The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 1 (of 2)

by Charles James Lever

  CHAPTER XVI. A HURRIED VISIT

  It was on a severe night, with frequent gusts of stormy wind shaking thedoors and window-frames, or carrying along the drifted flakes of snowwith which the air was charged, that Lady Eleanor, her daughter, andForester, were seated round the fire. All the appliances of indoorcomfort by which they were surrounded seemed insufficient to dispel asense of sadness that pervaded the little party. Conversation flowednot as it was wont, in its pleasant current, diverging here and there asfancy or caprice suggested; the sentences were few and brief, the pausesbetween them long and frequent; a feeling of awkwardness, too, mingledwith the gloom, for, at intervals, each would make an endeavor torelieve the weariness of time, and in the effort show a consciousness ofconstraint.

  Lady Eleanor lay back in her deep chair, and, with half-closed lids,seemed lost in thought. Helen was working at her embroidery, and,apparently, diligently too, although a shrewd observer might haveremarked on the slow progress the work was making, and how inevitablyher balls of colored worsted seemed bent on entanglement; while Forestersat silently gazing on the wood fire, and watching the bright sparks asthey flitted and danced above the red flame; his brow was clouded, andhis look sorrowful; not without reason, perhaps: it was to be his lastevening at the abbey; the last of those hours of happiness which seemedall the fairer when about to part with them forever.

  Lady Eleanor seemed grieved at his approaching departure. From the habitof his mind, and the nature of his education, he was more companionableto her than Lionel.

  She saw in him many qualities of high and sterling value, and even inhis prejudices she could trace back several of those traits which markedher own youth, when, in the pride of her English breeding, she wouldtolerate no deviation from the habits of her own country. It was true,many of these notions had given way since his residence at the abbey;many of his opinions had undergone modification or change, but still hewas distinctively English.

  Helen, who possessed no standard by which to measure such prejudices,was far less indulgent towards them; her joyous, happy nature--theheirloom of her father's house--led her rather to jest than argue onthese topics, and she contrasted the less apt and ready apprehensionof Forester with the native quickness of her brother Lionel,disadvantageous to the former. She was sorry, too, that he was going;more so, because his society was so pleasing to her mother, and thatbefore him, Lady Eleanor exerted herself in a way which eventuallyreacted favorably on her own health and spirits. Further than this, herinterest in him was weak.

  Not so Forester: he was hopelessly, inextricably, in love, not the lessso that he would not acknowledge it to himself; far more so because hehad made no impression on the object of his passion. There is a periodin every story of affection when the flame grows the brighter becauseunreflected, and seems the more concentrated because unreturned.Forester was in this precise stage of the malady; he was as much piquedby the indifference as fascinated by the charms of Helen Darcy. The veryexertions he made for victory stimulated his own passion; while, in herefforts to interest or amuse him, he could not help feeling the evidenceof her indifference to him.

  We have said that the conversation was broken and interrupted; at lengthit almost ceased altogether, a stray remark of Lady Eleanor's, followedby a short reply from Forester, alone breaking the silence. Norwere these always very pertinent, inasmuch as the young aide-de-campoccasionally answered his own reflections, and not the queries of hishostess.

  "An interesting time in Dublin, no doubt," said Lady Eleanor, halftalking to herself; "for though the forces are unequal, and victory anddefeat predestined, there will be a struggle still."

  "Yes, madam, a brief one," answered Forester, dreamily, comprehendingonly a part of her remark.

  "A brief and a vain one," echoed Lady Eleanor.

  "Say, rather, a glorious one," interposed Helen; "the last cheer of asinking crew!"

  Forester looked up, startled into attention by the energy of these fewwords.

  "I should say so too, Helen," remarked her mother, "if they were notaccessory to their own misfortunes."

  "Nay, nay, Mamma, you must not remember their failings in their hour ofdistress; there is a noble-hearted minority untainted yet."

  "There will be a majority of eighteen," said Forester, whose thoughtswere wandering away, while he endeavored to address himself to what hebelieved they were saying; nor was he aware of his error till aroused bythe laughter of Lady Eleanor and her daughter.

  "Eighteen!" reiterated he, solemnly.

  "How few!" remarked Lady Eleanor, almost scornfully.

  "You should say, how costly, Mamma!" exclaimed Helen. "These gentlemenare as precious from their price as their rarity!"

  "That is scarcely fair, Miss Darcy," said Forester, at once recalled tohimself by the tone of mockery she spoke in; "many adopted the viewsof Government, after duly weighing every consideration of the measure:some, to my own knowledge, resisted offers of great personal advantage,and Lord Castlereagh was not aware of their adhesion--"

  "Till he had them _en poche_, I suppose," said Helen, sarcastically;"just as you have been pleased to do with my ball of yellow worsted, andfor which I shall be thankful if you will restore it to me."

  Forester blushed deeply, as he drew from his coat-pocket the worsted,which in a moment of abstraction he had lifted from the ground, andthrust into his pocket, without knowing.

  Had any moderately shrewd observer witnessed his confusion, and herenjoyment of it, he would easily have understood the precise relation ofthe two parties to each other. Forester's absence of mind betrayedhis engaged affection as palpably as Helen's laughter did her ownindifference.

  Lady Eleanor did not remark either; her thoughts still rested onthe topic of which they had spoken, for it was a subject of noinconsiderable difficulty to her. Whatever her sense of indignantcontempt for the bribed adherents of the Ministry, her convictionsalways inclined to these measures, whose origin was from her nativecountry; her predilections were strongly English; not only her happiestdays had been passed there, but she was constantly contrasting theposition they would have occupied and sustained in that favored land,against the wasteful and purposeless extravagance of their life inIreland.

  Was it too late to amend? was the question ever rising to her mind, nowif even yet the Knight should be induced to adopt the more ambitiouscourse? Every accidental circumstance seemed favorable to the notion:the Government craving his support; her own relatives, influentialas they were from rank and station, soliciting it; the Prince himselfaccording favors which could no more be rejected than acknowledgedungraciously.

  "What a career for Lionel! What a future for Helen!" such werereflections that would press themselves upon her, but to whosedisentanglement her mind suggested no remedy.

  "'Tis Mr. Daly, my Lady," said Tate, for something like the fourth time,without being attended to. "'T is Mr. Daly wants leave to visit you."

  "Mr. Bagenal Daly, Mamma, wishes to know if you'll receive him?"

  "Mr. Daly is exactly the kind of person to suggest this impracticableline of policy," said Lady Eleanor, with half-closed eyes; for the namealone had struck her, and she had not heard what was said.

  "My dear Mamma," said Helen, rising, and leaning over her chair, "it isa visit he proposes; nothing so very impracticable in that, I hope!"and then, at a gesture from her mother, continued to Tate, "Lady Eleanorwill be very happy to see Mr. Daly."

  Lady Eleanor had scarcely aroused herself from her revery when BagenalDaly entered. His manner was stately, perhaps somewhat colder thanusual, and he took his seat with an air of formal politeness.

  "I have come, my Lady," said he, slowly, "to learn if I can be of anyservice in the capital; unexpected news has just reached me, requiringmy immediate departure for Dublin."

  "Not to-night, sir, I hope; it is very severe, and likely, I fear, tocontinue so."

  "To-night, madam, within an hour, I expect to be on the road."

  "Could you defer a little longer, and
we may be fellow-travellers," saidForester; "I was to start to-morrow morning, but my packing can soon bemade."

  "I should hope," said Lady Eleanor, smiling, "that you will not leave usunprotected, gentlemen, and that one, at least, will remain here."This speech, apparently addressed to both, was specially intended forForester, whose cheek tingled with a flush of pleasure as he heard it.

  "I have no doubt, madam, that Captain Forester, whose age and professionare more in accordance with gallantry, will respond to your desire."

  "If I could really fancy that I was not yielding to my own wishes only,"stammered out Forester.

  "Nay, I make it a request."

  "There, sir, how happy to be entreated to what one's wishes inclinethem," added Daly; "you may go through a deal of life without beingtwice so fortunate. I should apologize for so brief a notice of mydeparture, Lady Eleanor, but the intelligence I have received ispressing." Here he dropped his voice to a whisper. "The Ministers havehurried forward their bill, and I shall scarcely be in time for thesecond reading."

  "All accounts agree in saying that the Government majority is certain,"observed Lady Eleanor, calmly.

  "It is to be feared, madam, that such rumors are well founded, but theparty who form the forlorn hope have their devoirs also."

  "I am a very indifferent politician, Mr. Daly, but it strikes me thata body so manifestly corrupt, give the strongest possible reasons fortheir own destruction."

  "Were they all so, madam, I should join in the sentiment as freely asyou utter it," replied Daly, proudly; "but it is a heavy sentence thatwould condemn the whole crew because there was a mutiny in the steerage;besides, these rights and privileges are held only in trust; no man canin honor or justice vote away that of which he is only the temporaryoccupant; forgive me, I beg, for daring to discuss the topic, but Ithought the Knight had made you a convert to his own opinions."

  "We have never spoken on the subject, Mr. Daly," replied Lady Eleanor,coldly; "the Knight dislikes the intrusion of a political matter withinthe circle of his family, and for that reason, perhaps," added she, witha smile, "my daughter and myself feel for it all the temptation of aforbidden pleasure."

  "Oh, yes!" exclaimed Helen, who heard the last few words of her mother'sspeech, "I am as violent a partisan as Mr. Daly could ask for; indeed,I am not certain if all my doctrines are not of his own teaching; I fearthe Premier, distrust the Cabinet, and put no faith in the Secretary forIreland; is not that the first article of our creed?--nay, nay, fear wasno part of your instruction."

  "And yet I have fears, my dear Helen, and very great fears just now,"said Daly in a low whisper, only audible by herself, and she turnedher full and beaming eyes upon him for an explanation. As if anxiousto escape the interrogatory, Daly arose hastily. "I must craveyour indulgence for an abrupt leave-taking, Lady Eleanor," said he,approaching, as he kissed the hand held out to him; "I shall be able totell the Knight that I left you both well, and under safe protection.Captain Forester, adieu; you need no admonition of mine respecting yourcharge;" and, with a low and courtly salute, he departed.

  "Rely upon it, Captain Forester, he's bent on mischief now. I neversaw him particularly mild and quiet in his manner that it was not theprelude to some desperate ebullition," said Lady Eleanor.

  "He is the very strangest of all mortals."

  "Say, the most single-minded and straightforward," interposed Helen,"and I 'll agree with you."

  "When men of strong minds and ambitious views are curbed and heldin within the petty sphere of a small social circle, they are, to mythinking, intolerable. It is making a drawing-room pet of a tiger; everystep he takes upsets a vase or smashes a jar. You smile at my simile."

  "I 'm sure it's a most happy one," said Forester, continuing.

  "I enter a dissent," cried Helen, playfully. "He's a tiger, if you will,with his foes, but in all the relations of private life, gentlenessitself; for my part, I can imagine no more pleasing contrast to themodern code of manners than Mr. Bagenal Daly."

  "There, Captain Forester, if you would win Miss Darcy's favor, you havenow the model for your imitation."

  Forester's face flushed, and he appeared overwhelmed with confusion,while Helen went on with her embroidery, tranquil as before.

  "I believe," resumed Lady Eleanor,--"I believe, after all, I am unjustto him; but much may be forgiven me for being so; he has made my son awild, thoughtless boy, and my daughter--"

  "No indiscretions, Mamma," cried Helen, holding up her hand.

  "Well, he has made my daughter _telle que vous la voyez_."

  Forester was too well bred to venture on a word of flattery orcompliment, but his glowing color and sparkling eyes spoke hisadmiration.

  Lady Eleanor's quick glance remarked this; and, as if the thought hadnever occurred before, she seemed amazed, either at the fact or at herown previous inattention.

  "Let us finish that second volume you were reading, Captain Forester,"said she, glad to cut short the discussion. And, without a word, he tookthe book and began to read.