Nobly he yokes
A smiling with a sigh: as if the sigh
Was that it was, for not being such a smile.
oeCYMBELINEoe.
About the time of Adelaide's arrival at Ballinamoyle, Lord Osselstone
and Augustus sailed from Dover, and took the direct road to Brussels,
intending to stay in the principal towns through which their route lay,
as long as would afford them opportunity of seeing such curiosities as
principally deserved their attention. From Brussels they proceeded to
Liege, and stopping a few days at Spa, crossed to Bonn, and from thence
enjoyed the delightful scenery which the banks of the Rhine presented.
The melancholy with which the remembrance of his brother was connected
in the Earl's mind, threw a softened shade of sadness on his manners,
which perhaps won more on the affections of his nephew, than the most
brilliant sallies of wit or imagination could have done. For every sigh
that escaped Lord Osselstone found an echo in the heart of Augustus. The
concentrated susceptibility of his natural disposition, and the peculiar
turn of his education, had equally contributed to give a stability to
his feelings, beyond what his age would have promised: impressions made
on a mind so formed were not easily to be effaced; as the marble, though
impervious to slight incisions, if once impressed, loses the form but
with its own existence.
He had never known the endearing cares of a sister,--never had enjoyed
the blessing of maternal smiles. In Selina Seymour alone all his first
affections were centred, and as his matured reason watched her opening
charms, his judgment sanctioned his love.
It was true, that in the vortex of dissipation into which she had lately
been plunged, he had found something to reprove in her manners, and a
great deal to deplore in her conduct to himself; yet with the lenity
which belongs to true affection, he sought excuses for what he most
condemned; and though with the resignation of despondency he had given
up all hope of being dear to her, he did not endeavour to discover flaws
in the chrysolite, because the precious jewel was not to grace his
coronet. But the contending emotions of his soul preyed on his health;
and in his faded cheek and saddened brow Lord Osselstone read the too
plain indications of a grief smothered, but not subdued.
It was towards the end of July when the travellers reached Bonn, and the
beautiful scenery in the neighbourhood of that town, where they first
saw the Rhine, tempted them to prolong their stay in it for some days.
At length however they pursued their journey, and as the weather was
sultry, preferred travelling in the cool of the evening. The shades of
night are however little adapted to German roads or German drivers.
They had scarcely traversed half the distance between Andernach and
Coblentz, when their postillions carelessly drove against the roots of a
tree, and overturned the carriage. Fortunately neither of the gentlemen
received any injury, but the accident occasioned a considerable delay,
as the carriage was much shattered, and they were obliged considerably
to lighten it of its luggage, before it could reassume its proper
position. At last, after the drivers had indulged themselves in a
variety of oaths and ejaculations, and the two gentlemen, aided by their
servants, had made use of more effectual means of repairing the
disaster, they were enabled to proceed, though at a greatly retarded
pace; and at last reached Coblentz, without further accident.
The master of the hotel, but too happy to receive once more "_Des milors
Anglais_" as his guests, with alacrity provided them the best supper his
house could afford, and the Earl and Augustus were congratulating each
other on their escape, when the door suddenly opened, and Lord
Osselstone's gray-headed valet burst into the room, rage and dismay
struggling for pre-eminence in his countenance; "There, my Lord,"
bellowed he, "there, I knew how it would be. I told you you'd get no
good by travelling in this damned country: they have robbed you; they
have stolen it, that's all;" and he was leaving the room with as much
precipitation as he had entered it, when his master called him back, to
inquire calmly what was lost. "Only your red box, that I know you
wouldn't part with for a thousand pounds." In an instant, to Augustus's
inexpressible astonishment, he beheld Lord Osselstone's countenance
convulsed with contending passions--he started up, and seizing the
trembling old man by the collar, "Find it, find it, villain, or never
see me more," said he, in a voice of thunder; and with one thrust pushed
him out of the door. Then holding his burning forehead with both his
hands, he traversed the room with hurried steps, and soon retired
precipitately to his own chamber. This scene was perfectly
incomprehensible to Augustus; but instead of bewildering himself in
conjecture, he, with his usual promptitude, immediately exerted himself
to repair the loss which so much agitated his uncle. Conceiving it
possible the box might have fallen out of the carriage when it was
overturned, he instantly dispatched one of the postillions in search of
it, offering a large reward for its recovery. After about two hours of
suspense, during which time he did not venture to intrude on the Earl,
the messenger returned with the lost treasure, which was almost broken
to pieces. Augustus however joyfully seizing it, hastened with it to his
uncle, who opened the door, and snatched it from him in silence. But the
box was so shattered that in doing so the bottom of it gave way, and
most of its contents, consisting principally of letters, fell to the
floor. A miniature case rolled to some distance, and lay open on the
ground. Augustus ran to pick it up, but on viewing it, exclaimed
abruptly, "Good God! my mother! this surely is a copy of the portrait of
her my father left me;" and turning with an inquiring look to Lord
Osselstone, he perceived his lip trembling with emotion, the cold drops
of agony bursting from his forehead, and his frenzied eyes fixed on
Mordaunt, with an expression which made him shudder. "Audacious boy!" at
last muttered the earl, in the deep tone of smothered passion, "how dare
you seek to know the sorrows of my heart?" Augustus, pitying his evident
suffering, approached him, and laying his hand on his, with involuntary
affection, said, "I do not seek to know them, I only wish to soothe
them: consider me as a friend, as a son, who--" "Son!" exclaimed Lord
Osselstone, shrinking from him with horror; "Son! God of Heaven! do I
live to hear the child of Emma Dormer mock me with the name of father?
leave me," continued he sternly, "and never again blast me with your
presence. Fool, fool that I have been to cherish the viper that stings
my heart; your cradle was the grave of my happiness; and you have but
lived to fester the wounds your parents made." Indignant at such
unmerited reproaches, Mordaunt hastened to leave the room, but turning
to take a parting look at his last surviving relation, who thus spurned
him, he beheld the man, whose calm unbending dignity had so often awed
the wondering crowd, trembling with unconquerable feelings, whilst the
scalding tears chased each other down his face. He stopped--"I cannot
leave you thus," said he; "to-morrow will be time enough to part." Lord
Osselstone turned towards him in silence. The look was not to be
misunderstood; and in an instant Augustus was pressed to his bosom. A
long pause ensued. At last the Earl, wringing Mordaunt's hand;
"Augustus!" said he, "I believe you sincere in the regard you profess
for me: but beware of deceiving me." He stopped to recover himself, then
proceeded, in a hurried tone: "When I was about your age, with a heart
as warm as yours is now, and feelings even more susceptible, I fixed my
affections on Emma Dormer. I believed her mind as faultless as her
person; and loved her to adoration. She pretended to return my passion;
and her father was happy, nay eager, to see her share my title and
fortune. The time was fixed for our marriage; but two days before the
one appointed for it, she eloped with the man she had the cruelty to
tell me was her first, her only love. My own brother was my rival!" A
deep groan burst from the Earl; at length, he continued, "I never saw
her afterwards; though, when her extravagance and my brother's
dissipation hurried them into ruin, she often wrote to me, _yes_, _to
me_, for assistance; and I have the satisfaction of thinking, that I
relieved the wretchedness of her who plunged my life in misery. She died
four years afterwards, and my brother survived her but ten months. Even
in death he wronged me; for, mistrusting my feelings towards you, he
chose Sir Henry Seymour for your guardian. When I first saw you,
Augustus, your hated likeness to both your parents froze my blood. When
you came to Oxford, I was a constant though secret observer of your
actions; and, prejudiced as I was, I thought I saw in your youthful
follies and marked alienation from myself, the errors of your father's
character hereditary in yours. Accident and time changed my opinion of
you; and, contrary to my predetermination, nay, even against my
inclination, my heart has once more been open to feelings of interest
and affection; if I am again betrayed----however the poison will find
its own antidote. Now, Augustus, good night.--Yet, one word more.--I
charge you, as you value my friendship, as you regard my peace, never
recur to this subject again--never recall the occurrences of this
night."
It would be impossible to describe the various feelings this recital
occasioned in the heart of Augustus. He retired to rest, but his
thoughts were entirely engrossed by the Earl; and while he shuddered at
the duplicity and ingratitude of his parents, he bitterly lamented his
own precipitancy, which had led him so much to misjudge his uncle's
character. When however they met the next morning, all trace of the
storm had vanished. The surface of the wave, that had so lately been
agitated almost to fury, was again calmly bright, if not transparent.
Augustus could almost have believed the scene of the night before was
but a vision of his distempered fancy, had it not been for the silent
and almost imperceptible pressure of his hand, which accompanied his
uncle's first salutation.
One other change was also apparent. They had scarcely commenced
breakfast, when Lord Osselstone sent for his valet, to desire him to
make some other coffee, as his Lordship had just recollected that he
always preferred what he prepared to any other. The alacrity with which
the old man obeyed the command, showed how much he valued the
compliment thus paid to the very point of his character on which he most
valued himself, next to his talent for arranging full-bottomed periwigs,
which he always contended were the most becoming dresses ever invented
for young gentlemen. When he returned with the coffee, "There," said he,
with a look of triumph, "I have taken pains with that, and you'll find
it ten times better than these jabbering Frenchmen can make, here in the
heart of Germany; but you'll get nothing fit to eat till you get back to
Old England; I always told you so." His expostulations were however
unavailing, as the travellers pursued their journey towards Vienna,
where they arrived in the beginning of September. Not the most distant
allusion was made by either to the confidence Lord Osselstone had
reposed in Augustus, though the almost indefinable tokens of increased
kindness, that now marked the Earl's manner to his companion, showed
that, however painful the communication had been at first, yet his grief
in being shared was lightened. As when the soft breath of spring
dissolves the icy chain that binds the torrent, though it may at first
burst in desolating fury, yet its streams gradually subside in peace,
and glide in smoother currents, blessed and blessing on their way.