from the first.
Italian!--that's all, is it?" and she smiled.
Randal was more and more perplexed. The pupil of his eye contracted,
as it does when we retreat into ourselves, and think, watch, and
keep guard.
"And perhaps," resumed Mrs Hazeldean, with a very sunny expression
of countenance, "you have noticed this in Frank since he was here?"
"It is true," murmured Randal; "but I think his heart or his fancy
was touched even before."
"Very natural," said Mrs Hazeldean; "how could he help it?--such
a beautiful creature! Well, I must not ask you to tell Frank's
secrets; but I guess the object of attraction; and though she will
have no fortune to speak of--and it is not such a match as he might
form--still she is so amiable, and has been so well brought up, and
is so little like one's general notions of a Roman Catholic, that I
think I could persuade Hazeldean into giving his consent."
"Ah!" said Randal, drawing a long breath, and beginning with his
practised acuteness to detect Mrs Hazeldean's error, "I am very much
relieved and rejoiced to hear this; and I may venture to give Frank
some hope, if I find him disheartened and desponding, poor fellow!"
"I think you may," replied Mrs Hazeldean, laughing pleasantly. "But
you should not have frightened poor William so, hinting that the
lady knew very little English. She has an accent, to be sure; but
she speaks our tongue very prettily. I always forget that she's not
English born! Ha, ha, poor William!"
RANDAL.--"Ha, ha!"
MRS HAZELDEAN.--"We had once thought of another match for Frank--a
girl of good English family."
RANDAL.--"Miss Sticktorights?"
MRS HAZELDEAN.--"No; that's an old whim of Hazeldean's. But he knows
very well that the Sticktorights would never merge their property
in ours. Bless you, it would be all off the moment they came to
settlements, and had to give up the right of way. We thought of a
very different match; but there's no dictating to young hearts, Mr
Leslie."
RANDAL.--"Indeed no, Mrs Hazeldean. But since we now understand each
other so well, excuse me if I suggest that you had better leave
things to themselves, and not write to Frank on the subject. Young
hearts, you know, are often stimulated by apparent difficulties, and
grow cool when the obstacle vanishes."
MRS HAZELDEAN.--"Very possibly; it was not so with Hazeldean and
me. But I shall not write to Frank on the subject, for a different
reason--though I would consent to the match, and so would William;
yet we both would rather, after all, that Frank married an
Englishwoman, and a Protestant. We will not, therefore, do anything
to encourage the idea. But if Frank's happiness becomes really at
stake, _then_ we will step in. In short, we would neither encourage
nor oppose. You understand?"
"Perfectly."
"And, in the meanwhile, it is quite right that Frank should see the
world, and try to distract his mind, or at least to know it. And I
dare say it has been some thought of that kind which has prevented
his coming here."
Randal, dreading a farther and plainer _éclaircissement_, now rose,
and saying, "Pardon me, but I must hurry over breakfast, and be back
in time to catch the coach"--offered his arm to his hostess, and led
her into the breakfast-parlour. Devouring his meal, as if in great
haste, he then mounted his horse, and, taking cordial leave of his
entertainers, trotted briskly away.
All things favoured his project--even chance had befriended him in
Mrs Hazeldean's mistake. She had not unnaturally supposed Violante
to have captivated Frank on his last visit to the Hall. Thus, while
Randal had certified his own mind that nothing could more exasperate
the Squire than an alliance with Madame di Negra, he could yet
assure Frank that Mrs Hazeldean was all on his side. And when the
error was discovered, Mrs Hazeldean would only have to blame herself
for it. Still more successful had his diplomacy proved with the
Riccaboccas; he had ascertained the secret he had come to discover;
he should induce the Italian to remove to the neighbourhood of
London; and if Violante were the great heiress he suspected her to
prove, whom else of her own age would she see but him? And the old
Leslie domains--to be sold in two years--a portion of the dowry
might purchase them! Flushed by the triumph of his craft, all former
vacillations of conscience ceased. In high and fervent spirits he
passed the Casino, the garden of which was solitary and deserted,
reached his home, and, telling Oliver to be studious, and Juliet to
be patient, walked thence to meet the coach and regain the capital.