It was scarcely two when Minnie stopped at the door of Mary Burns's
cottage; alighting, she rapped. The servant of whom Dalby made mention,
opened the door. But, let us hasten to say, of all this he was ignorant;
the game was too deep a one to be entrusted even to him.
"Is Miss Burns at home?" asked Minnie.
"No, ma'am; she has been out some time, but I expect her very shortly.
Will you walk up-stairs, in the drawing-room?"
Minnie obeyed, desiring the fly to wait. Before going to this apartment,
however, she entered the parlour, and there found Mary's old mother
sitting, childish and insensible as ever to all around. She spoke a few
words to the deaf ear, and looked her sympathy in the unconscious face;
then turning, followed the servant up-stairs. Here she paced the room
impatiently some moments; then, sitting down, looked in the fire to seek
some associations for her thoughts in the "faces in the fire." She was
in deep meditation; she felt nervous, and full of thought.
Thought! What are our thoughts? They are like dissolving views passing
over the soul. One fades imperceptibly into another, brighter and
totally different; then this one in its turn yields place to others, and
so on, until at last the curtain falls over the last--and where are we?
In an immensity of tangled imaginings, wide and spreading like eternity!
A long time she sat thus, and then a rap at the street door startled
her; a step was on the stairs, light and bounding; it was not calm as
Mary's generally, nevertheless she rose to meet it; the door opened, and
she found herself face to face with Lord Randolph! She could not speak,
but shrunk silently back, gazing on him.
"I shame to see it," he cried, advancing with extended hands, "that you,
my dear Mrs. Tremenhere, have arrived first."
There was nothing libertine in his manner, nothing more than usual--glad
to see her, and most respectful. "You are annoyed," he continued, as she
involuntarily drew back; "but pray, pardon me: I was unavoidably
delayed, and prove your forgiveness by telling me how, in what manner, I
can serve or oblige you?"
"There is some strange mistake in this, some incomprehensible mystery,
my lord," she whispered in terror, though scarcely knowing of what. "I
never expected to see you here; why are you in this house?"
"Merciful heavens!" he cried in amazement, "did you not write,
requesting my presence here? Stay! I have the note about me: I came
unhesitatingly, knowing well that you were in the habit of calling here
occasionally."
"I never wrote, Lord Randolph; there is some extraordinary meaning in
this, coupled with the absence of her I came to see," and she seated
herself tremblingly on the couch.
"Here is the note," he cried, not less agitated; "is not this exactly
your handwriting?"
"Sufficiently like it to deceive an inexperienced eye; but I never wrote
it, believe me."
"I do, Mrs. Tremenhere, most truly; but believe also that I obeyed the
summons without one wronging thought of one I respect so sincerely as I
do yourself."
"Alas! alas!" she said in a tone of despondency, "I have felt some time
past that there was a web weaving around me, I knew not where; my
husband is changed, and I--oh! I am so far from happy," and she burst
into tears, covering her face with her hands.
"Do not weep thus; pray, do not weep," he said with much feeling,
leaning one hand on the back of the couch on which she sat. "I will sift
this to the bottom; there must be treachery somewhere--but where? and
why?" He read Mary Burns's letter to Minnie carefully over. "Where is
this girl?" he asked; "can she be false, for some demoniacal motive?"
"I do not think so: I would she were returned. Pray, let me hear the
contents of the letter you received--I cannot read it." Lord Randolph
hastened to obey; it merely contained a few hurried lines, as if written
in trouble, imploring him to meet the writer at the place indicated, at
a friend of hers, as she had something of importance to communicate, and
begging secresy to all. It was signed "M. T., Chiswick," adding in a
N.B.--"Inquire for me; you know my name. Should I not have arrived, ask
to be shewn to the drawing-room, and wait."
Minnie's tears fell thick and fast, her terror was so great. She felt
she must be surrounded by enemies, and the worst, hidden ones--he was
leaning forward, endeavouring to soothe, to guide, and counsel, where he
himself felt so much in the dark: as he sat beside the weeping woman,
the door opened quietly, and the servant looked in. "There was a
gentleman there," she said, "wanting to look at the apartments which
were to let, might she show them? Her mistress left orders for her to do
so, when she was out." As she spoke, with an apparently innocent manner
she flung open the door to the person, who stood behind her. A wolf
driven to despair for food dares all--so will a coward for revenge.
Marmaduke Burton stepped into the room--Lord Randolph sprang from the
sofa, and Minnie in alarm, without reflection, lowered her veil.
"I beg ten thousand pardons, Mrs. Tremenhere," he cried, starting back
as if in surprise. "I was little aware I should meet you here! I beg ten
thousand pardons," and he drew back.
"Sir!" exclaimed Lord Randolph with _hauteur_, "your presence here
solves the enigma of the forged letters, which have brought Mrs.
Tremenhere and myself hither, but it is not here you must answer for
it."
"I do not comprehend you, Lord Randolph," he answered, advancing; "we
mistake each other, doubtless. I have known the lady of this house from
childhood; and, being commissioned by a friend to seek apartments for
him, I deemed it an act of kindness to benefit her, if possible, knowing
how circumscribed her means are; and her troubles, I grieve to say,
occasioned by an unworthy relative of my own."
He said this, not feeling positive that Minnie might not be shaken
enough to doubt her husband's veracity about his (Burton's) seduction of
the girl; it might do good any way, and materially change Lord
Randolph's opinion of, and consequent interest in, Tremenhere.
"Oh, it is untrue!" cried Minnie, starting up, forgeting every thing but
the slander of her husband. "Do not believe that man, my lord--ask Mary
herself. Miles has been as a brother to her; and shame--oh! shame on the
base tongue which proclaims the wrongs of his victim!"
"I see, madam," answered Burton, "that your old and natural prejudice
against me has nothing abated; and I make no doubt, even my truly good
motive in visiting this house will be misconstrued by you."
"There can be no further occasion, then, for prolonging your stay here,
I presume," said Lord Randolph coldly; and here be it said, the
indifferent, or rather neutral portion of his lordship's character
appeared as the active and better had shone forth in his desire, however
awkwardly executed, of making Tremenhere from shame do Minnie justice,
when he supposed her an injured woman. Had he now taken up the intrusion
differently, and alarmed Burton's coward heart, by his resolution of
sifting the mystery thoroughly, and in the presence of Mary Burns, who
was momentarily expected, as the servant had told Minnie, Burton could
not have refused, under the accusation of a knowledge of the
mystification which had been practised upon the other two, to await
Mary's coming; and thus have exonerated himself, if possible. Under any
circumstances, fear of Lord Randolph would have silenced him elsewhere.
On this subject, as it was, the other's supineness and policy emboldened
him, and left a fearful arm in his hands to injure Minnie. Lord Randolph
said to himself, "I have a very great regard for Mrs. Tremenhere; I like
her husband, too; there is some mystery here; if I involve myself to
unravel it, or punish Burton, whom I firmly believe to be at the bottom,
I shall bring my name into question; and as Lady Dora, who, most
probably, some day will become my wife, is Mrs. Tremenhere's cousin, all
these unpleasant circumstances had better be left to die away; nothing
will come of it; I shall withdraw from the acquaintance."
And so poor Minnie was sacrificed for the want of a resolute, sterling,
English heart, to bring the darkness of the affair to light. Poor woman!
all her strength of mind seemed to have deserted her, after those few
words uttered in defence of Miles; and she sat like one bewildered by
passing events, intoxicating from their combination.
"I have no wish to intrude further," said Burton, as he turned round. "I
have only to apologize sincerely for the alarm my inopportune visit has
occasioned this lady and your lordship."
"I trust, sir," exclaimed this latter, "that you do not mean to
insinuate aught against Mrs. Tremenhere? Our meeting here remains an
unsolved mystery, which we can only leave to time."
"Far be it from me to wrong the purity of one so fair," answered the
other, bowing lowly, with as much sarcasm in his manner as he durst
shew. "Mrs. Tremenhere has a husband to judge her--I leave all to him."
And with this last bitter phrase of doubtful meaning, he quitted the
room. Poor Minnie could not speak; she was thunderstruck, and crushed
with presentiment and fear.
"This has been a most inexplicable affair," said Lord Randolph, as the
door closed. "Can you devise any means for discovering the authors, dear
Mrs. Tremenhere? I am, indeed, truly distressed at your annoyance; but,
believe me, there will be, there can be, no unpleasant results--it has
been some foolish jest."
"Jest!" she exclaimed, looking up; she was very pale. "It is more than
that; there is some villainy in it, and that man is the author."
There was a garden attached to the back of the house, through the door
of which, leading into a lane, Burton passed out as he had entered,
conducted by the servant, whose physiognomy had not deceived the acute
Dalby. At the same moment Mary Burns rapped at the front; and our
readers will not fail to remember the occupant of the hired brougham who
had followed, and was witness to the arrival of all except Burton.
Mary Burns went up immediately to the drawing-room, when her servant
told her Mrs. Tremenhere was there. In an instant this latter was at her
side--the presence of that girl seemed so great a protection--her
coming, the only means of elucidating this painful mystery. Lord
Randolph bowed rather uneasily as Minnie presented him. He wished much
that he had sooner quitted the house. Yet, when he looked at her, he
could not but feel deep commiseration for her, she was so agitated; in a
few brief words she explained all to Mary, it would be impossible to
describe her anxious state. Without the slightest hesitation she
pronounced that Marmaduke Burton was the author of it for some vile
purpose. It was not alone fear which agitated Minnie. There was a sense
of degraded delicacy in it, that she should be drawn into even a
fictitious intrigue with any man. She blushed deeply when this feeling
came over her in all its force; especially when Lord Randolph said,
meaning well, but certainly not advising wisely, "I should seriously
counsel Mrs. Tremenhere not to name this affair to her husband, he has
shewn himself so prone to jealousy; and _I_ will take means to silence
the servant who admitted us--thus the affair will die away quietly."
"Not name it to Miles!" exclaimed Minnie. "Pardon me, my lord, he shall
instantly be made acquainted with it; and as one who, I trust, has too
much reliance on me to suspect me of wrong. Let him seek those who cast
so unworthy an imputation upon me."
Poor Minnie, in her earnest defence of her husband, forgot the past
unhappy scene to which Lord Randolph had been a witness, but he
remembered it; and, fixing an eye of deep pity upon her, said, "Think
well, Mrs. Tremenhere, before you act; your future happiness may be
wrecked by one false step."
"I think Mrs. Tremenhere is correct in her resolution," said Mary
timidly. "Candour is ever best; and if I may presume to suggest to your
lordship, I should assuredly beg that no bribe for secresy should be
given to my servant. Honest uprightness, like Mrs. Tremenhere's and your
own, needs no mask to hide its face."
"Perhaps you are right," he said; and, taking up his hat and gloves from
the table, added--"And now I think it would be more advisable for me to
take my leave; that is, unless I can in any way serve you," he said,
addressing Minnie.
"Not in any," she answered, offering her hand; "it is far better you
should leave. Most probably Miles will seek you to consult about
discovering this affair; may I tell him your lordship will willingly
lend any aid in your power?"
"Assuredly," he answered, taking her proffered hand; "and now farewell,
dear Mrs. Tremenhere. I sincerely trust this effort of your enemy,
whosoever he may be, will prove abortive in any way to annoy you."
"God grant it!" sighed she.
"I earnestly pray so, too," responded Mary, as the door closed on Lord
Randolph, who reached the street, entered his cab and drove off, without
noticing the brougham, drawn up some doors off, through the window, at
the back of which Tremenhere's pale face was watching him.
"It can only be the work of that wicked man, Mr. Burton," said the
agitated Mary; "and let me pray and entreat of you, dear Mrs.
Tremenhere, not to lose a moment in returning, and stating all to your
husband."
"Assuredly he shall know all," answered she earnestly. "Poor Miles, it
will grieve him deeply I know; but he will at once devise the best plan
to frustrate our enemy: and now Mary, before I go, tell me, are you
prospering in your teaching?"
Mary's face grew very pale; the corners of her mouth twinged, and vain
was the effort to repress her tears, she burst into sobs. "I have
learned a severe lesson of late," she said, "that though there may be
those in the world, in pure Christian charity, to take the fallen by the
hand, there are more who close their gates against her: may Heaven not
close the eternal ones to them!--I have had two shut against me since we
met; I have not dared tell you, dear madam; I knew how your kind heart
would suffer for me."
"Good heavens!" cried Minnie, "how has it happened?"
"Some enemy," answered the other with quivering lips, "or better said,
_my_ enemy--the one who seems to seek the misery of all, alone can have
done it. Past events have been by letter detailed; I was charged with
them, and would not deny that the accusation was true. I accepted the
shame as retribution."
"And have you then lost your pupils in consequence?"
"_All_," answered the unhappy woman; "for of the three families I
attended, two were acquainted. One lady spoke of 'regret,' but 'there
were worldly prejudices to be bowed down to.' I humbled myself, I
implored them, for my poor old mother's sake, but it mattered little. At
the other houses I was driven with insult from the place, and told that
my manners bespoke no contrition or humility. Oh! if they could but
witness the bowing down of my heart before Heaven for pardon, my
sincere, my earnest repentance, they would not have condemned me so
harshly."
"I fear," said Minnie taking her hand kindly between her own trembling
ones, on which the tears of sympathy fell, "that the world in general
judges only from outward seeming; the hypocrite may be pardoned and
believed, but the lowly penitent woman, walking before her God, and
seeking his will in all things, to gain pardon and peace, is rejected by
man, because her tears are silent, and hidden, save to the one to whom
all her thoughts are directed; and let this be your consolation, Mary,
that there is a limit to man's power, and then the tears of contrition
will shine like stars to light you on your road to where they will all
be wiped away."
"May a better than myself bless you!" cried the stricken woman
emphatically. "I did not intend saying so much to-day. May your
consolation to me descend upon your own head in peace and happiness; and
now, dear Mrs. Tremenhere, let me urge you to go, and tell your husband
all, for only openness and candour can defeat the demon warring against
us all."
"I will go," answered Minnie, pressing her hand warmly. "You are right,
Mary; but do not you despond. I will see you again in a few days--now I
will go at once."
And with a kind, gentle word to the sorrowing woman, she quitted the
cottage, and, entering the fly awaiting her, drove rapidly towards home;
and the brougham quitted its station too, and followed.