Barford Abbey Part 4

What a sacrifice do you offer up to that old dog Plutus!--I have lost _all_ patience,--_all_ patience, I say.--_Such_ a woman!--_such_ an angelic woman!--But what has,--what will avail my arguments?--Her peace is gone,--if you persevere in a behaviour so _particular_,--absolutely gone.

Bridgman this morning told me, that unless I a.s.sured him you had _pretensions_ to Miss Warley, he was determined to offer her his hand;--_that_ nothing prevented him from doing it whilst at the Abbey, but your mysterious conduct, which he was at a loss how to construe.

--Not to offend _you_, the _Lady_ or _family_ she is with, he apply'd, he said, to _me_, as a friend of each party, to set him right.

Surely, Bridgman, returned I, you wish to keep yourself in the dark; or how the duce have you been six days with people whose countenances speak so much sensibility, and not make the discovery you seek after?

Though her behaviour to us; continued I, was politeness itself, was there nothing more than _politeness_ in her address to Lord Darcey?--Her smiles _too_, in which Diana and the Graces revel, saw you not _them_, how they played from one to another, like sun-beams on the water, until they fixed on him?--Is the nation in debt?--So much is Darcey in love;--and you may as well pay off one, as rival the other with success.

Observe, my friend, in what manner I have answered for you.--Keep her, therefore, no longer in suspence.--Delays of this sort are not only dangerous, but cruel.--Why delight to torture what we most admire?--From a boy you despised such actions.--Often have I known d.i.c.k Jones, when at Westminster, threshed by your hand for picking poor little birds alive.--_His_ was an early point;--but for _Darcey_, accoutred with the breast-plate of honour, even before he could read the word that signifies its intrinsic value,--_for him_ to be falling off,--falling off at a time _too_, when Virtue herself appears in person to support him!

Can you say, you mean not to injure her?--Is a woman only to be injured, but by an attempt on her virtue?--Is it _no_ crime, _no_ fault, to cheat a young innocent lovely girl out of her affections, and give her nothing in return but regret and disappointment?

Reflect, what a task is mine, thus to lay disagreeable truths plainly before you.--To hear it p.r.o.nounced, that Lord and Lady Darcey are the happiest couple on earth, is the hope that has pushed me on to this unpleasing office.

Bridgman is just set out for town.--I am charg'd with a profusion of respects, thanks, &c. &c. &c. which, if you have the least oeconomy, will serve for him, and

Your very humble servant,

MOLESWORTH.

LETTER X.

Lord DARCEY to the Honourable GEORGE MOLESWORTH.

_Barford Abbey_.

Bridgman!--Could Bridgman dare aspire to Miss Warley!--_He_ offer her his hand!--_he_ be connected with a woman whose disposition is diametrically opposite to his own!--_No_,--that would not have done, though I had never seen her.--Let him seek for one who has a heart shut up by a thousand locks.

After his _own_ conjectures,--after what _you_ have told him,--should he _but_ attempt to take her from me, by all that is sacred, he shall repent it dearly.

Molesworth! _you_ are my friend,--I take your admonitions well;--but, surely, you should not press thus hardly on my soul, knowing its uneasy situation.--My state is even more perplexing than when we parted:--I did not then know she was going to France.--_Yes_, she is absolutely going to _France_.--Why leave her friends here?--Why not wait the arrival of Lady Mary Sutton in England?

I have used every dissuasive argument _but one_.--That shall be my last.--If _that_ fails I go--I positively go with her.--It is your opinion that she loves me.--Would it were mine!--_Not_ the least partiality can I discover.--Why then be precipitate?--Every moment she is gaining ground in the affections of Sir James and Lady Powis.--_Time_ may work wonders in the mind of the former.--Without his consent never can I give my hand;--the commands of a dying father forbid me.--_Such_ a father!--O George! you did not know him;--_so_ revered,--_so_ honour'd,--_so_ belov'd! not more in public than in private life.

_My friend_, behold your son!--_Darcey_, behold your father!--_As_ you reverence and obey Sir James, _as_ you consult him on all occasions, _as_ you are guided by his advice, receive my blessing.--These were his parting words, hugg'd into me in his last cold embrace.--No, George, the promise I made can never be forfeited.--I sealed it on his lifeless hand, before I was borne from him.

_Now_, are you convinc'd no mean views with-hold me?--You despise not more than I do the knave and c.o.xcomb; for no other, to satiate their own vanity, would sport away the quiet of a fellow-creature.--Well may you call it cruel.--_Such_ cruelties fall little short of those practised by _Nero_ and _Caligula_.

Did it depend on myself only, I would tell Miss Warley I love, _every time_ I behold her enchanting face; _every time_ I hear the voice of wisdom springing from the seat of innocence.

No shadow of gaining over Sir James!--_Efforts_ has not been wanting:--I mean _efforts_ to declare my inclination.--I have follow'd him like a ghost for days past, thinking at every step how I should bless _this_ or _that_ spot on which he consented to my happiness.--Pleasing phantoms!--How have they fled at sight of his determin'd countenance!--Methought I could trace _in it_ the same obduracy which nature vainly pleaded to remove.--In _other_ matters my heart is resolute;--_here_ an errant coward.--No! I cannot break it to him whilst in Hampshire.--When I get to town, a letter _shall_ speak for me.--Sometimes I am tempted to trust the secret to Lady Powis.--She is compa.s.sionate;--she would even risk her own peace to preserve mine.--Again the thoughts of involving her in fresh perplexities determines me against it.

Had my father been acquainted with that part of Sir James's character which concerned his son, I am convinc'd he would have made some restrictions in regard to the explicit obedience he enjoined.--But all was hushed whilst Mr. Powis continued on his travels; nor, until he settled abroad, did any one suspect there had been a family disagreement:--_even_ at _this_ time the whole affair is not generally known.--The name of the lady to whom he was obliged to make proposals, is in particular carefully concealed.--I, who from ten years old have been bred up with them, am an entire stranger to it.--_Perhaps_ no part of the affair would ever have transpired, had not Sir James made some discoveries, in the first agitation of his pa.s.sion, before a large company, when he received an account of Mr. Powis's being appointed to the government of ----. No secret can be safe in a breast where every pa.s.sage is not well guarded against an enemy which, like lightning, throws up all before it.

Let me not forget to tell you, amongst a multiplicity of concerns crowding on my mind, that I have positively deny'd Edmund to intercede with his father regarding the commission.--A bare surmise that he is my rival, has silenced me.--Was I ungenerous enough to indulge myself in getting rid of him, an opportunity now offers;--but I am _as_ averse to such proceedings as _he_ ought to be who is the friend of Molesworth, and writes the name of

DARCEY.

LETTER XI.

The Honourable GEORGE MOLESWORTH to Lord DARCEY.

_Bath_.

Believe me, my dear Lord, I never suspected you capable of designs you justly hold in abhorrence.--If I expressed myself warmly, it was owing to your keeping from me the knowledge of those particulars which have varied every circ.u.mstance.--I saw my friend a poor restless being, irresolute, full of perplexities.--I felt for him.--I rejoice now to find from whence this _irresolution_, those _perplexities_ arose.--She is,--she must,--by heaven! she shall be yours:--A reward fit only for _such_ great--_such_ n.o.ble resolutions.

You talk of a _last_ argument--Forbear _that_ argument.--You _must_ not use it before you have laid your intentions open to Sir James.--_Neither_ follow her to France.--What, as you are situated, would _that_ avail?--Prevent her going, _if_ you can.--_Such_ a woman, under the protection of Lady Mary Sutton, _must_ have many advantageous proposals.

I understand _nothing_ of features,--I know _nothing_ of physiognomy, if you have any uneasiness from Bridgman.--It was not marks of a violent pa.s.sion he betrayed;--rather, I think, an ambition of having his taste approved by the world;--but we shall know more of the matter when I meet him in town.

Stupidity!--Not see her partiality!--not see that she loves you!--She will some time hence own it as frankly with her lips, as her eyes have told you a thousand times, did you understand their language.--The duce a word could _I_ get from them.--Very uncivil, I think, not to _speak_ when they were _spoke_ to,--They will be ready enough, I suppose, with their _thanks_ and _applauses_, when I present her hand to be united with her heart. That office shall be _mine_:--_Something_ tells me, there is to be an alteration in _your_ affairs, sudden as unexpected.

I go to the rooms this evening for the last time.--To-morrow I set out for Slone Hall, in my way to London.--Here I shall spend two or three days happily with my good-natured cousin Lady Dorothy.--Perhaps we may take an airing together as far as your territories.--I shall _now_ look on Faulcon-Park with double pleasure.--Neither that or the agreeable neighbourhood round it will be ever bridled over by a haughty dame.--(Miss Warley, forbid it.)--Some such we see in _high_ as well as _low_ life.--Haughtiness is the reverse of true greatness; therefore it staggers me to behold it in the former.

A servant with a white favour!--What can this mean?--

Upon my word, Mr. Flecher, you return with your fair bride sooner than I expected.--_A card too_.--Things must be _finely_ accommodated with the old Lady.--Your Lordship being at too great a distance to partake of the feast, pray regale on what calls me to it.

"Mrs. Moor and Mr. and Mrs. Flecher's compliments to Mr. Molesworth.--My son and daughter are just return'd from Scotland, and hope for the pleasure of Mr. Molesworth's company with eight or ten other friends, to congratulate them this evening on their arrival.--Both the Ladies and Mr. Flecher will be much disappointed, if you do not accept our invitation."

True as I live, _neither added_ or _diminished_ a t.i.ttle,--and wrote by the hand of Flecher's Desdemona.--Does not a man richly deserve thirty thousand pounds with a wife _like this?_--Not for _twice_ that sum would I see such nonsense come from her I was to spend my life with.

Pity Nature and Fortune has such frequent bickerings! When one smiles the other frowns.--I wish the gipsies would make up matters, and send us down their favours wrapp'd up together.

Considering the friendship you have honour'd Edmund with, I have no idea he can presume to think of Miss Warley, _seeing_ what he must _see_.

I shall expect to find a letter on my arrival in St. James's Street.--Omit not those respects which are due at Barford Abbey.

Yours,

MOLESWORTH.

LETTER XII.

Lord DARCEY to the Honourable GEORGE MOLESWORTH.

_Barford Abbey_.