A Simple Story

by Mrs. Inchbald

  CHAPTER XIII.

  Notwithstanding the seeming readiness with which Miss Milner hadresigned all farther acquaintance with Lord Frederick, during the shortride home she appeared to have lost great part of her wonted spirits;she was thoughtful, and once sighed heavily. Dorriforth began to fearthat she had not only made a sacrifice of her affections, but of herveracity; yet, why she had done so, he could not comprehend.

  As the carriage moved slowly through a lane between Elmwood Castle andher own house, on casting her eyes out of the window, Miss Milner'scountenance was brightened in an instant, and that instant LordFrederick, on horse-back, was at the coach door, and the coachmanstopped.

  "Oh, Miss Milner," cried he, (with a voice and manner that could givelittle suspicion of the truth of what he said) "I am overjoyed at thehappiness of seeing you, even though it is but an accidental meeting."

  She was evidently glad to see _him_; but the earnestness with which hespoke, put her upon her guard not to express the like, and she said, ina cool constrained manner, she "Was glad to see his Lordship."

  The reserve with which she spoke, gave Lord Frederick immediatesuspicion who was in the coach with her, and turning his head quickly,he met the stern eye of Dorriforth; upon which, without the smallestsalutation, he turned from him again abruptly and rudely. Miss Milnerwas confused, and Miss Woodley in torture, at this palpable affront, towhich Dorriforth alone appeared indifferent.

  "Go on," said Miss Milner to the footman, "desire the coachman to driveon."

  "No," cried Lord Frederick, "not till you have told me when I shall seeyou again."

  "I will write you word, my Lord," replied she, something alarmed. "Youshall have a letter immediately after I get home."

  As if he guessed what its contents were to be, he cried out with warmth,"Take care, then, Madam, how you treat me in that letter--and you, Mr.Dorriforth," turning to him, "do you take care what it contains; for ifit is dictated by you, to you I shall send the answer."

  Dorriforth, without making any reply, or casting a look at him, put hishead out of the window on the opposite side, and called, in a very angrytone, to the coachman, "How dare you not drive on, when your Lady ordersyou?"

  The sound of Dorriforth's voice in anger, was to the servants sounusual, that it acted like electricity upon the man, and he drove on atthe instant with such rapidity, that Lord Frederick was in a moment leftmany yards behind. As soon, however, as he recovered from the surpriseinto which this sudden command had thrown him, he rode with speed afterthe carriage, and followed it, till it arrived at the door of MissMilner's house; there, giving himself up to the rage of love, or to rageagainst Dorriforth for the contempt he had shewn to him, he leaped fromhis horse when Miss Milner stepped from her carriage, and seizing herhand, entreated her "Not to desert him, in compliance with theinjunctions of monkish hypocrisy."

  Dorriforth heard this, standing silently by, with a manly scorn upon hiscountenance.

  Miss Milner struggled to loose her hand, saying, "Excuse me fromreplying to you now, my Lord."

  In return, he lifted her hand eagerly to his lips, and began to devourit with kisses; when Dorriforth, with an instantaneous impulse, rushedforward, and struck him a violent blow in the face. Under the force ofthis assault, and the astonishment it excited, Lord Frederick staggered,and letting fall the hand of Miss Milner, her guardian immediately laidhold of it, and led her into the house.

  She was terrified beyond description; and with extreme difficulty Mr.Dorriforth conveyed her to her own chamber, without taking her in hisarms. When, by the assistance of her maid, he had placed her upon asofa--covered with shame and confusion for what he had done, he fell uponhis knees before her, and earnestly "Entreated her forgiveness for theindelicacy he had been guilty of in her presence." And that he hadalarmed her, and had forgot the respect which he thought sacredly herdue, seemed the only circumstance which then dwelt upon his thoughts.

  She felt the indecorum of the posture he had condescended to take, andwas shocked. To see her guardian at her feet, struck her with a sense ofimpropriety, as if she had seen a parent there. All agitation andemotion, she implored him to rise, and, with a thousand protestations,declared, "That she thought the rashness of the action was the highestproof of his regard for her."

  Miss Woodley now entered; her care being ever employed upon theunfortunate, Lord Frederick had been the object of it: she had waited byhis side, and, with every good purpose, had preached patience to him,while he was smarting under the pain, but more under the shame, of hischastisement. At first, his fury threatened a retort upon the servantsaround him (and who refused his entrance into the house) of thepunishment he had received. But, in the certainty of an _amendehonorable_, which must hereafter be made, he overcame the manytemptations which the moment offered, and re-mounting his horse rodeaway from the scene of his disgrace.

  No sooner had Miss Woodley entered the room, and Dorriforth had resignedto her the care of his ward, than he flew to the spot where he had leftLord Frederick, negligent of what might be the event if he stillremained there. After enquiring, and being told that he was gone,Dorriforth returned to his own apartment; and with a bosom torn by moreexcruciating sensations than those which he had given to his adversary.

  The reflection that struck him first with remorse, as he shut the doorupon himself, was:--"I have departed from my character--from the sacredcharacter, and the dignity of my profession and sentiments--I havedeparted from myself. I am no longer the philosopher, but the ruffian--Ihave treated with an unpardonable insult a young nobleman, whose onlyoffence was love, and a fond desire to insinuate himself into the favourof his mistress. I must atone for this outrage in whatever manner he maychoose; and the law of honour and of justice (though in this oneinstance contrary to the law of religion) enjoins, that if he demands mylife in satisfaction for his wounded feelings, it is his due. Alas! thatI could have laid it down this morning, unsullied with a cause for whichit will make but inadequate atonement."

  His next reproach was--"I have offended and filled with horror, abeautiful young woman, whom it was my duty to have protected from thosebrutal manners, to which I myself have exposed her."

  Again--"I have drawn upon myself the just upbraidings of my faithfulpreceptor and friend; of the man in whose judgment it was my delight tobe approved--above all, I have drawn upon myself the stings of myconscience."

  "Where shall I pass this sleepless night?" cried he, walking repeatedlyacross his chamber; "Can I go to the ladies? I am unworthy of theirsociety. Shall I go and repose my disturbed mind on Sandford? I amashamed to tell him the cause of my uneasiness. Shall I go to LordFrederick, and humbling myself before him, beg his forgiveness? He wouldspurn me for a coward. No"----(and he lifted up his eyes to Heaven) "Thouall great, all wise and omnipotent Being, Thou whom I have mostoffended, it is to Thee alone that I have recourse in this hour oftribulation, and from Thee alone I solicit comfort. And the confidencein which I now address myself to Thee, encouraged by that longintercourse which religion has effected, repays me amply in this onemoment, for the many years of my past life devoted with my best, thoughimperfect, efforts to thy service."