Elster's Folly - Mrs. Henry Wood (top android ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Interposed.

 

"I Wanted Very Particularly To See You. A Strange Report Was Brought

Here This Morning And I Determined To Mention It To You. You Know What

An Old-Fashioned,  Direct Way I Have Of Doing Things; Never Choosing A

Roundabout Road If I Can Take A Straight One. This Note Was A Line Asking

You To Call Upon Me," She Added,  Taking It From Her Lap,  Where It Had

Been Lying,  And Tossing It On To The Table,  Whilst Her Hearer,  His

Conscience Rising Up,  Began To Feel A Very Little Uncomfortable. "We

Heard You Had Proposed Marriage To Lady Maude Kirton."

 

Lord Hartledon's Face Became Crimson. "Who On Earth Could Have Invented

That?" Cried He,  Having No Better Answer At Hand.

 

"Mrs. Graves Mentioned It To Me. She Was Dining At Hartledon Last Week,

And The Countess-Dowager Spoke About It Openly."

 

Mrs. Ashton Looked At Him; And He,  Confused And Taken Aback,  Looked Down

On The Carpet,  Devoutly Wishing Himself In The Remote Regions He Had

Spoken Of To Mr. Carr. Anywhere,  So That He Should Never Be Seen Or

Recognized Again.

 

"What Am I To Do?" Thought He. "I Wish Mother Graves Was Hanged!"

 

"You Do Not Speak,  Percival!"

 

"Well,  I--I Was Wondering What Could Have Given Rise To This," He

Stammered. "I Believe The Old Dowager Would Like To See Her Daughter

Mistress Of Hartledon: And Suppose She Gave Utterance To Her Thoughts."

 

"Very Strange That She Should!" Observed Mrs. Ashton.

 

"I Think She's A Little Cracked Sometimes," Coughed Val; And,  In Truth,

He Now And Then Did Think So. "I Hope You Have Not Told Anne?"

 

"I Have Told No One. And Had I Not Felt Sure It Had No Foundation,  I

Should Have Told The Doctor,  Not You. But Anne Was In The Room When Mrs.

Graves Mentioned It."

 

"What A Blessing It Would Be If Mrs. Graves Were Out Of The Parish!"

Exclaimed Val,  Hotly. "I Wonder Dr. Ashton Keeps Graves On,  With Such A

Mother! No One Ever Had Such A Mischief-Making Tongue As Hers."

 

"Percival,  May I Say Something To You?" Asked Mrs. Ashton,  Who Was

Devouring Him With Her Eyes. "Your Manner Would Almost Lead Me To Believe

That There _Is_ Something In It. Tell Me The Truth; I Can Never Be

Anything But Your Friend."

 

"Believe One Thing,  Dear Mrs. Ashton--That I Have No Intention Of

Marrying Anyone But Anne; And I Wish With All My Heart And Soul You'd

Give Her To Me To-Day. Shut Up With Those Two Women,  The One Pretty,  The

Other Watching Any Chance Word To Turn It To Her Own Use,  I Dare Say The

Mrs. Graveses Of The Place Have Talked,  Forgetting That Maude Is My

Cousin. I Believe I Paid Some Attention To Maude Because I Was Angry

At Being Kept Out Of The Rectory; But My Attentions Meant Nothing,  Upon

My Honour."

 

"Elster's Folly,  Val! Lady Maude May Have Thought They Did."

 

"At Any Rate She Knew Of My Engagement To Anne."

 

"Then There Is Nothing In It?"

 

"There Shall Be Nothing In It," Was The Emphatic Answer. "Anne Was My

First Love,  And She Will Be My Last. You Must Promise To Give Her To Me

As Soon As You Return From Cannes."

 

"About That You Must Ask Her Father. I Dare Say He Will Do So."

 

Lord Hartledon Rose From His Seat; Held Mrs. Ashton's Hand Between His

Whilst He Said His Adieu,  And Stooped To Kiss Her With A Son's Affection.

She Was A Little Surprised To Find It Was His Final Farewell. They Were

Not Going To Start Until Monday. But Hartledon Could Not Have Risked That

Cross-Questioning Again; Rather Would He Have Sailed Away For The Savage

Territories At Once. He Went Downstairs Searching For Anne,  And Found Her

In The Room Where You First Saw Her--Her Own. She Looked Up With Quite An

Affectation Of Surprise When He Entered,  Although She Had Probably Gone

There To Await Him. The Best Of Girls Are Human.

 

"You Ran Away,  Anne,  Whilst Mamma And I Held Our Conference?"

 

"I Hope It Has Been Satisfactory," She Answered Demurely,  Not Looking Up,

And Wondering Whether He Suspected How Violently Her Heart Was Beating.

 

"Partly So. The End Was All Right. Shall I Tell It You?"

 

"The End! Yes,  If You Will," She Replied Unsuspectingly.

 

"The Decision Come To Is,  That A Certain Young Friend Of Ours Is To Be

Converted,  With As Little Delay As Circumstances May Permit,  Into Lady

Hartledon."

 

Of Course There Came No Answer Except A Succession Of Blushes. Anne's

Work,  Which She Had Carried With Her,  Took All Her Attention Just Then.

 

"Can You Guess Her Name,  Anne?"

 

"I Don't Know. Is It Maude Kirton?"

 

He Winced. "If You Have Been Told That Abominable Rubbish,  Anne,  It Is

Not Necessary To Repeat It. It's Not So Pleasant A Theme That You Need

Make A Joke Of It."

 

"Is It Rubbish?" Asked Anne,  Lifting Her Eyes.

 

"I Thinkled The Boxes,  Put On His Coat,  Argued

Out The Crums' Family And Their Residences,  First With Me And Then With

His Friends On The Platform,  We Were Just Off When A Thought Seemed To

Strike Him,  And Back He Came To The Open Window,  And Saying "Ye'll Be

The Better Of Havin' This Ap"--Scratched It Up From The Outside With

Nails Like Nebuchadnezzar's. Whether My Face Looked As If I Did Not Like

It Or What,  I Don't Know,  But Down Came The Window Again With A Rattle,

And He Wagged The Leather Strap Almost In My Face And Said,  "There's

_Hoals_ In't,  An' Ye Can Jest Let It Down To Yer Own Satisfaction If Ye

Fin' It Gets Clos." Then He Rattled It Up Again,  Mounted The Box,  And

Off We Went. Oh,  _Such_ A Jolting Drive Of Six Miles! Such Wrenching

Over Tramway Lines! But I Had My Fine Air-Cushions,  And My Spine Must

Simply Be Another Thing To What It Was Six Months Back. Oh,  He Was

Funny! I Found That He Did Not Know The Way To Thornliebank,  But Having

A General Idea,  And A (No Doubt Just) Faith In His Own Powers,  He Swore

He Did Know,  And Utterly Resented Asking Bystanders. After We Got Far

Away From Houses,  On The Bleak Roads In The Dark Night,  I Merely Felt

One Must Take What Came. By And By He Turned Round And Began To Retrace

His Steps. I Put Out My Head (As I Did At Intervals To His Great

Disgust; He Always Pitched Well Into Me--"We're Aal Right--Just

Com--Pose Yeself," Etc.),  But He Assured Me He'd Only Just Gone By The

Gate. So By And By We Drew Up,  No Lights In The Lodge,  No Answer To

Shouts--Then He Got Down,  And In The Darkness I Heard The Gates Grating

As If They Had Not Been Opened For A Century. Then Under Overhanging

Trees,  And At Last In The Dim Light I Saw That The Walls Were Broken

Down And Weeds Were Thick Round Our Wheels. I Could Bear It No Longer,

And Put Out My Head Again,  And I Shall Never Forget The Sight. The Moon

Was Coming A Little Bit From Behind The Clouds,  And Showed A Court-Yard

In Which We Had Pulled Up,  Surrounded With Buildings In Ruins,  And

Overgrown With Nettles And Rank Grass. We Had Not Seen A Human Being

Since We Left Glasgow,  At Least An Hour Before,--And Of All The Places

To Have One's Throat Cut In!! The Situation Was So Tight A Place,  It

Really Gave One The Courage Of Desperation,  And I Ordered Him To Drive

Away At Once. I Believe He Was Half Frightened Himself,  And The Horse

Ditto,  And Never,  Never Was I In Anything So Nearly Turned Over As That

Cab! For The Horse Got It Up A Bank. At Last It Was Righted,  But Not An

Inch Would My Scotchman Budge Till He'd Put Himself Through The Window

And Confounded Himself In Apologies,  And In Explanations Calculated To

Convince Me That,  In Spite Of Appearances,  He Knew The Way To

Thornliebank "Pairfeckly Well." "Noo,  I Do Beg Of Ye Not To Be

Narrrr-Vous. Do Not Give Way To't. Ye May Trust Me Entirely. Don't Be

Discommodded In The Least. I'm Just Pairfectly Acquainted With The Road.

But It'll Be Havin' Been There In The Winter That's Just Misled Me. But

We're Aal Right." And All Right He Did Eventually Land Me Here! So Late

J. Had Nearly Given Me Up.

 

   

 

 

 

 

To Mrs. Elder.

 

_Greno House,  Grenoside,  Sheffield._

October 26,  1881.

 

 

 

 

Dearest Aunt Horatia,

 

       *       *       *       *       *

 

D. Says You Would Like Some Of The Excellent Scotch Stories I Heard

From Mr. Donald Campbell. I Wish I Could Take The Wings Of A Swallow

And Tell You Them. You Must Supply Gaps From Your Imagination.

 

They Were As Odd A Lot Of Tales As I Ever Heard--_Drawled_ (Oh So

Admirably Drawled,  Without The Flutter Of An Eyelid,  Or The Quiver Of

A Muscle) By A Lowland Scotchman,  And Queerly Characteristic Of The

Lowland Scotch Race!!!! Picture This Slow Phlegmatic Rendering To Your

"Mind's Eye,  Horatia!"

 

A Certain Excellent Woman After A Long Illness--Departed This Life,

And The Minister Went To Condole With The Widower. "The Hand Of

Affliction Has Been Heavy On Yu,  Donald. Ye've Had A Sair Loss In

Your Jessie."

 

"Aye--Aye--I've Had A Sair Loss In My Jessiet The Dinner-Table.

 

He Went Up,  Feeling A Desperate Man. To Those Of His Temperament Having

To Make A Disagreeable Communication Such As This Is Almost As Cruel As

Parting With Life.

 

No One Was In The Drawing-Room But Lady Kirton--Stretched Upon A Sofa And

Apparently Fast Asleep. Val Crossed The Carpet With Softened Tread To The

Adjoining Rooms: Small,  Comfortable Rooms,  Used By The Dowager In

Preference To The More Stately Rooms Below. Maude Had Drawn Aside The

Curtain And Was Peering Out Into The Frosty Night.

 

"Why,  How Soon You Are Up!" She Cried,  Turning At His Entrance.

 

"I Came On Purpose,  Maude. I Want To Speak To You."

 

"Are You Well?" She Asked,  Coming Forward To The Fire,  And Taking Her

Seat On A Sofa. In Truth,  He Did Not Look Very Well Just Then. "What Is

It?"

 

"Maude," He Answered,  His Fair Face Flushing A Dark Red As He Plunged

Into It Blindfold: "I Am A Rogue And A Fool!"

 

Lady Maude Laughed. "Elster's Folly!"

 

"Yes. You Know All This Time That We--That I--" (Val Thought He Should

Never Flounder Through This First Moment,  And Did Not Remain An Instant

In One Place As He Talked)--"Have Been Going On So Foolishly,  I

Was--Almost As Good As A Married Man."

 

"Were You?" Said She,  Quietly. "Married To Whom?"

 

"I Said As Good As Married,  Maude. You Know I Have Been Engaged For Years

To Miss Ashton; Otherwise I Would Have _Knelt_ To Ask You To Become My

Wife,  So Earnestly Should I Desire It."

 

Her Calm Imperturbability Presented A Curious Contrast To His Agitation.

She Was Regarding Him With An Amused Smile.

 

"And,  Maude,  I Have Come Now To Ask You To Release Me. Indeed,  I--"

 

"What's All This About?" Broke In The Countess-Dowager,  Darting Upon

The Conference,  Her Face Flushed And Her Head-Dress Awry. "Are You Two

Quarrelling?"

 

"Val Was Attempting To Explain Something About Miss Ashton," Answered

Maude,  Rising From The Sofa,  And Drawing Herself Up To Her Stately

Height. "He Had Better Do It To You Instead,  Mamma; I Don't Understand

It."

 

She Stood Up By The Mantelpiece,  In The Ray Of The Lustres. They Fell

Across Her Dark,  Smooth Hair,  Her Flushed Cheeks,  Her Exquisite Features.

Her Dress Was Of Flowing White Crepe,  With Jet Ornaments; And Lord

Hartledon,  Even In The Midst Of His Perplexity,  Thought How Beautiful She

Was,  And What A Sad Thing It Was To Lose Her. The Truth Was,  His Senses

Had Been Caught By The Girl's Beauty Although His Heart Was Elsewhere.

It Is A Very Common Case.

 

"The Fact Is,  Ma'am," He Stammered,  Turning To The Dowager In His

Desperation,  "I Have Been Behaving Very Foolishly Of Late,  And Am Asking

Your Daughter's Pardon. I Should Have Remembered My Engagement To Miss

Ashton."

 

"Remembered Your Engagement To Miss Ashton!" Echoed The Dowager,  Her

Voice Becoming A Little Shrill. "What Engagement?"

 

Lord Hartledon Began To Recover Himself,  Though He Looked Foolish Still.

With These Nervous Men It Is The First Plunge That Tells; Get That Over

And They Are Brave As Their Fellows.

 

"I Cannot Marry Two Women,  Lady Kirton,  And I Am Bound To Anne."

 

The Old Dowager's Voice Toned Down,  And She Pulled Her Black Feathers

Straight Upon Her Head.

 

"My Dear Hartledon,  I Don't Think You Know What You Are Talking About.

You Engaged Yourself To Maude Some Weeks Ago."

 

"Well--But--Whatever May Have Passed,  Engagement Or No Engagement,  I

Could Not Legally Do It," Returned The Unhappy Young Man,  Too Considerate

To Say The Engagement Was Hers,  Not His. "You Knew I Was Bound To Anne,

Lady Kirton."

 

"Bound To A Fiddlestick!" Said The Dowager. "Excuse My Plainness,

Hartledon. When You Engaged Yourself To The Young Woman You Were Poor