In spite of her annoyance, Laura's eyes sparkled when they reached the
Court; for Sir Philip hurried to the carriage, welcoming the party most
warmly, and, handing her out, he led her himself to the beautiful little
kiosk, and then took her from place to place, according to her
attentions that made more than one match-making mamma with marriageable
daughters look meaningly at the same daughters, and then think of
Charley Vining with a sigh.
But if Laura was in high glee, so was not Max, who had to stand by while
Charley carried off Ella Bedford, Nelly laughingly fastening upon his
other arm.
"A rude coarse beast, bai Jove!" muttered Max elegantly, as he tried
vainly to get the little button of his glove secured. "Let him have a
fall again, and see if I'll go to his help!"
"I shall come with you if I may," said Nelly demurely.
"To be sure!" laughed Charley, whose heart throbbed with pleasure as he
felt--nay, hardly felt--the light pressure of the grey glove upon his
arm. "Miss Bedford won't mind, I hope. Do you know, Miss Bedford, I'm
rather glad you are with us? I'm almost afraid Nelly means some inroad
upon my purse."
"No, I don't," said Nelly, "so don't be afraid;" and then she walked
very demurely by their side, Charley encouraging her to stay upon
observing Ella's constraint and troubled looks.
"She'd be off like a frightened pigeon--dove, I mean!" muttered Charley,
as he looked down at the almost painful face beside him. But a little
quiet conversation upon current topics seemed to set her more at ease,
and, after a while, Hugh Lingon approaching, Charley Vining whispered,
loudly enough, though, for Nelly to hear:
"Now I'm going, Miss Bedford, for here comes Nelly's intended. I hope
you will play the _chaperone_ most stringently."
Nelly rewarded him with a sharp pinch as he left them, Hugh Lingon
taking his place; and Ella, whose heart beat almost painfully, asking
herself the reason why.
But Charley Vining had laid his plans that day, and he felt he must
proceed with caution. So hurrying himself, he acted the part of host
with admirable tact, picking out the ladies who seemed neglected,
forming sets for croquet, handing refreshments, or escorting little
parties to the lake-like river for boating; distributing himself, as it
were, throughout the grounds, and at last interrupting a tete-a-tete
between Laura and Hugh Lingon, who had soon forsaken the ladies left in
his charge.
Laura commenced a little _minauderie_, professing to be unable to leave
Mr Lingon; but she gave up directly she saw Charley's laugh, for she
knew that it would be--nay, was--seen through. She knew Charley Vining
to be different from most men of her acquaintance; and accepting his
offer, she gladly took his arm, making the match-making mammas to
whisper, as the handsome couple passed through the grounds, "There,
didn't I tell you so?" and then to gossip about how they had had their
suspicions concerning the purpose of the fete.
But Laura's pleasure was but short-lived; for though Charley was
pleasant, gay, and chatty, he was nothing more, and though he carefully
avoided referring to the croquet-party, she felt that he was not as she
could wish.
"He'll go back to her as soon as, with any decency, he can," she
thought; and her teeth were set, and her fingers clenched, pressing the
nails almost through her gloves, as she forced back a sigh.
But she soon cheered up, for she told herself it was not for long, and
determined to try if gentleness would gain the day; she listened to all
her companion said, striving the while, without being obtrusive, to
obliterate her past words of anger.
Laura was wrong; for it was not for a considerable time, and until he
had played cavalier to many a lady--winning the thanks and smiles of Sir
Philip, who was delighted at his son's efforts--that he sought once more
Ella Bedford, followed by Sir Philip's eyes; the old gentleman gazing
uneasily after him as he went up and offered his arm, which was
reluctantly taken.
"I'm going now," said Nelly, who had kept with her guard the whole time;
"I want something to eat. I declare, Charley Vining, I've only had one
thin slice of butter spread with bread-crumbs, and a cup of tea;" and
before a word could be said, she had darted off.
Sir Philip's were not the only eyes that followed Charley Vining to
where sat Ella Bedford; for as Max Bray followed him at a distance, as
if by accident Laura did the same, and brother and sister gave genuine
starts as they encountered at the union of two alleys.
"Grows quite romantic, bai Jove!" sneered Max; but he relapsed into an
uncomfortable look on seeing the penetrating gaze directed at him by his
sister.
"Let me take your arm," she said coldly; and then, as the shades of
evening were fast falling, they walked slowly on together, towards a
part of the grounds now apparently deserted.
Meanwhile Charley Vining had led Ella across the lawn, pressing her to
partake of some refreshment, but in vain; and at last, in spite of
herself, she found that she was alone with him, in a secluded part of
the grounds.
"There is a seat here," said Charley. "Shall we rest for a few
minutes?"
"It would hardly be advisable," was the quiet reply; "the evening is
damp." And then for a few moments there was a pause, as they still
walked slowly on, Charley with his heart beating heavily, and Ella eager
to return to the throng upon the lawn--a throng that the afternoon
through she had avoided--and hardly liking to speak, lest she might
betray her agitation, and that she looked upon this otherwise than as an
ordinary attention of host to one of his guests.
For Ella was not blind: her woman's instinct had whispered to her
respecting the many attentions pressed upon her, and she trembled as she
recalled the night when the cross was returned; for her heart told her
that such things must not be--that she must be cold and cautious,
guarding and steeling herself against tender emotions, for she was but
the poor paid governess, and this man, whose arm she lightly touched,
was almost engaged to Laura Bray.
But the silence was broken at length by Charley, who spoke deeply, as he
stopped short by a standard covered with pale white roses, whose perfume
seemed shed around upon the soft night air.
"Miss Bedford," he said, "I have been in pain, almost in agony, for many
days past; and till I found that I had been wronging you, it seemed to
me that life was going to be unbearable."
"Pain!--wronging me!" exclaimed Ella.
"Yes," he said; "but hear me out. I am no polished speaker, Miss
Bedford--only a simple, blunt, and I hope honest and truthful man. A
week or two since I believed that you favoured the suit of Max Bray:
to-night I will not insult you with questions, but tell you honestly I
do not believe that to be the case; and when the conviction flashed upon
me that I was wrong, I tell you frankly my heart leaped with joy. You
may ask why: I will tell you."
"Mr Vining," exclaimed Ella, "this must not be; you forget yourself,
your position--you forget me when you talk so. Pray lead me back."
"You speak as if my words pained you, Miss Bedford," said Charley
huskily. "Pray forgive me if they do. Nay, but a few minutes longer."
He caught one hand in his, and as she glanced for an instant in his
direction, the rising moon gleaming through the trees lit up his
handsome earnest face, photographing it, as it were, upon her brain; for
to her dying day she never forgot that look--that countenance so
imploringly turned upon her.
"Miss Bedford--Ella," he whispered, "I love you tenderly and devotedly!
This is no light declaration: till I saw you, woman never occupied my
thoughts. You see by my brusque ways, my bluntness, that I have been no
dallier in drawing-rooms, no holder of lady's silk. Till now, my loves
have been in the stables, kennels, fields. Blunt language this--
uncomplimentary perhaps; but I am no courtier. I speak as I feel, and I
tell you that to win your love in return would be to make me a happy
man."
"Mr Vining," exclaimed Ella, vainly trying to release her hand, "lead
me back, pray!"
"Nay," said Charley, with sadness in his tones, "I will not force you to
listen to me;" and he released her hand. "I was hopeful that you would
have listened to my suit."
"Indeed--indeed," said Ella, "I cannot, Mr Vining: it can never be.
You forget--position--me!"
She could say no more--her words seemed to stifle her; and had she
continued speaking, she felt that she would have burst into tears.
"I forget nothing," said Charley, almost sternly. "How can I forget?
How can I ever forget? But surely," he said, once more catching her
hand in his--"surely you cannot with that sweet gentle face be cruel,
and love to torture one who has spoken simply the truth--laid bare to
you his feelings! You believe what I say?"
"Yes, yes!" almost sobbed Ella. "But indeed--indeed it can never be.
Do not think me either harsh or cruel, for I mean it not."
"What am I to think then?" said Charley bitterly. "Is it that you
reject me utterly, or am I so poor a wooer that you would have me on my
knees, protesting, swearing? No; I wrong you again: it is not that," he
exclaimed passionately. "Look here, Ella"--he plucked one of the white
roses, tearing his hand as he did so, the blood appearing in a long mark
across the back--"emblematic," he said, smiling sadly, "of my love. You
see it has its smarts and pains. You refused me so slight a gift once,
but take this; and though I am a man I can freely say that my love for
you is as pure and spotless as that simple flower. You will not refuse
that?"
He could see the tears in her eyes, and that her face was drawn as if
with pain; but one trembling hand was extended to take the flower; then,
before he could recover from his surprise, she had turned from him and
fled; when, with almost a groan, he threw himself upon the garden-seat,
remaining motionless for a few moments, and then rising to hurry back to
the marquee.
Volume 1, Chapter XVI.