Leonard opened his door and stole toward that of the room adjoining; for
his first natural impulse had been to enter and console. But when his
touch was on the handle, he drew back. Child though the mourner was, her
sorrows were rendered yet more sacred from intrusion by her sex.
Something, he knew not what, in his young ignorance, withheld him from
the threshold. To have crossed it then would have seemed to him
profanation. So he returned, and for hours yet he occasionally heard the
sobs, till they died away, and childhood wept itself to sleep.
But the next morning, when he heard his neighbor astir, he knocked
gently at her door; there was no answer. He entered softly, and saw her
seated very listlessly in the centre of the room--as if it had no
familiar nook or corner as the rooms of home have--her hands drooping on
her lap, and her eyes gazing desolately on the floor. Then he approached
and spoke to her.
Helen was very subdued, and very silent. Her tears seemed dried up: and
it was long before she gave sign or token that she heeded him. At
length, however, he gradually succeeded in rousing her interest; and the
first symptom of his success was in the quiver of her lip, and the
overflow of the downcast eyes.
By little and little he wormed himself into her confidence; and she told
him, in broken whispers, her simple story. But what moved him the most
was, that, beyond her sense of loneliness, she did not seem to feel her
own unprotected state. She mourned the object she had nursed, and
heeded, and cherished; for she had been rather the protectress than the
protected to the helpless dead. He could not gain from her any more
satisfactory information than the landlady had already imparted, as to
her friends and prospects; but she permitted him passively to look among
the effects her father had left--save only that if his hand touched
something that seemed to her associations especially holy, she waved him
back, or drew it quickly away. There were many bills receipted in the
name of Captain Digby--old yellow faded music-scores for the
flute--extracts of Parts from Prompt Books--gay parts of lively
comedies, in which heroes have so noble a contempt for money--fit heroes
for a Sheridan and a Farquhar; close by these were several pawnbroker's
tickets; and, not arranged smoothly, but crumpled up, as if with an
indignant nervous clutch of the old helpless hands, some two or three
letters. He asked Helen's permission to glance at these, for they might
give a clew to friends. Helen gave the permission by a silent bend of
the head. The letters, however, were but short and freezing answers from
what appeared to be distant connections or former friends, or persons to
whom the deceased had applied for some situation. They were all very
disheartening in their tone. Leonard next endeavored to refresh Helen's
memory as to the name of the nobleman which had been last on her
father's lips; but there he failed wholly. For it may be remembered that
Lord L'Estrange, when he pressed his loan on Mr. Digby, and subsequently
told that gentleman to address to him at Mr. Egerton's, had, from a
natural delicacy, sent the child on, that she might not hear the charity
bestowed on the father; and Helen said truly, that Mr. Digby had sunk
into a habitual silence on all his affairs latterly. She might have
heard her father mention the name, but she had not treasured it up; all
she could say was, that she should know the stranger again if she met
him, and his dog too. Seeing that the child had grown calm, Leonard was
then going to leave the room, in order to confer with the hostess: when
she rose suddenly, though noiselessly, and put her little hand in his,
as if to detain him. She did not say a word--the action said all--said
"Do not desert me." And Leonardo heart rushed to his lips, and he
answered to the action, as he bent down and kissed her cheek, "Orphan,
will you go with me? We have one Father yet to both of us, and He will
guide us on earth. I am fatherless like you." She raised her eyes to
his--looked at him long--and then leant her head confidingly on his
strong young shoulder.