The Children of the New Forest - Frederick Marryat (book recommendations based on other books TXT) 📗

feel that all he asserted to Humphrey is true: still I do not like that I should be indebted to him for a property which is mine, and that he has no right to give. I acknowledge his generosity, but I do not acknowledge his right of possession. Nay, much as I admire, and I may say, fond as I am (for time has not effaced the feeling) of his daughter, it still appears to me that, although not said, it is expected that she is to be included in the transfer; and I will accept no wife on such conditions.”

“That is to say, because all you wish for, your property and a woman you love, are offered you in one lot, you will not accept them; they must be divided, and handed over to you in two!” said Alice, smiling.

“You mistake, dearest; I am not so foolish; but I have a certain pride, which you can not blame. Accepting the property from Mr. Heatherstone is receiving a favor were it given as a marriage portion with his daughter. Now, why should I accept as a favor what I can claim as a right! It is my intention of appealing to the king and demanding the restoration of my property. He can not refuse it.”

“Put not your trust in princes, brother,” replied Alice. “I doubt if the king, or his council, will consider it advisable to make so many discontented as to restore property which has been so long held by others, and by so doing create a host of enemies. Recollect also that Mr. Heatherstone, and his brother-in-law, Sir Ashley Cooper, have done the king much more service than you ever have or can do. They have been most important agents in his restoration, and the king’s obligations to them are much greater than they are to you. Besides, merely for what may be called a point of honor, for it is no more, in what an unpleasant situation will you put his majesty! At all events, Edward, recollect you do not know what are the intentions of Mr. Heatherstone; wait and see what he proffers first.”

“But, my dear sister, it appears to me that his intentions are evident. Why has he rebuilt Arnwood I He is not going to surrender my property and make me a present of the house.”

“The reason for rebuilding the mansion was good. You were at the wars; it was possible that you might, or might not return. He said this to Humphrey, who has all along been acting as his factotum in the business; and recollect, at the time that Mr. Heatherstone commenced the rebuilding of the mansion, what prospect was there of the restoration of the king, or of your ever being in a position to apply for the restoration of your property! I believe, however, that Humphrey knows more of Mr. Heatherstone’s intentions than he has made known to us; and I therefore say again, my dear Edward, make no application till you ascertain what Mr. Heatherstone’s intentions may be.”

“Your advice is good, my dear Alice, and I will be guided by it,” replied Edward.

“And now let me give you some advice for your friends, Masters Chaloner and Grenville. That much of their property has been taken away and put into other hands, I know; and probably they expect it will be restored upon their application to the king. Those who hold the property think so too, and so far it is fortunate. Now, from wiser heads than mine, I have been told that these applications will not be acceded to, HM is supposed; but, at the same time, if they were to meet the parties, and close with them at once, before the king’s intentions are known, they would recover their property at a third or a quarter of the value. Now is their time: even a few days’ delay may make a difference. They can easily obtain a delay for the payment of the moneys. Impress that upon them, my dear Edward, and let them, if possible, be off to their estates tomorrow and make the arrangements.”

“That is advice which must be followed,” replied Edward. “We must go now, and I will not fail to communicate it to them this very night.”

We may as well here inform the reader that the advice was immediately acted upon, and that Chaloner and Grenville recovered all their estates at about five years’ purchase.

Edward remained at court several days. He had written to Humphrey, and had dispatched a messenger with the letter; but the messenger had not yet returned. The court was now one continual scene of fetes and gayety. On the following day a drawing-room was to be held, and Edward’s sisters were to be presented. Edward was standing, with many others of the suit, behind the chair of the king, amusing himself with the presentations as they took place, and waiting for the arrival of his sisters—Chaloner and Grenville were not with him, they had obtained leave to go into the country, for the object we have before referred to—when his eyes caught, advancing toward the king, Mr. Heatherstone, who led his daughter, Patience. That they had not perceived him was evident; indeed her eyes were not raised once, from the natural timidity felt by a young woman in the presence of royalty. Edward half concealed himself behind one of his companions that he might gaze upon her without reserve. She was indeed a lovely young person, but little altered, except having grown taller and more rounded and perfect in her figure; and her court-dress displayed proportions which her humble costume at the New Forest had concealed, or which time had not matured. There was the same pensive, sweet expression in her face, which had altered little; but the beautiful rounded arms, the symmetrical fall of the shoulders, and the proportion of the whole figure was a surprise to him; and Edward, in his own mind, agreed that she might well be the reigning toast of the day.

Mr. Heatherstone advanced and made his obeisance, and then his daughter was led forward, and introduced by a lady unknown to Edward. After he had saluted her, the king said, loud enough for Edward to hear,

“My obligations to your father are great. I trust that the daughter will often grace our court.”

Patience made no reply, but passed on; and, soon afterward, Edward lost sight of her in the crowd.

If there ever had been any check to Edward’s feelings toward Patience —and time and absence have their effect upon the most ardent of lovers—the sight of her so resplendent in beauty acted upon him like magic; and he was uneasy till the ceremony was over and he was enabled to go to his sisters.

When he entered the room, he found himself in the arms of Humphrey, who had arrived with the messenger. After the greetings were over, Edward said,

“Alice and I have seen Patience, and I fear I must surrender at discretion. Mr. Heatherstone may make his own terms; I must wave all pride rather than lose her. I thought that I had more control over myself; but I have seen her, and feel that my future happiness depends upon obtaining her as a wife. Let her father but give me her, and Arnwood will be but a trifle in addition!”

“With respect to the conditions upon which you are to possess Arnwood,” said Humphrey, “I can inform you what they are. They are wholly unshackled, further than that you are to repay by installments the money expended in the building of the house. This I am empowered to state to you, and I think you will allow that Mr. Heatherstone has fully acted up to what he stated were his views when he first obtained a grant of the property.”

“He has, indeed,” replied Edward.

“As for his daughter, Edward, you have yet to ‘win her and wear her,’ as the saying is. Her father will resign the property to you as yours by right, but you have no property in his daughter, and I suspect that she will not be quite so easily handed over to you.”

“But why should you say so, Humphrey? Have we not been attached from our youth?”

“Yes, it was a youthful passion, I grant; but recollect nothing came of it, and years have passed away. It is now seven years since you quitted the forest, and in your letters to Mr. Heatherstone you made no remark upon what had passed between you and Patience. Since that, you have never corresponded or sent any messages; and you can hardly expect that a girl, from the age of seventeen to twenty-four, will cherish the image of one, who, to say the least, had treated her with indifference. That is my view of the matter, Edward. It may be wrong.”

“And it may be true,” replied Edward, mournfully.

“Well, my view is different,” replied Edith. “You know, Humphrey, how many offers Patience Heatherstone has had, and has every day, I may say. Why has she refused them all I In my opinion, because she has been constant to a proud brother of mine, who does not deserve her!”

“It may be so, Edith,” replied Humphrey. “Women are riddles—I only argued upon the common sense of the thing.”

“Much you know about women,” replied Edith. “To be sure, you do not meet many in the New Forest, where you have lived all your life.”

“Very true, my dear sister; perhaps that is the reason that the New Forest has had such charms for me.”

“After that speech, sir, the sooner you get back again the better!” retorted Edith. But Edward made a sign to Humphrey, and they beat a retreat.

“Have you seen the intendant, Humphrey?”

“No; I was about to call upon him, but I wanted to see you first.”

“I will go with you. I have not done him justice,” replied Edward; “and yet I hardly know how to explain to him.”

“Say nothing, but meet him cordially; that will be explanation sufficient.”

“I shall meet him as one whom I shall always revere and feel that I owe a deep debt of gratitude. What must he think of my not having called upon him!”

“Nothing. You hold a place at court. You may not have known that he was in London, as you have never met him; your coming with me will make it appear so. Tell him that I have just made known to you his noble and disinterested conduct.”

“You are right—I will. I fear, however, Humphrey, that you are right and Edith wrong as regards his daughter.”

“Nay, Edward, recollect that I have, as Edith observed, passed my life in the woods.”

Edward was most kindly received by Mr. Heatherstone. Edward, on Mr. Heatherstone repeating to him his intentions relative to Arnwood, expressed his sense of that gentleman’s conduct, simply adding—

“You may think me impetuous, sir, but I trust you will believe me grateful.”

Patience colored up and trembled when Edward first saw her. Edward did not refer to the past for some time after they had renewed their acquaintance. He wooed her again, and won her. Then all was explained.

About a year after the Restoration, there was a fete at Hampton Court, given in honor of three marriages taking place—Edward Beverley to Patience Heatherstone, Chaloner to Alice, and Grenville to Edith; and, as his majesty himself said, as he gave away the brides, “Could loyalty be better rewarded?”

But our young readers will not be content if they do not hear some particulars about the other personages who have appeared in our little history. Humphrey must take the first place. His love of farming continued. Edward gave him a large farm, rent free; and in a few years Humphrey saved up sufficient to purchase a property