_Ways to the Heart_
All pleasure to Camilla was completely over from the moment that Edgar
disappeared.
When she returned to Mount Pleasant, Mrs. Arlbery, whom she found alone,
said, 'Did I not understand that you were going to dance with Mr.
Mandlebert? How chanced he to leave you? We were kept ages waiting for
the coach; and I saw him pass by, and walk off.'
Camilla, colouring, related the history of the cotillon; and said, she
feared, not knowing how she had been circumstanced, he was displeased.
'Displeased!' cried Mrs. Arlbery, laughing; 'and do you, at seventeen,
suffer a man to be displeased? How can you do worse when you are fifty?
Know your own power more truly, and use it better. Men, my dear, are all
spoilt by humility, and all conquered by gaiety. Amuse and defy
them!--attend to that maxim, and you will have the world at your feet.'
'I have no such ambition: ... but I should be sensibly hurt to make an
old friend think ill of me.'
'When an old friend,' said Mrs. Arlbery, archly, 'happens to be a young
man, you must conduct yourself with him a little like what you are; that
is, a young woman. And a young woman is never in her proper place, if
such sort of old friends are not taught to know their own. From the
instant you permit them to think of being offended, they become your
masters; and you will find it vastly more convenient to make them your
slaves.'
Camilla pretended to understand this in a mere general sense, and wished
her good night.
* * * * *
The next morning, at an early hour, her chamber door was opened with
great suddenness, and no preparation, and Mrs. Mittin tript nimbly into
the room, with a hat in her hand.
'Look here! my dear Miss Tyrold,' cried she, 'for now that other young
lady has told me your name, and I writ it down upon paper, that I might
not forget it again: look at your hat now! Did you ever see anything so
much improved for the better? I declare nobody would know it! Miss
Dennel says it's as pretty again as it was at first. I'll go and shew it
to the other lady.'
Away she went, triumphant, with the trophy of her notability; but
presently returned, saying, 'Do, pray, Miss Tyrold, write me down that
other lady's name upon a scrap of paper. It always goes out of my head.
And one looks as if one knew nobody, when, one forgets people's names.'
Camilla complied, and expressed her shame to have caused her so much
trouble.
'O, my dear, it's none at all. I got all the things at Mrs. Tillden's.'
'Who is Mrs. Tillden?' cried Camilla, staring.
'Why the milliner. Don't you know that?'
'What things?' asked Camilla, alarmed.
'Why these, my dear; don't you see? Why it's all new, except just the
hat itself, and the feathers.'
Camilla was now in extreme embarrassment. She had concluded Mrs. Mittin
had only newly arranged the ornaments, and had not the smallest idea of
incurring a debt which she had no means to discharge.
'It all comes to quite a trifle,' continued Mrs. Mittin, 'for all it's
so pretty. Mrs. Tillden's things are all monstrous cheap. I get things
for next to nothing from her, sometimes, when they are a little past the
mode. But then I recommend her a heap of customers. I get all my
friends, by hook or by crook, to go to her shop.'
'And what,' stammered out Camilla, 'besides my thanks, do I owe you?'
'Oh nothing. She would not be paid; she said, as you was her customer,
and had all your things of her at first, she'd put it down in your bill
for the season.'
This was, at least, some respite; though Camilla felt the disagreeable
necessity of increasing her intended demand upon Mrs. Arlbery.
Miss Dennel came with a summons from that lady to the Pantiles, whither,
as the day was fine, she proposed they should walk.
'O,' cried Mrs. Mittin, 'if you are going upon the Pantiles, you must go
to that shop where there's the curious ear-rings that are be to raffled
for. You'll put in to be sure.'
Camilla said no, with a sigh attributed to the ear-rings, but due to a
tender recollection of the raffle in which Edgar had procured her the
trinket she most valued. Mrs. Mittin proposed accompanying them, and
asked Camilla to introduce her to Mrs. Arlbery. This was very
disagreeable; but she knew not how, after the civility she owed her, to
refuse.
Mrs. Arlbery received her with much surprize, but perfect unconcern;
conscious of her own importance, she feared no disgrace from being seen
with one in a lower station; and she conceived it no honour to appear
with one in a higher.
When they came to the Pantiles, Mrs. Mittin begged to introduce them to
a view of the ear-rings, which belonged, she said, to one of her
particular friends; and as Mrs. Arlbery caught the eye of Sir Sedley
Clarendel in passing the window, she entered the shop.
'Well,' cried Mrs. Mittin, to its master, 'don't say I bring you no
company. I am sure you ought to let me throw for nothing, if it's only
for good luck; for I am sure these three ladies will all put in. Come,
Miss Dennel, do lead the way. 'Tis but half a guinea, and only look what
a prize.'
'Ask papa to pay for me!' cried Miss Dennel.
'Come, good sir, come, put down the half guinea for the young lady. I'm
sure you can't refuse her. Lord! what's half a guinea?'
'That's a very bad way of reasoning,' answered Mr. Dennel; 'and what I
did not expect from a woman of your sense.'
'Why you don't think, sir, I meant that half a guinea's a trifle? No
indeed! I know what money is better than that. I only mean half a guinea
is nothing in comparison to ten guineas, which is the price of the
ear-rings; and so that makes me think it's pity the young lady should
lose an opportunity of getting them so cheap. I'm sure if they were
dear, I should be the last to recommend them, for I think extravagance
the greatest sin under the sun.'
'Well, now you speak like the sensible woman I took you for.'
A very little more eloquence of this sort was necessary, before Mr.
Dennel put down half a guinea.
'Well, I declare,' cried Mrs. Mittin, 'there's only three more names
wanted; and when these two ladies have put in, there will be only one!
I'm sure if I was rich enough, that one would not be far off. But come,
ma'am, where's your half guinea? Come, Miss Tyrold, don't hold back; who
knows but you may win? there's only nineteen against you. Lord, what's
that?'
Camilla turned away, and Mrs. Arlbery did not listen to a word; but when
Sir Sedley said, 'They are really very pretty; won't you throw?' she
answered, 'I must rather make a raffle with my own trinkets, than raffle
for other people's. Think of my ponies! However, I'll put in, if Mr.
Dennel will be my paymaster.'
Mr. Dennel, turning short off, walked out of the shop.
'This is a bad omen!' cried she, laughing; and then desired to look at
the list of rafflers; when seeing amongst the names those of Lady
Alithea Selmore and the Hon. Mrs. Berlinton, she exclaimed: ''Tis a
coalition of all fashion and reputation! We shall be absolutely scouted,
my dear Miss Tyrold, if we shrink. My poor ponies must wait half a
guinea longer! Let us put in together.'
Camilla answered, she had no intention to try for them.
'Well, then, lend me half a guinea; for I never trust myself, now, with
my purse.'
'I have not a half guinea ... I have ... I have no ... gold ... in my
purse,' answered Camilla, with a face deeply tinged with red.
Major Cerwood, who joined the party during this discussion, intreated to
be banker for both the ladies. Camilla positively refused any share; but
Mrs. Mittin said it would be a shame for such a young lady to go
without her chance, and wrote down her name next to that of Mrs.
Arlbery; while the Major, without further question, put down a guinea
upon the counter.
Camilla could not endure this; yet, from a youthful shame of confessing
poverty, forced herself to the ear of Mrs. Arlbery, and whispered an
entreaty that she would pay the guinea herself.
Mrs. Arlbery, surprized, answered she had really come out without her
purse; but seeing her seriously vexed, added, 'If you do not approve of
the Major for a banker till we go home, what say you to Sir Sedley?'
'I shall prefer him a thousand times!'
Mrs. Arlbery, in a low voice, repeated this to the young Baronet, and
receiving his guinea, threw it down; making the Major, without the
smallest excuse or ceremony, take back his own.
This was by no means lost upon Sir Sedley; he felt flattered ... he felt
softened; he thought Camilla looked unusually lovely; he began to wonder
at the coldness of Mandlebert, and to lament that the first affections
of so fair a creature should be cast away.
Mandlebert himself was an object of nothing less than envy. He had
entered the shop during the contest about the raffle, and seen Major
Cerwood pay for Camilla as well as for Mrs. Arlbery. Confirmed in his
notions of her positive engagement, and sick at heart from the
confirmation, he walked further into the shop, upon pretence of looking
at some other articles, before he could assume sufficient composure to
speak to her.
Mrs. Mittin now began woefully to repine that she could not take the
last share for the ear-rings; and, addressing herself to Mr. Dennel, who
re-entered as soon as he saw the money was paid for Mrs. Arlbery, she
said, 'You see, sir, if there was somebody ready to take the last chance
at once, this gentleman might fix a day for the throwing immediately;
but else, it may be dawdled on, nobody knows how long; for one will be
gone, and t'other will be gone, and there'll be no getting the people
together; and all the pleasure of the thing is being here to throw for
one's self: for I don't much like trusting money matters out of sight.'
'If I'd thought of all that,' said Mr. Dennel, 'I should not have put
in.'
'True, sir. But here, if it was not that I don't happen to have half a
guinea to spare just now, how nicely it might all be finished in a
trice! For, as I have been saying to Miss Dennel, this may turn out a
real bargain; for they'll fetch their full value at any time. And I tell
Miss Dennel that's the only way to lay out money, upon things that will
bring it back again if it's wanted; not upon frippery froppery, that's
spoilt in a minute, and then i'n't worth a farthing.'
'Very sensibly said,' cried Mr. Dennel; 'I'm sure she can't hear better
advice; I'm much obliged to you for putting such sensible thoughts into
her head.' And then, hoping she would continue her good lessons to his
daughter, he drew out his purse, and begged her to accept a chance from
it for the prize.
Mrs. Mittin was in raptures; and the following week was settled for the
raffle.
Mrs. Arlbery, who had attended to this scene with much amusement, now
said to General Kinsale, who had taken a seat by her: 'Did I not tell
you well, General, that all men are at the disposition of women? If even
the shrewd monied man cannot resist, what heart shall we find
impenetrable? The connoisseur in human characters knows, that the
pursuit of wealth is the petrifaction of tenderness: yet yonder is my
good brother-in-law, who thinks cash and existence one, allured even to
squander money, merely by the address of that woman, in allowing that
money should be the first study of life! Let even Clarendel have a care
of himself! or, when least he suspects any danger, some fair dairy-maid
will praise his horsemanship, or take a fancy to his favourite spaniel,
or any other favourite that happens to be the foible of the day, and his
invulnerability will be at her feet, and Lady Clarendel be brought
forward in a fortnight.'
Lord O'Lerney now entered the shop, accompanying a lady whose
countenance and appearance were singularly pleasing, and who, having
made some purchase, was quietly retiring, when the master of the shop
inquired if she wished to look at the ear-rings; adding, that though the
number was full, he knew of one person, who would give up her chance, in
case it would oblige a customer.
She answered she had no present occasion for ear-rings, and would not
therefore take up either his time or her own unnecessarily; and then
walked gently away, still attended by Lord O'Lerney.
'Bless me,' cried Mrs. Arlbery, 'who is that? to hear a little plain
common sense is so rare, it strikes one more than wit.'
'It's Lady Isabella Irby, madam,' answered the master of the shop.
Here Lord O'Lerney, who had only handed her to her carriage, returned.
'My Lord,' cried Mrs. Arlbery, 'do you know what a curiosity you brought
in amongst us just now? A woman of rank who looks round upon other
people just as if she thought they were her fellow creatures?'
'Fie, fie!' answered Lord O'Lerney, laughing, 'why will you suppose that
so rare? If we have not as many women who are amiable with titles as
without, it is only because we have not the same number from which to
select them. They are spoilt or unspoilt, but in the same proportion as
the rest of their sex. Their fall, or their escape, is less local than
you imagine; it does not depend upon their titles, but upon their
understandings.'
'Well, my lord, I believe you are right. I was adopting a narrow
prejudice, merely from indolence of thought.'
'But why, my lord,' cried Sir Sedley, 'does this paragon of a divinity
deny her example to the world? Is it in contempt of our incorrigibility?
or in horror of our contagion?'
'My dear Sir Sedley,' said Mrs. Arlbery, 'don't flatter yourself with
being so dangerous. Her ladyship does not fly you from fear, take my
word for it. There is nothing in her air that looks as if she could only
be good by being shut up. I dare believe she could meet you every day,
yet be mistress of herself! Nevertheless, why, my lord, is she such a
recluse? Why does one never see her at the Rooms?'
'Never see her there, my dear madam! she is there almost every night;
only being unintruding, she is unnoticed.'
'The satire, then, my lord,' said Mrs. Arlbery, 'falls upon the company.
Why is she not surrounded by volunteer admirers? Why, with a person and
manner so formed to charm, joined to such a character, and such rank,
has she not her train?'
'The reason, my dear madam, you could define with more sagacity than
myself; she must be sought! And the world is so lazy, that the most easy
of access, however valueless, is preferred to the most perfect, who must
be pursued with any trouble.'
Admirable Lord O'Lerney! thought Edgar, what a lesson is this to
youthful females against the glare of public homage, the false
brilliancy of unfeminine popularity!
This conversation, however, which alone of any he had heard at Tunbridge
promised him any pleasure, was interrupted by Mr. Dennel, who said the
dinner would be spoilt, if they did not all go home.
Camilla felt extremely vexed to quit the shop, without clearing up the
history of the dance; and Edgar, seeing the persevering Major at her
side as she departed, in urgency to put any species of period to his own
sufferings, followed the party, and precipitately began a discourse with
Lord O'Lerney upon making the tour of Europe. Camilla, for whom it was
designed, intent upon planning her own defence, heard nothing that was
said, till Lord O'Lerney asked him if his route would be through
Switzerland, and he answered: 'My route is not quite fixed, my lord.'
Startled, she now listened, and Mrs. Arlbery, whom she held by the arm,
was equally surprised, and looked to see how she bore this intimation.
'If you will walk with me to my lodgings,' replied Lord O'Lerney, 'I
will shew you my own route, which may perhaps save you some
difficulties. Shall you set out soon?'
'I fancy within a month,' answered Edgar; and, arm in arm, they walked
away together, as Camilla and her party quitted the Pantiles for Mount
Pleasant.