"That is candid, at least. It is very provoking, very disappointing. I
could not have supposed that you could have been infatuated with such a
dancing, laughing, singing, careless, merry hearted thing as
Marionetta--and with no fortune. Besides, sir, I have made a choice for
you. Such a lovely, serious creature, in a fine state of high
dissatisfaction with the world! Sir, I have pledged my honour to the
contract, and now, sir, what is to be done?"
"Indeed, sir, I cannot say. I claim on this occasion that liberty of
action which is the co-natal prerogative of every rational being."
"Liberty of action, sir! There is no such thing, and if you do not
comply with my wishes, I shall be under the necessity of disinheriting
you, though I shall do so with tears in my eyes."
He immediately sought Mrs. Hilary, and communicated his views to her.
She straightway hinted to her niece, whom she loved as her own child,
that dignity and decorum required them to leave the abbey at once.
Marionetta listened in silent submission, but when Scythrop entered, and
threw himself at her feet in a paroxysm of grief, she threw her arms
round his neck, and burst into tears.
Scythrop snatched from its repository his ancestor's skull, filled it
with Madeira, and presenting himself before Mr. Glowry, threatened to
drink off the contents, if he did not promise that Marionetta should not
leave the abbey without her own consent. Mr. Glowry, who took the
Madeira to be some deadly brewage, gave his promise in dismal panic.
Scythrop returned to Marionetta with a joyful heart, and drank the
Maderia by the way, leaving his father much disturbed, for he had set
his heart on marrying his son to the daughter of his friend, Mr. Toobad.
_III.--Celinda_
Mr. Toobad, too much accustomed to the intermeddling of the devil in all
his affairs to be astonished at this new trace of his cloven claw, yet
determined to outwit him, for he was sure there could be no comparison
between his daughter and Marionetta in the mind of anyone who had a
proper perception of the fact that seriousness and solemnity are the
characteristics of wisdom. Therefore he set off to meet her in London,
that he might lose no time in bringing her to Nightmare Abbey. After the
first joy of meeting was over, he told his daughter he had a husband
ready for her. The young lady replied very gravely she should take the
liberty of choosing for herself.
"Have I not a fortune in my own right, sir?" said Celinda.
"The more is the pity," said Mr. Toobad. "But I can find means, miss--I
can find means."
They parted for the night with the expression of opposite resolutions,
and in the morning the young lady's chamber was empty, and what was
become of her, Mr. Toobad had no clue to guess. He declared that when he
should discover the fugitive, she should find "that the devil was come
unto her, having great wrath," and continued to investigate town and
country, visiting and revisiting Nightmare Abbey at intervals to consult
Mr. Glowry.
Notwithstanding the difficulties that surrounded her, Marionetta could
not debar herself from the pleasure of tormenting her lover, whom she
kept in a continual fever, sometimes meeting him with unqualified
affection, sometimes with chilling indifference, softening him to love
by eloquent tenderness, or inflaming him to jealousy by coquetting with
the Hon. Mr. Listless. Scythrop's schemes for regenerating the world and
detecting his seven golden candlesticks went on very slowly.
On retiring to his tower one day Scythrop found it pre-occupied. A
stranger, muffled to the eyes in a cloak, rose at his entrance, and
looked at him intently for a few minutes in silence, then saying, "I see
by your physiognomy you are to be trusted," dropped the cloak, and
revealed to the astonished Scythrop a female form and countenance of
dazzling grace and beauty, with long, flowing hair of raven blackness.
"You are a philosopher," said the lady, "and a lover of liberty. You are
the author of a treatise called 'Philosophical Gas?'"
"I am," said Scythrop, delighted at this first blossom of his renown.
She then informed him that she was under the necessity of finding a
refuge from an atrocious persecution, and had determined to apply to him
(on reading his pamphlet, and recognising a kindred mind) to find her a
retreat where she could be concealed from the indefatigable search being
made for her.
Doubtless, thought Scythrop, this is one of my seven golden
candlesticks, and at once offered her the asylum of his secret
apartments, assuring her she might rely on the honour of a
transcendental eleutherarch.
"I rely on myself," said the lady. "I act as I please, and let the whole
world say what it will. I am rich enough to set it at defiance. They
alone are subject to blind authority who have no reliance on their own
strength."
Stella took possession of the recondite apartments. Scythrop intended to
find another asylum; but from day to day postponed his intention, and by
degrees forgot it. The young lady reminded him from day to day, till she
also forgot it.
Scythrop had now as much mystery about him as any romantic
transcendentalist could desire. He had his esoterical and his exoterical
love, and could not endure the thought of losing either of them. His
father's suspicions were aroused by always finding the door locked on
visiting Scythrop's study; and one day, hearing a female voice, and, on
the door being opened, finding his son alone, he looked around and said:
"Where is the lady?"
Scythrop invited him to search the tower, but Mr. Glowry was not to be
deceived. Scythrop talked loudly, hoping to drown his father's voice, in
vain.
"I, say, sir, when you are so shortly to be married to your cousin
Marionetta----"
The bookcase opened in the middle, and the beautiful Stella appeared,
exclaiming:
"Married! Is he going to be married? The profligate!"
"Really, madam," said Mr. Glowry, "I do not know what he is going to do,
or what anyone is going to do, for all this is incomprehensible."
"I can explain it all," said Scythrop, "if you will have the goodness to
leave us alone."
Stella threw herself into a chair and burst into a passion of tears.
Scythrop took her hand. She snatched it away, and turned her back upon
him. Scythrop continued entreating Mr. Glowry to leave them alone, but
he was obstinate, and would not go.
A tap at the door, and Mr. Hilary entered. He stood a few minutes in
silent surprise, then departed in search of Marionetta.
Scythrop was now in a hopeless predicament.
Mr. Hilary made a hue and cry, summoning his wife and Marionetta, and
they hastened in consternation to Scythrop's apartments. Mr. Toobad saw
them, and judging from their manner that the devil had manifested his
wrath in some new shape, followed, and intercepted Stella's flight at
the door by catching her in his arms.
"Celinda!" he exclaimed.
"Papa!" said the young lady disconsolately.
"The devil is come among you!" said Mr. Toobad. "How came my daughter
here?"
Marionetta, who had fainted, opened her eyes and fixed them on Celinda.
Celinda, in turn, fixed hers on Marionetta. Scythrop was equi-distant
between them, like Mahomet's coffin.
"Celinda," said Mr. Toobad, "what does this mean? When I told you in
London that I had chosen a husband for you, you thought proper to run
away from him; and now, to all appearance, you have run away to him."
"How, sir? Was that your choice?"
"Precisely; and if he is yours, too, we shall both be of a mind, for the
first time in our lives."
"He is not my choice, sir. This lady has a prior claim. I renounce him."
"And I renounce him!" said Marionetta.
Scythrop knew not what to do. He therefore retreated into his
stronghold, mystery; maintained an impenetrable silence, and contented
himself with deprecating glances at each of the objects of his idolatry.
The Hon. Mr. Listless, Mr. Flosky, and other guests had been attracted
by the tumult, multitudinous questions, and answers _en masse_, composed
a _charivari_, which was only terminated by Mrs. Hilary and Mr. Toobad
retreating with the captive damsels. The whole party followed, leaving
Scythrop carefully arranged in a pensive attitude.
_IV.--Scythrop's Fate_
He was still in this position when the butler entered to announce that
dinner was on the table. He refused food, and on being told that the
party was much reduced, everybody had gone, requested the butler to
bring him a pint of port and a pistol. He would make his exit like
Werter, but finally took Raven's advice--to dine first, and be miserable
afterwards.
He was sipping his Madeira, immersed in melancholy musing, when his
father entered and requested a rational solution of all this absurdity.
"I will leave it in writing for your satisfaction. The crisis of my fate
is come. The world is a stage, and my direction is exit."
"Do not talk so, sir; do not talk so, Scythrop! What would you have?"
"I would have my love."
"And pray, sir, who is your love?"
"Celinda--Marionetta--either--both."
"Both! That may do very well in a German tragedy, but it will not do in
Lincolnshire. Will you have Miss Toobad?"
"Yes."
"And renounce Marionetta?"
"No."
"But you must renounce one."
"I cannot."
"And you cannot have both. What is to be done?"
"I must shoot myself!"
"Don't talk so, Scythrop! Be rational, Scythrop! Consider, and make a
cool, calm choice, and I will exert myself on your behalf."
"Well, sir, I will have--no, sir, I cannot renounce either. I cannot
choose either, and I have no resource but a pistol."
"Scythrop--Scythrop, if one of them should come to you, what then? Have
but a little patience, a week's patience, and it shall be."
"A week, sir, is an age; but to oblige you, as a last act of filial
duty, I will live another week. It is now Thursday evening, twenty-five
minutes past seven. At this hour next Thursday love and fate shall smile
on me, or I will drink my last pint of port in this world."
Mr. Glowry ordered his travelling chariot, and departed from the abbey.
* * * * *
On the morning of the eventful Thursday, Scythrop ascended the turret
with a telescope and spied anxiously along the road, till Raven summoned
him to dinner at five, when he descended to his own funeral feast. He
laid his pistol between his watch and his bottle. Scythrop rang the
bell. Raven appeared.
"Raven," said he, "the clock is too fast."
"No, indeed," said Raven. "If anything it is too slow----"
"Villain," said Scythrop, pointing the pistol at him, "it is too fast!"
"Yes, yes--too fast, I meant!" said Raven, in fear.
"Put back my watch!" said Scythrop.
Raven, with trembling hand, was putting back the watch, when the rattle
of wheels was heard; and Scythrop, springing down the stairs three steps
together, was at the door in time to hand either of the young ladies
from the carriage; but Mrs. Glowry was alone.
"I rejoice to see you!" said he. "I was fearful of being too late, for I
waited till the last moment in the hope of accomplishing my promise; but
all my endeavours have been vain, as these letters will show."
The first letter ended with the words: "I shall always cherish a
grateful remembrance of Nightmare Abbey, for having been the means of
introducing me to a true transcendentalist, and shall soon have the
pleasure of subscribing myself
"CELINDA FLOSKY."
The other, from Marionetta, wished him much happiness with Miss Toobad,
and finished with: "I shall always be happy to see you in Berkely
Square, when, to the unalterable designation of your affectionate
cousin, I shall subjoin the signature of
"MARIONETTA LISTLESS."
Scythrop tore both the letters to atoms, and railed in good, set terms
against the fickleness of women.
"Calm yourself, my dear Scythrop," said Mr. Glowry. "There are yet
maidens in England; and besides, the fatal time is past, for it is now
almost eight."
"Then that villain Raven deceived me when he said the clock was too
fast; but I have just reflected these repeated crosses in love qualify
me to take a very advanced degree in misanthropy. There is therefore,
good hope that I may make a figure in the world."
Raven appeared. Scythrop looked at him very fiercely, and said, "Bring
some Madeira!"
* * * * *