THE JEW'S FAMILY.
In the meantime Mr. de Medina had passed a happy afternoon in company
with his two daughters and little Charley Watts.
Tamar acquainted her father and sister with the generous conduct of
Rainford towards the boy, who was accordingly fetched by a servant from
the lodging which he and his adopted mother had recently occupied in the
City.
Tom Rain's kindness in respect to Charley made a deep impression upon
Mr. de Medina, who had already heard and seen enough to convince him
that the seducer of his daughter possessed many good qualities;
especially a generosity of disposition which might have made the envy of
a monarch.
Charley had been fortunately retained in complete ignorance of the real
cause of the protracted absence of him whom he called by the endearing
name of "father." He was too young to entertain suspicions or misgivings
on the subject; and the excuses which Tamar had constantly made to
account for that absence, had so far satisfied his mind, that he
entirely believed them, although he pined for the return of Rainford.
When he beheld Tamar weep, which was often—very often—he exerted himself
to console her, throwing his little arms round her neck, and yet weeping
also! Even when Tamar, with the bitterest anguish, arrayed herself in
deep black on the awful morning the results of which she could not have
possibly anticipated, she had not the heart to exchange Charley's
coloured garments for the mourning ones which had been prepared for him.
No—she threw them aside: she had not strength sufficient to place before
her own eyes an evidence of the dreadful loss which she deemed herself
that hour to sustain!
The dinner-table at Mr. de Medina's house that day, was gayer—oh! far
more gay than usual; for a forgiven daughter sate at the board—and
Charley Watts was so happy to see his "dear mamma" smile once more, and
to receive the positive assurance that he would meet his "papa" in a few
days, that it was delightful to behold his sweet countenance animated
with such heart-felt, innocent joy.
The attendance of the servants was dispensed with, in order that the
conversation might flow unreservedly; and Mr. de Medina felt the full
amount of that pleasure which consists in pardoning, as Tamar
experienced the ineffable happiness of being by a father pardoned.
And, Esther—beauteous, amiable, generous-hearted Esther,—oh! she was as
gay and smiling as she was ever wont to be in her girlhood, ere Tamar's
disgrace had carried sorrow into the heart of the family!
In the evening Mr. de Medina bade adieu to his daughters and little
Charley, and departed in a post-chaise for Dover, according to the
arrangements already made.
That night, when the sisters retired to rest, a touching scene occurred
in Esther's chamber; for this amiable girl led Tamar to her drawers, in
which she showed her all the music-books and the pictures that had been
so religiously preserved.
Then Tamar threw herself, weeping with gratitude and joy, into Esther's
arms; and delicious was the embrace of purest affection in which the
sisters clasped each other.
"Oh! how can I ever repay thee for so much love, dearest Esther?"
murmured Tamar in a tone expressive of her unfeigned sincerity.
"By thinking of me frequently when you are far away," replied Esther,
the tears streaming from her eyes as she reflected that they were no
sooner re-united than they were about to separate again—for a long, long
period—perhaps for ever!
"I shall never cease to think of thee, my Esther," answered the elder
sister, as she now began to set at liberty the shining masses of her
rich black hair, preparatory to retiring to rest; for she was to share
Esther's bed, little Charley being already asleep in an adjoining
chamber, the door of communication being left open in case he might
awake:—"no, never shall I cease, to think of thee, Esther!" repeated
Tamar; "for thou hast always manifested so much devoted affection
towards me—and then, too," she added, casting down her blushing
countenance, "thou hast endured so much for my sake!"
"Oh! have we not agreed that the past is to be forgotten?" hastily
exclaimed Esther, for a moment desisting from the occupation of laying
aside her garments. "The deeds that are gone should only engage our
thoughts when no hope survives for the future. And how much hope is
there yet for _you_!" she added, with an emphasis upon the pronoun.
Tamar started, and gazed steadfastly upon her sister's countenance; for,
apart from that emphasis which was not unnoticed, there seemed something
mournful in the sweet, liquid tones of Esther's voice.
"Hope for me!" exclaimed Tamar. "Yes—there _is_ hope of happiness for me
and for him whom I love so tenderly! But you spoke, my beloved sister,
as if there were hope for me _alone_—and that there was none for you.
Ah! Esther, have no secret from me—for I will never henceforth refuse
you my fullest confidence, in the letters which I shall address to you
so often—so very often! Esther, my sweet sister—you love!"
The maiden buried her countenance in Tamar's bosom.
"I am not deceived!" continued the latter. "Yes—you love, Esther; and
perhaps you are not loved in return? But tell me all, and I may counsel
you."
Esther murmured a name; and, as she thus whisperingly pronounced it, her
face was burning in its contact with Tamar's bosom—so deeply did she
blush in the confusion and shame of that confession of virgin love.
"The Earl of Ellingham!" cried Tamar, echoing the name which her sister
had breathed.
"Alas!—yes," answered Esther, raising her beauteous countenance, still
suffused with the rich carnation hues of modesty; "I can conceal the
truth from my own heart no longer! But he loves another——"
"Whom he can never marry," added Tamar; "and therefore, my beloved
sister, there is hope for thee!"
"Can never marry Lady Hatfield!" exclaimed Esther, in a tone of profound
surprise.
"Rainford assured me that such is the case," continued Tamar. "I am not
aware of the reason, because he did not volunteer an explanation; and it
never has been my habit to question him respecting affairs on which he
has not spoken freely of his own accord. But this much I can assure
you—that Lady Hatfield and the Earl of Ellingham will never be united,
and that they no longer entertain even the idea of such union. Do not,
therefore, perplex yourself relative to the cause of their severance, my
darling Esther; but nourish hope—for, oh! it is delicious to feed love
upon the manna of hope! And, believe me, the Earl of Ellingham already
surveys you with so much admiration—already entertains so exalted an
opinion of your character—already looks upon you with such respect, that
he cannot fail to experience feelings more tender still!"
"O Tamar! talk not thus—I may not listen to thee!" exclaimed Esther,
with fluttering heart and swelling bosom; for, model of purity and
innocence as she was, the words of her sister excited pleasurable
sensations within her breast.
And thus ever is it with the most chaste, most virtuous, and most
unsophisticated maiden, who loves for the first time!
"Nay—do not compel me to keep silence on a topic which _is_—which _must
be_ dear to your soul, my Esther," said Tamar. "Were human beings to
feel shame at loving, there would not be an unblushing cheek in the
whole world, save amongst children. Sooner or later, dear sister, every
one must feel the influence of that passion, which spares no one. Oh!
cold and cheerless, indeed, would this world be, were not the hearts of
those who have grown up, and who have cast aside the frivolities of
childhood, warmed and irradiated by the beams of Love! Feel not ashamed,
then, dearest Esther, on account of this passion which has so
imperceptibly stolen upon thee."
"But, after all you have said, Tamar," returned the coy and bashful
maiden, "I shall not be able to meet the Earl again without blushing!
And then—were I mad enough to indulge in such a hope as you would have
me nourish—remember the difference of our creeds!"
"Was it not the Earl himself who suggested the means by which
matrimonial rites could be celebrated between his own half-brother and
myself?" demanded Tamar eagerly.
"Yes," replied Esther, every feature of her fine aquiline countenance
deriving additional charms from the crimson hues which mantled on that
splendid face, and spread themselves over her arching neck, her
gracefully sloping shoulders, and the rich contours of her virgin bust,
which, in the presence of her sister, no invidious drapery now
concealed:—"yes, Tamar," she replied; "but there are other—oh! and far
more important considerations. Consider how exalted is the rank of that
great nobleman—and consider, also," she added, in a mournful tone, "how
much our race is still despised even in this land, which boasts of an
almost consummate civilisation!"
"The Earl of Ellingham, I feel convinced, despises such absurd—such
pitiful prejudices," said Tamar, labouring only to render her sister
happy by means of joyous hope. "As an enlightened man, he must recognise
how deeply his country is indebted, in respect to its wondrous
prosperity, to the commercial enterprise and the financial skill of our
nation. Moreover, do we not believe in the same God? For the Almighty
whom the Christians worship, is the same who brought our forefathers out
of Egypt, and gave them the promised land. In a word, my beloved Esther,
Arthur of Ellingham is too noble-minded a being to despise you because
you cling to the creed in which you were brought up; and something tells
me that my sister is destined to become the Countess of Ellingham."
Esther sighed, but made no response.
Tamar continued to discourse in the same inconsiderate strain for
several minutes. She was actuated by the most generous motives towards
her sister; but, in the enthusiasm of her affection and gratitude, she
forgot that she might only be exciting hopes destined never to receive a
fulfilment, and encouraging a passion which, after all, was perhaps
doomed to experience the bitterness of disappointment.
At length Esther turned towards her, and exclaimed hastily, "Tamar—if
you love me, speak on this topic no more. It may be false shame on my
part,—but it seems to me that it is unmaidenly thus to discourse on a
subject in which one, who is separated from me by so wide a gulf, is
concerned. Alas! deeply do I regret that, in a moment of weakness, I
admitted aloud that which my heart had not hitherto dared to whisper
even to itself! I should have exercised more command over myself. Oh! I
have been foolish—very foolish to permit such a thought even to assume
the faintest shape in my imagination. But we will abandon the topic;—and
again I say, Tamar—if you love me, renew it not!"
There was a minute's pause, at the expiration of which Esther began to
converse gaily and rapidly on Tamar's future prospects in the clime to
which it was contemplated that herself and Rainford were to proceed; and
the amiable girl communicated to her sister all that she had read
concerning the United States of North America.
This little manœuvre on the part of Esther was to change the topic of
discourse: and Tamar did not attempt to renew a subject which offended
the maiden pride of her sister.
Oh! happy was Tamar to sleep beneath her father's roof that night—to
know, to feel that she was in the parental dwelling again! When she
awoke once, while it was yet dark, she fancied that she had been
dreaming—so strange did all the incidents of the preceding day appear to
be—so truly incredible! But, as she stretched out her arms, they
encountered the form of her sister; and then—in the silence and
obscurity of the night—Tamar joined her hands and prayed fervently,—far,
far more fervently than she had prayed for some years past!
And, Christian! darest thou believe that the prayers of the despised
Jewess were not wafted with thine own to the throne of the Eternal?