A Terrible Temptation (Fiscle Part 3) - Charles Reade (recommended ebook reader txt) 📗

Part 3 Chapter 3 Pg 19

Somerset What He Was Going To Settle On Her.

 

"Not I. She Is Not In A Condition To Be Influenced By That,  At

Present."

 

"Let Me Try Her. The Draft Is Ready. I'll Call On Her To-Morrow." He

Did Call,  And Was Told She Did Not Know Him.

 

"You Tell Her I Am A Lawyer,  And It Is Very Much To Her Interest To See

Me," Said Mr. Oldfield To The Page.

 

He Was Admitted,  But Not To A _Tete-A-Tete._ Polly Was Kept In The

Room. The Somerset Had Peeped,  And Oldfield Was An Old Fellow,  With

White Hair; If He Had Been A Young Fellow,  With Black Hair,  She Might

Have Thought That Precaution Less Necessary.

 

 "First,  Madam," Said Oldfield,  "I Must Beg You To Accept My Apologies

For Not Coming Sooner. Press Of Business,  Etc."

 

"Why Have You Come At All? That Is The Question," Inquired The Lady,

Bluntly.

 

"I Bring The Draft Of A Deed For Your Approval. Shall I Read It To

You?"

 

"Yes; If It Is Not Very Long." He Began To Read It. The Lady

Interrupted Him Characteristically.

 

"It's A Beastly Rigmarole. What Does It Mean--In Three Words?"

 

"Sir Charles Bassett Secures To Rhoda Somerset Four Hundred Pounds A

Year,  While Single; This Is Reduced To Two Hundred If You Marry. The

Deed Further Assigns To You,  Without Reserve,  The Beneficial Lease Of

This House,  And All The Furniture And Effects,  Plate,  Linen,  Wine,

Etc."

 

"I See--A Bribe."

 

"Nothing Of The Kind,  Madam. When Sir Charles Instructed Me To Prepare

This Deed He Expected No Opposition On Your Part To His Marriage; But

He Thought It Due To Him And To Yourself To Mark His Esteem For You,

And His Recollection Of The Pleasant Hours He Has Spent In Your

Company."

 

Miss Somerset's Eyes Searched The Lawyer's Face. He Stood The Battery

Unflinchingly. She Altered Her Tone,  And Asked,  Politely And Almost

Respectfully,  Whether She Might See That Paper.

 

Mr. Oldfield Gave It Her. She Took It,  And Ran Her Eye Over It; In

Doing Which,  She Raised It So That She Could Think Behind It

Unobserved. She Handed It Back At Last,  With The Remark That Sir

Charles Was A Gentleman And Had Done The Right Thing.

 

"He Has; And You Will Do The Right Thing Too,  Will You Not?"

Part 3 Chapter 3 Pg 20

"I Don't Know. I Am Just Beginning To Fall In Love With Him Myself."

 

"Jealousy,  Madam,  Not Love," Said The Old Lawyer. "Come,  Now! I See You

Are A Young Lady Of Rare Good Sense; Look The Thing In The Face: Sir

Charles Is A Landed Gentleman; He Must Marry,  And,  Have Heirs. He Is

Over Thirty,  And His Time Has Come. He Has Shown Himself Your Friend;

Why Not Be His? He Has Given You The Means To Marry A Gentleman Of

Moderate Income,  Or To Marry Beneath You,  If You Prefer It--"

 

"And Most Of Us Do--"

 

"Then Why Not Make His Path Smooth? Why Distress Him With Your Tears

And Remonstrances?"

 

He Continued In This Strain For Some Time,  Appealing To Her Good Sense

And Her Better Feelings.

 

When He Had Done She Said,  Very Quietly,  "How About The Ponies And My

Brown Mare? Are They Down In The Deed?"

 

"I Think Not; But If You Will Do Your Part Handsomely I'll Guarantee

You Shall Have Them."

 

"You Are A Good Soul." Then,  After A Pause,  "Now Just You Tell Me

Exactly What You Want Me To Do For All This."

 

Oldfield Was Pleased With This Question. He Said,  "I Wish You To

Abstain From Writing To Sir Charles,  And Him To Visit You Only Once

More Before His Marriage,  Just To Shake Hands And Part,  With Mutual

Friendship And Good Wishes."

 

"You Are Right," Said She,  Softly; "Best For Us Both,  And Only Fair To

The Girl." Then,  With Sudden And Eager Curiosity,  "Is She Very Pretty?"

 

"I Don't Know."

 

"What,  Hasn't He Told You?"

 

"He Says She Is Lovely,  And Every Way Adorable; But Then He Is In Love.

The Chances Are She Is Not Half So Handsome As Yourself."

 

"And Yet He Is In Love With Her?"

 

"Over Head And Ears."

 

"I Don't Believe It. If He Was Really In Love With One Woman He

Couldn't Be Just To Another. _I_ Couldn't. He'll Be Coming Back To Me

In A Few Months."

 

"God Forbid!"

 

"Thank You,  Old Gentleman."

Part 3 Chapter 3 Pg 21

Mr. Oldfield Began To Stammer Excuses. She Interrupted Him: "Oh,  Bother

All That; I Like You None The Worse For Speaking Your Mind." Then,

After A Pause,  "Now Excuse Me; But Suppose Sir Charles Should Change

His Mind,  And Never Sign This Paper?"

 

"I Pledge My Professional Credit."

 

"That Is Enough,  Sir; I See I Can Trust You. Well,  Then,  I Consent To

Break Off With Sir Charles,  And Only See Him Once More--As A Friend.

Poor Sir Charles! I Hope He Will Be Happy" (She Squeezed Out A Tear For

Him)--"Happier Than I Am. And When He Does Come He Can Sign The Deed,

You Know."

 

Mr. Oldfield Left Her,  And Joined Sir Charles At Long's,  As Had Been

Previously Agreed.

 

"It Is All Right,  Sir Charles; She Is A Sensible Girl,  And Will Give

You No Further Trouble."

 

"How Did You Get Over The Hysterics?"

 

"We Dispensed With Them. She Saw At Once It Was To Be Business,  Not

Sentiment. You Are To Pay Her One More Visit,  To Sign,  And Part

Friends. If You Please,  I'll Make That Appointment With Both Parties,

As Soon As The Deed Is Engrossed. Oh,  By-The-By,  She Did Shed A Tear Or

Two,  But She Dried Them To Ask Me For The Ponies And The Brown Mare."

 

Sir Charles's Vanity Was Mortified. But He Laughed It Off,  And Said She

Should Have Them,  Of Course.

 

So Now His Mind Was At Ease,  His Conscience Was At Rest,  And He Could

Give His Whole Time Where He Had Given His Heart.

 

Richard Bassett Learned,  Through His Servant,  That The Wedding-Dresses

Were Ordered. He Called On Miss Somerset. She Was Out.

 

Polly Opened The Door And Gave Him A Look Of Admiration--Due To His

Fresh Color--That Encouraged Him To Try And Enlist Her In His Service.

 

He Questioned Her,  And She Told Him In A General Way How Matters Were

Going. "But," Said She,  "Why Not Come And Talk To Her Yourself? Ten To

One But She Tells You. She Is Pretty Outspoken."

 

"My Pretty Dear," Said Richard,  "She Never Will Receive Me."

 

"Oh,  But I'll Make Her!" Said Polly.

 

And She Did Exert Her Influence As Follows:

 

"Lookee Here,  The Cousin's A-Coming To-Morrow And I've Been And

Promised He Should See You."

 

"What Did You Do That For?"

Part 3 Chapter 3 Pg 22

"Why,  He's A Well-Looking Chap,  And A Beautiful Color,  Fresh From The

Country,  Like Me. And He's A Gentleman,  And Got An Estate Belike; And

Why Not Put Yourn To Hisn,  And So Marry Him And Be A Lady? You Might

Have Me About Ye All The Same,  Till My Turn Comes."

 

"No,  No," Said Rhoda; "That's Not The Man For Me. If Ever I Marry,  It

Must Be One Of My Own Sort,  Or Else A Fool,  Like Marsh,  That I Can Make

A Slave Of."

 

"Well,  Any Way,  You Must See Him,  Not To Make A Fool Of _Me,_ For I Did

Promise Him; Which,  Now I Think On't,  'Twas Very Good Of Me,  For I

Could Find In My Heart To Ask Him Down Into The Kitchen,  Instead Of

Bringing Him Upstairs To You."

 

All This Ended,  Somehow,  In Mr. Bassett's Being Admitted.

 

To His Anxious Inquiry How Matters Stood,  She Replied Coolly That Sir

Charles And Herself Were Parted By Mutual Consent.

 

"What! After All Your Protestations?" Said Bassett,  Bitterly.

 

But Miss Somerset Was Not In An Irascible Humor Just Then. She Shrugged

Her Shoulders,  And Said:

 

"Yes,  I Remember I Put Myself In A Passion,  And Said Some Ridiculous

Things. But One Can't Be Always A Fool. I Have Come To My Senses. This

Sort Of Thing Always Does End,  You Know. Most Of Them Part Enemies,  But

He And I Part Friends And Well-Wishers."

 

"And You Throw _Me_ Over As If I Was Nobody," Said Richard,  White With

Anger.

 

"Why,  What Are You To Me?" Said The Somerset. "Oh,  I See. You Thought

To Make A Cat's-Paw Of Me. Well,  You Won't,  Then."

 

"In Other Words,  You Have Been Bought Off."

 

"No,  I Have Not. I Am Not To Be Bought By Anybody--And I Am Not To Be

Insulted By You,  You Ruffian! How Dare You Come Here And Affront A Lady

In Her Own House--A Lady Whose Shoestrings Your Betters Are Ready To

Tie,  You Brute? If You Want To Be A Landed Proprietor,  Go And Marry

Some Ugly Old Hag That's Got It,  And No Eyesight Left To See You're No

Gentleman. Sir Charles's Land You'll Never Have; A Better Man Has Got

It,  And Means To Keep It For Him And His. Here,  Polly! Polly! Polly!

Take This Man Down To The Kitchen,  And Teach Him Manners If You Can: He

Is Not Fit For My Drawing-Room,  By A Long Chalk."

 

Polly Arrived In Time To See The Flashing Eyes,  The Swelling Veins,  And

To Hear The Fair Orator's Peroration.

 

"What,  You Are In Your Tantrums Again!" Said She. "Come Along,  Sir.

Part 3 Chapter 3 Pg 23

Needs Must When The Devil Drives. You'll Break A Blood-Vessel Some Day,

My Lady,  Like Your Father Afore Ye."

 

And