Manners Volume Ii Part 2

Augustus now received frequent invitations to Osselstone House, both for large dinner parties, and for the still more flattering distinction of a _tete a tete_; but though he daily met with considerate and even kind attentions from the Earl, he could not help still feeling he was more his _patron_ than his _friend_. Lord Osselstone frequently concluded a _tete a tete_ dinner, in which he had exerted every charm of conversation for the entertainment of his guest, at the same time eliciting all the varied powers of understanding that guest possessed, by proposing that he should accompany him to those higher circles of fashion, which the Earl still occasionally frequented; and in those crowded a.s.semblies where there is so often "company without society, and dissipation without pleasure," the heir to Lord Osselstone's earldom was always welcome, even where the unt.i.tled Augustus Mordaunt would scarcely have been noticed.

It may be supposed that Augustus received, with no little trepidation, the card his uncle presented him with for Lady Eltondale's a.s.sembly. For a moment he hesitated whether or not to accept it; but the thought of being once more in the same room with Selina soon over-balanced his wounded feelings. As he followed his uncle up the sumptuous stair-case in Portman-square, while his heart fluttered between pleasure and despondency, his mind had wandered back to the scenes of Deane Hall, and "days long since gone by." By a natural illusion Selina's figure had always floated before his fancy, as he had last seen it clothed in the sable garb of woe, with the tear of regret resting on her pallid cheek.

How different was the blooming form that now presented itself, as at the moment of his entering the room his eye intuitively singled her out from the crowd that surrounded her. She stood like the queen of beauty receiving the homage of all around, her eyes sparkling with animation, her whole figure beaming in joy. "Good G.o.d, how lovely!" he involuntarily exclaimed. But as his protracted gaze discovered the alterations her manners and appearance had undergone in the few months she had been under the tuition of Lady Eltondale, a cold chill ran through his veins, as he recollected the possibility that her mind might be equally changed; and renewing his scrutinizing glance, he shuddered at the external improvement that had first extorted his admiration, and sighed to think of the lovely artless girl, who would once have flown to meet him with all the innocence of undisguised delight.

But though Augustus had thus instantly recognized Selina, though his eyes had followed her every step, and watched her every motion, she had not then discovered him. The moment she did perceive him, her first impulse was to move towards the spot on which he stood. But she had scarcely taken a few steps, when she as involuntarily stopped. She became embarra.s.sed, and had she been more experienced in the waywardness of the human heart, she would better have known why, with conscious timidity, she hesitated to approach him she was most delighted to behold. Augustus watched her approach, and had advanced a few steps to meet it, but misconstruing her delay, he turned away with a movement of pique and ill defined jealousy, entering into apparently interesting conversation with a very pretty girl who stood near him. At the moment when Selina came near enough to overhear what he was saying, he was busily employed in making gallant apologies to his new friend for not having called upon her, though he acknowledged he had been six weeks in town.

However he could not long keep his resolution, and he again turned to speak to his "heart's best love;" but a pang had shot through Selina's soul, as she had learned from his own lips that he had been so long in town, and recollected that he had never called in Portman-square. She therefore returned his address with a cold politeness, far, far different from what her manner to him once had been; and advanced to meet Lady Eltondale, who at that moment was bringing up Lord Osselstone to introduce to her. His Lordship, at the request of the Viscountess, led Selina towards the music-room, where the rest of the musical performers were waiting to accompany her in her formidable undertaking.

The harp was to be her first exhibition, and the poor girl, intimidated by the presence of so numerous an audience, and agitated by her rencontre with Mordaunt, could scarcely bring her trembling fingers to touch the strings with any degree of tolerable accuracy. But Lord Osselstone stood beside her, and the calm and dignified support with which he endeavoured to encourage her, a.s.sisted her in regaining some degree of composure. As she advanced in her performance, her eye caught the impa.s.sioned glance of Mordaunt, and her anxiety to exhibit to him her newly acquired accomplishment lent her an unexpected force, which enabled her to go through the fiery trial beyond her most sanguine expectation. Her playing was of course applauded many degrees beyond its real merit; but she quickly retreated from the flattery that at that moment was indifferent to her. Her eyes instinctively sought Mordaunt's with an anxious, timid, almost beseeching look. His rested on her beautiful countenance with an expression no less unequivocal, and for once they read aright each other's soul; and many months, nay years pa.s.sed away, before that mutual glance was obliterated from the mind of either. Several minutes elapsed before Augustus could make his way up to Selina, so closely was she surrounded by the unregarded throng; but when he did reach her, one short sentence expressed his delighted surprise at her new acquirement. "Do you think dear aunt Mary will be pleased too?" whispered Selina. Before he could give any answer to this simple query, gratifying as it doubly was by the sympathy it accidentally expressed to his feelings at the moment, Lady Eltondale approached, and applauded, in the strongest terms, her niece's performance. "Have you also learned to sing, Selina?" said Augustus, as he turned over the loose music that lay on the piano forte. Lady Eltondale hastily replied, with a slight emphasis, "Miss Seymour practises Italian music constantly:--Frederick will find, on his return, good singing is not confined to Italy." A cold weight fell on Augustus's heart;--the visions of happiness, that an instant before had fleeted over his mind, vanished like a charm. He gave a deep sigh, and, seemingly without design, turned towards Selina a duet that caught his eye. It was Mozart's arrangement of Metastasio's beautiful words:--

"Ah! perdona al primo affetto, Questo accento sconsigliato Colpa fu d'un labbro usato A cosi chiamarti ognor."

Selina read the couplet, and casting her eyes over the following verse, coloured deeply at the application she involuntarily made of it. Lady Eltondale, who in the mean time had narrowly watched her changing countenance, roused her from her reverie by introducing to her at that moment Lord George Meredith, who was one of the young men who had been loudest in Miss Seymour's praise. His compliments were now however disregarded, as Selina looked anxiously round for Mordaunt--but he had disappeared. She fancied he had retired to one of the adjoining rooms, and made many excuses not only to her companions, but even to herself, for restlessly sauntering through them all. Sometimes she recollected she had left her fan behind; another time she persuaded herself Lady Eltondale wanted her;--but still the object she really sought was not to be found. By degrees she became painfully convinced he was actually gone. "It is very odd he should go away so abruptly," thought she; "I had a thousand things to say to him about aunt Mary." And then a confused idea occurring, that the pretty flirting girl, she had seen him talking to, had said something about going to a ball after Lady Eltondale's party, she mechanically retraced her steps, and finding she too had departed, a sickening depression came over her, and she retired to the boudoir to recover herself. But she was not long permitted to rest in peace:--Sir James Fenton, who, led by Lady Eltondale, entered the room laughing with all the exaggerated action that became his character, though not his figure, exclaimed, "Where is the Syren? Where is the G.o.ddess of the night?" Then on perceiving Selina, he resigned the arm of the Viscountess with a low bow, and singing with ludicrous tone and gesture, "_Dove sei amato bene_," advanced to Miss Seymour, who, half dragged, half led, was re-conducted to the music-room.

But the feeling which had supported her in her last effort was now no more. The duet, of which Mademoiselle Omphalie had loudly boasted, was to commence, and Selina exerted herself to the utmost in its execution; but her voice faltered, and before she got half way through it, she burst into tears. Her distress, which was thus evidently unfeigned, now made her nearly as many friends as her charms had before procured her admirers; while Lady Eltondale easily persuaded every body except herself, that it could only arise from timidity, and therefore forbore to join the general request that the effort might be renewed; while Sir James exclaimed, in all the hyperbole of compliment,

"Sweet harmonist, and beautiful as sweet, And young as beautiful, and soft as young!"

Meantime Lord. Osselstone had advanced towards Selina, and there was always something so dignified in his appearance, that those who did not know him involuntarily made way for him; and all those who were acquainted with him did so mechanically. He at first addressed the trembling girl in the language of compliment, but finding her real agitation was not to be soothed by the sovereign balm of flattery, he gradually turned the conversation on Mrs. Galton. Her eyes then beamed with grat.i.tude for his praise, which she believed could not then be insincere; and in her tell-tale countenance and artless expressions, he read a heart not yet practised in the world's wiles. The company began to separate before their conversation ended; and as Selina, on her wakeful pillow, recalled to her mind this evening of promised pleasure, she sighed to think, that those few calm moments she had pa.s.sed with Lord Osselstone were the only ones, on which she could reflect with any tranquillity.

CHAPTER V.

What whispers must the beauty hear!

What hourly nonsense haunts her ear!

Where'er her eyes dispense their charms, Impertinence around her swarms.

GAY.

The next morning Selina arose unrefreshed. She could not in any way reconcile to her satisfaction the expression of Mordaunt's countenance, when her eyes met his, and his apparently evident design of shunning her society. "It is so odd," thought she, "he should never have called to see me. He must have known by the newspapers that we were come to town; and then he hardly spoke three words to me all last night, yet his looks were kinder than ever. Well, I think he'll certainly call to-day." As she thus concluded her soliloquy, she turned once more to her looking-gla.s.s, and, as she revised her dress, an involuntary smile played on her lip, as she felt convinced that the negligence of her morning costume was not less becoming than her evening attire had been.

Often, as the hours rolled heavily on, did she saunter to the window, and gaze up and down the square, in hopes of descrying Augustus; and often, notwithstanding her mortification, did she smile at her own ridiculous mistakes, as she still fancied every distant pa.s.senger must be he, whether tall or short, thick or thin, old or young, ugly or handsome. At last, in despair, she retired to her boudoir, and resumed her drawing; while Lady Eltondale, who was by no means unmindful of her evident restlessness, made no remark upon the subject. At last a loud knock proclaimed the arrival of visitors. Selina started from her seat, and as instantaneously resumed it. In a moment a footman appeared, with "My Lady's compliments, and begs to see you in the drawing-room, ma'am." Selina's heart beat at the unusual summons, while her trembling limbs scarcely supported her as she prepared to obey it. Great then was her disappointment on entering the room, to be overwhelmed at once with the united compliments of the whole Webberly family. She had scarcely presence of mind sufficient to reply to their various civilities; but fortunately their own anxiety to a.s.sume the feelings they deemed appropriate to the occasion, left them no time to investigate those that actually agitated her.

Lady Eltondale soon relieved her from her embarra.s.sment. "Selina, Mrs.

Sullivan has been good enough to call for the purpose of taking you to see the exhibition at Somerset House: I know you will be delighted to attend her." Selina turned full round to her aunt with a look of astonishment. She could not believe, that Lady Eltondale had consented to let her go into public with the very people, whom, of all others, she had most frequently ridiculed, against whose society she had most frequently inveighed. Lady Eltondale met her wondering gaze with an unmoved countenance; and ringing the bell, "Go, my love," said she, "and equip yourself as quickly as possible: I will desire John to send Watson to you, that no time may be lost; and I will either send my carriage, or call for you myself, to save Mrs. Sullivan the trouble of bringing you home." Selina perceived, that excuse or reply would be of no avail; and, before her surprise was abated, she found herself unwillingly seated as a fifth in Mrs. Sullivan's ostentatious equipage.

Little could the artless girl divine the real motive for the Viscountess' singular deviation from her professed rule of allowing Selina no other Chaperone than herself. In truth Mordaunt had called in Portman-square more than once, and had never been admitted; a circ.u.mstance which he had hitherto wished to attribute either to the mistake of the porter, or to the design of the aunt.

But Selina's manner and looks had been so contradictory, and her whole conduct had, in his opinion, so nearly approached to caprice, that he determined to ascertain whether it were possible she could indeed be accessary to his exclusion. He therefore took the opportunity, while Selina was moving towards the music-room, to ask Lady Eltondale's decided leave to wait on her the next day. The Viscountess, nicely discriminating between Lord Osselstone's nephew and Sir Henry Seymour's _eleve_, most graciously granted the permission he solicited; determining at the same to pretend, when he called, that Selina had gone out, even had a less favourable opportunity occurred of ensuring her actually having done so. While, then, poor Selina was taken away so much against her own inclination, Mordaunt approached Portman-square. At one moment he recalled to his mind, with grat.i.tude and delight, Selina's mute but eloquent application for his approval of her talents: at the next, his heart sunk as he recollected the possibility, that those talents were thus sedulously cultivated for another. "But," thought he, "I am determined to ascertain her real sentiments; perhaps Lady Eltondale obliged her to send me that cruel message; perhaps her heart is yet unchanged; or," continued he, his pa.s.sion rising at the recollection of the fatal letter, "perhaps she is only influenced by that despicable vanity of her s.e.x, which makes them seek the applause of all, while they return the love of none. But why torture myself thus?

her own conduct will best explain itself." Then, commanding all his fort.i.tude to bear the trial, with as much composure as he could a.s.sume, he entered Lady Eltondale's drawing-room. She received him with that grace by which she was so peculiarly distinguished, and with an air of unembarra.s.sed kindness, that might have deluded one more experienced. To his inquiries for Selina she replied, with an air of perfect candour, "She is gone to take a drive with Mrs. Sullivan; I postponed mine," she continued, with a gracious smile, "as you had promised to call on _us_; but, you know, Selina is very young, and London sights are quite new to her. We must all make allowances for the heedlessness of youth," added she, in a tone of compa.s.sion. "When I answered Frederick's question, whether her character was as perfect as he remembered her person promised to be, I reminded him that 'most women have no characters at all;' and prepared, him for her volatility, which is indeed her princ.i.p.al, if not her only fault. She too is prepared for----" Mordaunt could not bear to hear the sentence finished. "Is not that my uncle's curricle?" said he, starting up, and going to the window. His fair hostess used no further effort to prolong his visit; and as soon as politeness permitted, he took his leave, with feelings which, if Lady Eltondale could have understood, even she perhaps would have pitied.

Meantime Selina proceeded towards Somerset House. It was a delightful day; and the rapid motion of the carriage, the gaiety of the streets, and even a faint hope that she might, perhaps, meet Mordaunt in her drive, all contributed to raise her spirits. At last, as the carriage experienced a momentary stop in Bond-street, Selina heard her own name p.r.o.nounced by a voice not unfamiliar to her ear, and hastily turning to the speaker, she recognized Mr. Sedley. To inquire where she resided, where she was going, and whether he might join the party, was the occupation of a moment. It was settled, that he and Webberly should walk to Somerset House, as, exclaimed the latter half aloud, "Egad, it is too bad to be boxed up here with my mother and sisters, even for the sake of the heiress." "Vell," said his mother, as she expanded her ample petticoats over the small s.p.a.ce she had hitherto permitted him to occupy, "I'm sure that's a good riddance of bad rubbish at all events; not but Jack's a good-natured feller as ever lived, though he has sadly m.u.f.fled me, to be sure." They reached Somerset House before Mrs.

Sullivan had fully arranged her draperies, and before Selina had time to express half her regrets at hearing Miss Wildenheim had been left in the country, but not before the gentlemen arrived to hand them out of their carriage. Here Selina's attention was delightedly engaged in examining the various specimens of her favourite art, with which she was surrounded. Nor could the outrageous compliments of Webberly, the vociferous vulgarity of his mother and sisters, or the easy vivacious gallantry of Sedley, divert her from her admiration of them, till Lady Eltondale called to take her home. As the aunt and niece returned, neither of them articulated the name of him, who princ.i.p.ally occupied the thoughts of both. But no sooner did they reach Portman-square, than Selina, running hastily up stairs, tossed over the numberless cards that had been left in her absence by the different beaux who had been there the night before, and a sigh escaped her as she became unwillingly convinced, that Mordaunt's only was not to be found.

Lord Eltondale seldom joined the circle in which alone his Viscountess condescended to move; and, except in very large a.s.semblies, either at home or abroad, they were seldom seen together.

The same undistinguishing kindness still marked his manner to Selina, which she had experienced on her first reception at Eltondale; and he continued to think of her as a pretty, lively, good-humoured girl, but he had neither time nor talent to ascertain whether she was a _happy_ one; indeed he never thought about her, except when she was present; and thus the occasional depression of her spirits, which was so new in the history of Selina's life, pa.s.sed unnoticed both by the Viscount and his Lady, from the total want of reflection in the character of the one, and the refinement of duplicity in the other.

On the evening of the day in which Selina visited Somerset House, she accompanied Lady Eltondale to the Opera. She had never yet been in any theatre. What then were her sensations, when, on the door of her aunt's box being opened, she beheld, at one _coup d'oeil_, the a.s.sembled magnificence of the stage, presented in the last act of a beautiful ballet, and that of the audience, which seemed ranged round more to increase than to enjoy the splendor of the spectacle? To those who have beheld such a scene, with as little experience, and as much capability of enjoyment as Selina possessed, no description of its effects would be necessary; and to those who have not, no words could give an adequate idea of her delight. Lady Eltondale's box was soon filled with gentlemen, but nothing had, at first, the power of diverting Selina's attention from the stage, whilst the _navete_ of her remarks, and the varying expression of her countenance, gave her every moment new charms.

Amongst the rest Sir James Fenton and Lord George Meredith were most obsequious in their attentions, and loudest in their encomiums. She had just turned her head, to listen to a curious account the latter was giving of his having been once introduced to Mrs. Sullivan and her daughters, and was laughing heartily at his ridiculous imitation of their manners, when her eye caught that of Mordaunt, who was standing in the pit at no great distance. But his fine countenance no longer bore that expression, which she had so fondly treasured in her memory. He stood gazing at her, with a cold, almost contemptuous steadiness: no beam of tenderness softened the brilliancy of his penetrating eye, that seemed to dart into her very soul. She coloured, and returned his half salute with one still more expressive of indignant pride; and, with increased vivacity, renewed her conversation with Lord George Meredith.

Mordaunt did not visit their box the whole evening, though Lord Osselstone staid in it for some time, occasionally smiling, and sometimes even calling forth Selina's observations on the scene, to her so replete with novelty and attraction: while once or twice following the direction of her unconscious glance, his eyes were directed to an opposite box, where Augustus seemed to be evidently renewing his devoirs to the pretty Miss Webster, to whom, as Selina thought, he had been so unnecessarily civil at Lady Eltondale's a.s.sembly.

At last, as the closing scene was almost finished, and the Viscountess was preparing to leave her box, escorted by Sir James Fenton, the door was suddenly opened by Sedley, who came to attend Selina to her carriage; she gave a smothered sigh as she thought "Augustus would once have done the same," but accepted the proffered civility, after having introduced him to Lady Eltondale; who was already well acquainted with him by name, as Frederick Elton's friend and correspondent, and therefore she thought him a most desirable attendant on Selina. Thus escorted, they hastened to their carriage, and drove without delay to join another crowd, at the d.u.c.h.ess of Saltoun's ball. And here Selina was, as usual, admired, followed, and flattered. Lord George Meredith and Sedley had both engaged her, before they left the Opera, to dance; and as it was one of her favorite amus.e.m.e.nts, she quickly entered into all the gaiety that surrounded her, with that vivacity which is so natural to youth, and so peculiarly belonging to her character.

Mordaunt, for the moment, was forgotten; or if his image intruded on her mind, it rose as a dark cloud, that threw a gloomy shade on her present pleasure, and served but to make her turn to the joys of dissipation with increased avidity, as an antidote to its saddening influence. Is it to be wondered at, that a girl so totally inexperienced as Selina was, should yield a little to the many temptations that now surrounded her?

Without any calm, steady friend, whose sobered reflection would have served as a counterpoise to her natural volatility, she found herself suddenly transported from the deepest shade of retirement to the brightest blaze of fashion.

Her youth, her beauty, her fortune, all conspired to place her in the foremost rank of praise.--All the young men professing themselves her admirers, all the women her friends.--Could she for a moment doubt their sincerity being equal to her own? And could it be supposed, that, believing their truth, she should be wholly insensible to such unexpected adulation?

CHAPTER VI.

Songez bien que l'amour sait feindre, Redoutez un sage berger, On n'est que plus pres du danger, Quand on croit n'avoir rien a craindre[5].

[Footnote 5:

Remember still love can dissemble, And even with the wisest tremble; For when we think there's nought to fear, Often danger's lurking near.

b.a.l.l.s, parties, operas, followed each other in rapid succession; and as rapidly did Selina rise to the very zenith of fashion. She became at once the _ton_, and, being so, whatever she said, whatever she did, was of course immediately p.r.o.nounced "wisest, discreetest, best." She had many followers, but Lord George Meredith was the only gentleman, who had yet openly professed himself to be her suitor. It was, however, far from Lady Eltondale's intention, that Selina should make any choice for herself; or rather, she determined so to bend her ductile mind, that by degrees that choice, which was in reality Lady Eltondale's, should seem to be her own. She therefore carefully observed the manner of all the young men, who were most sedulous in paying attention to Selina; believing that she was fully capable of discriminating, whether their intentions went beyond the amus.e.m.e.nt of the pa.s.sing moment, and equally certain of frustrating any plan that militated against her own. The more Selina became _the fashion_, the more steady became Lady Eltondale's determination to marry her to Frederick Elton; and with that infatuation, which is a natural consequence of self-love, the deeper she became engaged in the prosecution of her scheme, the more she felt herself interested in its ultimate success. Lord George Meredith soon rendered himself an object of her jealousy; and she therefore took an early opportunity of casually informing Selina, through an apparently accidental conversation with Sir James Fenton, of his Lordship's unconquerable pa.s.sion for gaming, and concluded by turning abruptly to Selina, remarking, "that, no doubt, the fine oaks of Deane Hall would serve to repair some of his losses; and, as he regularly made love to every heiress that _came out_, perhaps Selina might, if she chose, procure for herself the hitherto rejected t.i.tle in reversion of Marchioness Starmont." Lady Eltondale's sarcasm was not without its due effect: by degrees Selina's behaviour to Lord George sunk into a cold, though polite reserve; and his Lordship, understanding the change in the manner both of aunt and niece, gradually withdrew his attentions. The conduct of Mr. Sedley was much more equivocal, and almost baffled the penetration of the Viscountess. It always happened his engagements and theirs were the same, and wherever they went he became one of their immediate party; but his manner was so perfectly careless, that the rencontre seemed purely accidental. He admired Selina's beauty avowedly, but with apparently equal _nonchalance_, sometimes complimented Lady Eltondale on the elegance of Miss Seymour's dress, and much oftener finding fault with Selina herself, if any particular ornament or colour in it happened not to suit his fancy. To the Viscountess herself his manner was in the highest degree attentive, and even insinuating; and had the world in which they moved had time to attend to his conduct in particular, it would probably have decided, that he was much more a.s.siduous in recommending himself to the aunt than to the niece. He would often place himself, for a whole evening, behind Lady Eltondale's chair, when the vivacity and singularity of his conversation, compounded, as it was, of sense and levity, would withdraw nearly all her attention from the rest of the company, while at the same time Selina would appear almost unregarded by him. It also often happened, if they were at a ball together, he would ask Selina to dance, "provided she had not any other partner;" or tell her to "say at least she was engaged to him, if any asked her she did not wish to dance with;" and such was the pleasure Selina always experienced from his natural vivacious manners, that it seldom happened that the engagement was not fulfilled. And yet it seemed almost a matter of indifference to him, whether it was so or not; he often appeared fully as anxious to procure other pleasant partners for her, as to be the chosen one himself. One evening, Selina supposed she had engaged herself to him, and waited in anxious, though vain, expectation of his coming to claim her hand; and when, as his apology for not doing so, he told her laughingly, that he had totally forgotten their engagement, she was almost tempted to be affronted. But he so good naturedly called the next morning, to bring her the music of the last new ballet, and appeared so unconscious of having merited her displeasure, that it quickly vanished, and their friendship seemed more firmly established than ever.

Certain it is, that Selina felt more at ease with Sedley, than with any other of the beaux who now constantly attended in her train. Sometimes the compliments of her professed admirers were too exaggerated for even her vanity to believe. But, with him, she felt she could at all times talk and laugh unrestrainedly; he seemed to have no pretensions, and therefore she did not think it necessary to be on her guard against either wounding or encouraging them. If the inconsiderateness of her buoyant spirits, or her inexperience of the rules of etiquette, led her into any trifling dilemma, she was always certain of his good humoured and effectual a.s.sistance in relieving her from her embarra.s.sment; whilst, on the other hand, he had imperceptibly a.s.sumed the privilege, which she had as unconsciously yielded to him, of reproving her for any trifling sin, either of omission or commission, against the laws of fashion. She therefore reposed a certain confidence in Sedley, that led her to have a different feeling for him, from that she experienced for the other individuals by whom she was surrounded. For her natural timidity led her almost always to yield her opinion, without contention, to that of any other person, whose knowledge or abilities she supposed superior to her own. She even felt relieved, by believing she could in safety repose on the wisdom of another; for she had never yet been placed in a situation, in which she was necessitated to act for herself.

Her ideas of the perfection of her father and Mrs. Galton had been such, that she not only never had disputed their authority, but had so entirely relied on their judgment, that her own had never been called into action. With her recollections of them Augustus Mordaunt had hitherto been united: the first affections of her heart had turned towards him, as to the playfellow, the companion, the brother of her earliest infancy; and had he too been her guide on her first entrance into life, she would probably have been induced to bestow on him a still dearer t.i.tle. But Sir Henry's death, and Lady Eltondale's subsequent artifices, had totally separated poor Selina from all these her earliest friends. The misunderstanding, which had at first arisen partly from accident, between her and Mordaunt, was afterwards carefully increased by the crafty Viscountess; and her two unsuspecting victims, by their mutual errors, facilitated the success of her machinations. Both, conscious of the integrity of their own feelings, avoided rather than sought an explanation, which both considered due to their own individual pride. By both the perceptible alteration of each other's manner was attributed to the change that had taken place in their relative situation; and, above all, as the interruption of their intimacy had occurred by imperceptible degrees, no opening was left for reconciliation by the pretext of decided grievance. Whenever they met, which was now but seldom, a mutual indifference seemed to have succeeded to that regard, which had once been so prized by both. As yet however the indifference was but a.s.sumed.--Mordaunt felt, that it would be long before reason could extinguish his love for her, who was the world's idol as well as his--but every sentiment of wounded affection and indignant pride led him to conceal the pa.s.sion he could not cure--The more he became conscious of the necessity of self-control, the more did he close up the real feelings of his heart in an impenetrable armour of cold and studied reserve. On the other hand, Selina's feelings had taken a far different coloring. His having, on their first meeting in town, apparently repulsed her advances to a renewal of their former intimacy, had given her the severest pang of mortification she had ever experienced; but vanity soon came to her a.s.sistance, and when she found that he alone appeared insensible to those charms which were so prized by others, she began, not unnaturally, to attribute his apparent unkindness to an insensibility she was undecided whether to resent or despise. Whenever, therefore, by accident they happened to be in the same society, she rather a.s.sumed than corrected the appearance of flirtation and coquetry, which was dissimilar to the artless _navete_ of her earlier days, and was least suited to the unbending frigidity of his present deportment. With these sentiments it is not then to be wondered at, that their mutual society should become a source of pain, rather than of pleasure, to both; and Lady Eltondale, watching with secret satisfaction the widening breach, made it still more irreparable, by ostentatiously appearing to court that intercourse, which both now evidently wished to shun.

At the same time Sedley, apparently without design, seemed to rise in Selina's estimation, in the proportion as Augustus fell, and gradually began to insinuate himself into her regard. In Sedley's society Selina felt perfectly unrestrained. With him her manners were always natural: she felt a.s.sured, that he was, as he professed to be, sincerely her friend; and she rested with satisfaction on the belief, that he aspired to no higher distinction. Even the vigilance of Lady Eltondale was for once baffled. Mr. Sedley's situation in life was exactly in that mean, which least attracted her notice: his paternal estate was sufficient, as she believed, to render even Selina's fortune of no vital importance to him; and judging of Selina by herself, she believed it almost impossible, that a girl so universally admired, as she undoubtedly was, would be content to remain a commoner all her life. Besides, she knew Sedley was Frederick's most intimate friend, and therefore she did not hesitate to make him the confidant of her views regarding Miss Seymour; believing that by doing so she might safely encourage his attendance on her niece, and at the same time make that attendance an additional defence against the designs of others. But the Viscountess had now to learn, that duplicity on one side engenders artifice on the other: Sedley was even more in her son-in-law's confidence, than in her own; and, while she with wily care cautioned him against allowing Selina to suspect her plan, she convinced him, that, in seeking the gratification of his own pa.s.sion, there was no risk of thwarting the affections either of his friend, or _the heiress_ allotted to him. It was true, from a pa.s.sage in Frederick's last letter, he was led to believe, that it was his intention to pay his addresses to Miss Seymour on his return to England, and he therefore cautiously suspended his own operations. "At present, (thought he) the girl certainly prefers me to every other man; for now she has quite forgot that perpendicular statue Mordaunt, and it will be difficult enough for him to revive any regard she might once have had for such a philosophical personage as he is, whilst both Lady Eltondale and I keep guard over her. Then if she has sense and steadiness enough to refuse Elton, when he proposes for her estate, for I'll take care she understands he does not care a farthing for herself; why then, notwithstanding my pretty Columbina, I will, without any remorse of conscience, marry her myself, if it was for nothing but to rescue her from that devilish calculator of compound interest, that n.o.ble aunt of hers--But if that same crafty duenna, that female Machiavel succeeds, which, after all, is by no means improbable, considering her wickedness and Selina's innocence; why then let them all take the consequence. Frederick will get the old oaks--she'll get his old t.i.tle, and I, or any other man, may get her love that pleases." So reasoned Sedley--and thus did this modern Pylades acquit himself of the charge of any breach of friendship, as he thus deliberately prepared to rival his own Orestes.

Far different, and much less successful, were the means adopted by Webberly for carrying his designs into execution. He had become painfully convinced, that the paths of fashionable extravagance were not to be trodden with impunity; and as his credit decreased with his banker his attentions to Miss Seymour were redoubled. Whenever she appeared in public, as at the theatres, or in the Park, he was her constant attendant; "and, like the shadow, proved the substance true," as far at least as related to her fortune. But notwithstanding his a.s.siduity, he found it almost impossible to procure access to those more distinguished parties Lady Eltondale and Sedley frequented; and, being as much enlightened by his self-interest as the Viscountess was deceived by hers, he determined to keep a watchful eye over his _ci-devant_ friend, and heartily repented having ever introduced him at Deane Hall.

While these two compet.i.tors were thus, in different ways, striving for the golden prize, Selina was not less an object of regard to Lord Osselstone.--He, as might naturally be expected, was usually to be met in the same circle in which Lady Eltondale moved: but it was more difficult to account for the perceptible attention he constantly paid to Selina. At first he seemed more than usually pleased with the artlessness and vivacity of her manner; and the recollection of the kindness of his behaviour to her at the moment of her distress, at Lady Eltondale's first party, made her show a sort of confidence in her manners and address towards him, that, had she been more experienced in the ways of the world, his very superiority might perhaps have prevented. But with Lord Osselstone the idea of Mordaunt was inseparably connected; and as the recollection of the one became painful, the pleasure she had derived from the society of the other decreased. She became gradually suspicious of his character, as a greater familiarity with it convinced her it was not easily to be understood; and she was sometimes tempted to wish, either that she was less an object of his Lordship's observation, or that the veil could be entirely withdrawn, which seemed so constantly to shroud all his feelings from her view.

At last the day of Selina's presentation at Court arrived. Never had she looked so lovely--never was she so much admired.--Her heart beat high with exultation, and her eyes sparkled with redoubled animation, as she heard her own praise from every lip. When the drawing-room was over, and she found herself seated in the carriage with Lady Eltondale, she could not, in the vanity of the moment, repress a wish that Mrs. Galton had seen how much she was admired: adding, while a smile of conscious beauty played on her ruby lip, "I think if Mr. Mordaunt had been at Court to-day, even he might have condescended to have acknowledged his country friend." It was the first time Selina had voluntarily named him for many months, and the Viscountess hailed the auspicious omen. She knew that not to breathe a name on which our thoughts most dwell, is even a more dangerous symptom, than when it is the sole subject of our conversation.

The spell with Selina now seemed broken; and Lady Eltondale profited by the opportunity afforded, continuing the conversation in a careless manner, in hopes of accustoming Selina to the deliberate discussion of his negligence towards her. "If (thought she) I can habituate her to talk about him, and to talk calmly, the day is my own:

Lorsqu'on se fache, on peut aimer encore; Lorsqu'on raisonne, on n'aime plus."

CHAPTER VII.

"The town, the court, is beauty's proper sphere: That is our Heaven, and we are angels there."

MISS SEYMOUR TO MRS. GALTON.