Alice and Harry were so deeply engrossed with each other and so
absorbed in the interchange of those mysterious but delightful nothings,
which form the staple of lovers’ communications, and which, deeply
interesting to the happy pair, appear to the unsusceptible public the
veriest nonsense imaginable, that they were still some distance from
the station when the train rushed up, sneezed out a few passengers, and,
snorting and coughing, dashed off like a well-disposed fiery dragon,
warranted quiet to ride and drive. Walking on rapidly they soon
discovered Arthur, embarrassed by a carpet-bag and a mackintosh, making
the best of his way to meet them; the moment he came within speaking
distance, he exclaimed--
“What do I behold! Harry Coverdale with a young lady on his arm! Surely
the age of miracles is returning! well I never did! did _you_ ever? And
Alice looking so deliciously self-satisfied and unconscious, too! Why
you stupid little owl (you’re very like one, with your hooked nose and
great eyes), don’t you know you’re boring him to death? he cares for
nothing but horses, dogs, and guns; and above all perfectly abominates
women.” Alice smiled, and attempted to make a playful rejoinder, but in
vain,--her heart was too full; had she spoken at that moment she must
have burst into tears. The speech affected Harry differently.
“I do nothing of the kind,” he said, angrily; “Arthur how can you be
so absurd!” Pausing for a moment, the ludicrous nature of the situation
occurred to him, and, with difficulty restraining a laugh, he turned the
conversation by seizing his friend’s carpet-bag, exclaiming as he did
so, “Come, give it up, of course I’m not going to let you carry it;
you’re looking horridly thin and pale, as Londoners always do: is
he not, Al--a--, Miss Hazlehurst? What! you refuse; give it up this
instant, or I declare I’ll carry you and it too.”
During the playful struggle which ensued for the possession of the
carpet-bag, in which contention Harry was soon victorious, Alice, glad
to obtain a few minutes in which to compose herself, walked on. As the
young men hastened to rejoin her, Hazlehurst, laying his hand on
Coverdale’s arm, inquired “How has it all gone off? Crane hasn’t
ventured to offer yet, of course?”
“Yes, by Jove, he has though!” was the reply; “the old muff contrived to
pop last night--confound him!--when I was out of the room, and hadn’t a
chance of throwing anything at his head.”
“And Alice?” inquired the brother, eagerly; but his eagerness frustrated
its own purpose (no uncommon case by the way), for, pronouncing the name
in a louder key than he was aware of, the fair owner thereof stopped
short, and thus prevented the possibility of further explanation. As
they continued their homeward walk, Arthur, who was a quick observer,
soon detected a change in Harry’s manner towards his sister; for
which, at first, he felt excessively puzzled to account. A respectful
tenderness was apparent in his tone when he addressed her, and he
exhibited a degree of eager, almost affectionate, solicitude for her
ease and comfort, in all the minor incidents of a country walk, such as
Hazlehurst, during the whole of their intimacy, had never before seen
him evince towards a young lady.
“What has come to Harry now, I wonder?” thus ran his reflections; “if
it were any one in the world but him, I should say he was flirting with
Alice; but Harry never flirted in his life, so that is impossible.” He
pondered for a moment, then an idea struck him. “I see it now; my father
has forced the poor child to accept old Crane; Harry knows it, and
the pity his kind, warm-hearted nature leads him to feel towards her,
influences his manner. They were each coming to tell me all that has
occurred, and have met by accident; yes, that must be it.” In order,
however, more fully to satisfy himself of the correctness of his theory,
he observed, in his usual light, jesting manner, “I think Mr. Coverdale,
it behoves me, as ‘a man and a brother,’ to inquire how you happen to
be marching about the country, _tête-à-tête_ with my sister, at this
unconscionably early hour?”
Harry, who, between his desire to enlighten Arthur as to the new and
transcendently delightful, but especially embarrassing turn affairs had
taken, and the impossibility of doing so before Alice--the overpowering
nature of his feelings towards that young lady, and his extreme
happiness at finding them reciprocated--the great and imminent danger
_in re_ Crane, and the humiliating confession regarding his lost
influence with Mr. Hazlehurst, together with the awkward position
in which he stood towards that outraged and obdurate elder--was in a
tremendous frame of mind, merely started and stared vacantly at his
interrogator.
But Alice, having by this time regained in some degree her
self-possession, replied quietly, “Mr. Coverdale and I were both
coming to meet you, and encountering each other accidentally, walked on
together.”
As she spoke, Arthur, striving to read her countenance, fixed his eyes
upon her. Unable to meet his glance she turned away with an April look,
half tears half smiles. “It must be as I thought,” reflected Arthur;
“but if anything is to be done to save her, no time should be lost.
I’ll not waste the present opportunity. My dear Coverdale,” he continued
aloud, “I wish to have a few minutes’ private conversation with my
sister; you and I are too old friends to stand upon ceremony, so you
will not be offended if I ask you to walk on, and wait for us at the
stile at the end of the path.”
This direct appeal brought Harry to his senses, but not feeling sure
whether Alice would approve of having the whole burden of explanation
thrown upon her, he glanced inquiringly towards her ere he ventured to
reply. Now, Alice, fond as she was of her brother, was also (from their
difference in point of age, as well as from the fact that Arthur’s
nature was more firm and resolute than her own, and his manner quick
and abrupt) a little afraid of him. Thus, being aware how very highly
he esteemed Coverdale--an estimation which she was inclined to transcend
rather than to depreciate--a sudden fear seized her lest Arthur, deeming
her a mere silly child, should consider his friend had done a foolish
thing in choosing her for a wife, when he might have selected, at the
very least, some strong-minded peeress, and that he might be angry
with her for her presumption in having accepted him. This feeling,
overpowering for the moment every other, induced her to respond to
Harry’s look of inquiry by a slight shake of the head, and a glance
which would have kept him by her side if a whole regiment of brothers,
armed with Minie rifles and Colt’s revolvers, had attempted to separate
them. But Arthur, being totally unarmed, and having simply asked a civil
question, the answer which Harry, appropriately quoting Walter Scott,
might have made to the hypothetical regiment, “Come one come all, this
rock (not that there was a rock, but that is a trifle) will fly, from
its firm base as soon as I,” was unfitted for the present emergency,
and no other equally good suggested itself. What he _did_ say was this,
“A--really--of course I’d do it in a minute, my dear fellow--but--a--I’m
not quite sure,”--here he glanced at Alice--“that is, I’m positively
certain that--a--in fact, the thing’s impossible.”
“You’re certain that it’s impossible that you can walk on to the stile
before Alice and me! My dear Harry, what are you talking--or rather
(for the truth is you’re pre-occupied), what are you thinking about?”
inquired Arthur, in amazement, seeing from the expression of his
friend’s countenance that he was really anxious and excited. Coverdale
was again hesitating how to reply, when Alice relieved him from his
difficulty by saying hurriedly, “I will walk on, and leave you to talk
to Mr. Coverdale.”
As she spoke, they reached the rustic bench before alluded to, and
Arthur, completely mystified, seated himself, and made a sign to
Coverdale to follow his example.
“One moment, and I’ll be with you,” replied Coverdale, springing to
Alice’s side; “then I may tell him everything?” he continued.
“Oh yes,” was the unhesitating answer.
“And you _will_ wait for us at the stile? I won’t detain him five
minutes.”
“If _you_ wish it.”
“_Can_ you doubt it?” were the necessary lover-like rejoinders; and
Coverdale returned to his friend, who looked especially puzzled and
slightly provoked.
“Now be silent!” exclaimed Hazlehurst, as Harry was about, with the
greatest volubility, to plunge at once _in medias res_. “You have lived
amongst women till you’ve learned to chatter like them, I think. I shall
never bring you to the point, unless you will let me cross-examine you.”
“Fire away, then; only look sharp, for your sister must not be kept
waiting,” was the reply.
“You’ve grown wonderfully polite and attentive all of a sudden,”
returned Arthur, sarcastically. “But now listen to me. Has Crane made
Alice an offer?”
Harry replied in the affirmative.
“Did she refuse him?”
“Of course she did,” was the disdainful rejoinder.
“I don’t see any of course in it,” returned Hazlehurst, moodily.
“My father is resolved on the match: Alice has been brought up to obey
him implicitly, and the habit of obedience is very strong in such a
gentle, yielding nature as hers.”
“If she is gentle and yielding I’m not!” exclaimed Harry, vehemently;
“and with your support, and the knowledge that his daughter’s happiness
is at stake, Mr. Hazlehurst must listen to reason.”
“My dear boy,” returned Arthur, earnestly, “what a warmhearted,
thorough-going friend you are! you really take as much interest in the
affair as if it were your own. I see you naturally reckon on the extent
of your influence with my father, and I have reason to believe you do
not overrate it. Why, what is the matter now? Have you taken leave of
your senses?”
This inquiry referred to a sudden and alarming outbreak on the part of
Coverdale, who, when his influence with Mr. Hazlehurst was mentioned,
sprang to his feet, uttering what mild mammas, engaged in the moral
instruction of their tender offspring, term a “naughty word.”
“You are enough to drive one mad!” he exclaimed, angrily; “saying, and
making me say, all sorts of absurd things at cross-purposes, because you
won’t listen to the explanation I’m remaining here on purpose to give
you; keeping Alice waiting, too!”
“Well, let her wait,” returned Arthur, testily, worried by Harry’s
constant reference to this point; “anybody would think you were Alice’s
lover instead of old Crane!”
“And so I am,” was the unexpected rejoinder; “and what is more, old
fellow, her accepted lover also! Oh, Arthur,” he continued, seating
himself by his friend’s side, and laying his arm on his shoulder, “I’m
the happiest, luckiest dog in existence! To think that she should be
able to love such a rough, uncultivated--but you are not displeased, are
you--surprised, of course, you must be.”
“Surprised, indeed,” was the reply; “so much so, that even yet I
can scarcely believe it; it has almost taken my breath away! But
displeased!--why my dear Harry, I’d rather she married you than any man
breathing, be he prince, duke, or what not. It is the most charming,
glorious, wonderful thing that ever happened! But even now I can’t
conceive how it has come about; and yet, when I begin to reflect, I
fancied that Alice was growing shy and conscious in regard to something
or somebody, before I went away. It’s natural enough that she should
fall in love with you; but that you should take a fancy to her, or
indeed to any girl, does, I own, surprise me. I had so thoroughly made
up my mind that you meant to be an old bachelor.”
“You could not have done so more completely than I had,” rejoined Harry;
“but the fact is, that from the first moment in which I saw your sister
I fell in love with her, though I had not the most remote idea of it at
the time. I can trace it all now; hence my dislike of D’Almayne, and the
poor old cotton-spinner. I was afraid the fascinations of the one might
win her heart, or the fortune of the other obtain her hand--in fact, I
was unconsciously jealous of them both. But now come on, we are really
keeping Alice an unreasonable time. Aye, you may laugh; I don’t care a
_sous_ now that you know all about it. Why Arthur, old boy, you will
be my real _bonâ fide_ brother one of these days!--that is a contingent
advantage which has only just occurred to me.”
Seizing his friend’s hand as he spoke, he pressed it with such
good-will, that Hazlehurst was enabled to give a shrewd guess at
the sensation produced by that interesting mediæval amenity, the
thumb-screw. And thus mutually pleased and excited, the young men
proceeded, both talking volubly, and generally at the same moment, till
they reached the stile, where they found Alice awaiting them, looking
very timid, very conscious, but exceedingly pretty. She need not have
been uneasy, however, for Arthur had too much good taste and kind
feeling to laugh at her at that moment; on the contrary, he hastened
to set her mind at rest by whispering, as he imprinted a kiss on her
glowing cheek--
“My darling child, you have made me almost as happy as you have rendered
_him_.”
The walk home was a very delightful one. Alice leaned on Harry’s
stalwart arm, and felt the most perfect and irrational confidence in his
power to shield her from the effects of her father’s anger, Mr. Crane’s
despair, and all other uncomfortable consequences of the act of
filial disobedience which she meditated. Harry, already experiencing a
sensation of delicious proprietorship in regard to the sweet girl beside
him, felt himself exalted in the scale of humanity, and held his head
a good inch higher on the strength of it; from which moral and physical
elevation he looked down upon all field-sports as soulless and ignoble
pastimes, and despised them accordingly. Arthur, hoping that his
sister’s attachment to a man in every way so worthy of her, would
inspire her with the firmness requisite to withstand successfully his
father’s possible opposition to the match, and that the matter would
eventually end by securing her happiness and that of his friend, “forgot
his own griefs,” to rejoice in their bright prospects. And so they
reached the pleasure-grounds, where Alice, separating from the two
gentlemen, ran in to compose her excited feelings before appearing at
breakfast.
“Arthur, wait one moment,” exclaimed Coverdale, laying his hand on
his friend’s arm to detain him; “I have something important to say to
you;--isn’t she an angel, my dear boy?”
“Why really, my good fellow, between friends, and seeing that you appear
to attach so much importance to the fact, I should say, taking into
consideration the evidence in the case, and coming to the point without
any unnecessary prolixity, that she was by no means an angel, but simply
a very pleasant little female mortal, and--ahem! my poor sister, sir.”
“Psha! you stupid old humbug!” returned Harry, giving him a playful
push, which caused him involuntarily to leap over a flower-bed; “do just
listen to me for a minute, and give me a sensible answer if you can.
It’s all very pretty for my darling Alice, and you and I, to settle
this matter so sweetly and easily; but remember, there’s the governor to
bring round, and Crane and his confounded £20,000 a-year to beat out of
the field; it strikes me we’re in an awful fix, and about to become an
interesting young couple. What is to be the next move, eh?”
“Oh, the affair lies in a nutshell,” returned Hazlehurst. “Fortunately,
my father has always appreciated you properly, and now the unusual
degree of influence you have acquired over him will stand you in good
stead. He may be a little annoyed at first, when he finds he must
relinquish his favourite design of purchasing old Crane’s farm; but he
is very fond of Alice, and very proud of her.”
“He’d be a most unnatural old heathen if he wasn’t,” muttered Harry,
_sotto voce_.
“Consequently,” continued Hazlehurst, not heeding the interruption,
“when he perceives the immeasurable advantages to be obtained by
allowing her to marry a man she loves, and who is in every way deserving
of her affection, instead of an old scarecrow, who will be in his dotage
(I believe he is so already, more or less!) while Ally is still quite a
young woman, he cannot hesitate for a moment in giving his consent. You
had better speak to him the instant breakfast is over; depend upon it
you’ll find him all amiability.”
“Depend upon it I shall find him nothing of the kind,” returned
Coverdale, snappishly; then, seeing the look of surprise that spread
over his friend’s countenance, he continued, dejectedly:--“Ah, my dear
boy, you little know the extent to which I’ve been putting my foot in it
since you went away. Tom tells me I annoyed your governor three or four
days ago, by taking the nonsense out of that beast of a horse old Crane
had the stupidity to give Alice; a brute which would have broken her
sweet neck, if I hadn’t luckily been at hand to catch her as she was
falling. Then, to improve the matter, last night we all drank wine
enough, and the Head of the Family got a little too much into it to be
good for its proprietor; accordingly, he forced me to give my opinion
about Free-trade, and then pitched into me for so doing, and declared
I’d insulted him: upon which I lost my temper, and said something rude;
and, to come to the point, as you call it, he is now as savage as a bear
with me, and all the blessed influence you’ve been paying me such pretty
compliments about, if it ever existed, is scattered to the winds. I dare
not speak to him, it would be worse than useless; he’d be only too glad
to refuse me at once, lest he should lose such a good opportunity of
paying me off for last night. Ah!” he continued, “you may well look
puzzled,--you would not like to have many clients with such a talent
as I possess for unconsciously cutting their own throats! What’s to
be done?--divide the wires of the electric telegraph at King’s Cross
Station, and then take Alice along the Great Northern to Gretna
Green--though Gretna Green has been done brown by some recent act, has
it not, and the harmonious and hymeneal blacksmith retired into private
life? Come, advise, for I can hit upon nothing; only remember one
thing,--since Alice is good enough to say she will have me, _married I
must and will be_, if all the fathers in England were to set themselves
against it!”