Tales and Novels, Vol. V by Maria Edgeworth

M >> Maria Edgeworth >> Tales and Novels, Vol. V

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"Kill Lady Sarah?--Why I saw her in perfect health this morning at
breakfast!"

"Dear, dear sir! you know nothing of the matter!" said the maid, rising,
and shutting the door: "you don't know what a way she has been in ever
since the talk of your going--fits upon fits every night, and my lady,
her mother, and I up holding her--and none in the house knowing it but
ourselves. Very well at breakfast! Lord help us! sir. How little you
know of what she has suffered! Lord have mercy upon me! I would not be a
lady to be so much in love, and left so, for any thing in the whole
world. And my Lady Sarah keeps every thing so to herself;--if it was not
for these fits they would never have knowed she cared no more for you
than a stone."

"And, probably you are quite mistaken," said Vivian; "and that I have
nothing to do with the young lady's illness. If she has fits, I am very
sorry for it; but I can't possibly----Certainly, you are quite
mistaken!"

"Lord, sir!--mistaken! As if I could be mistaken, when I know my lady
as well as I know myself! Why, sir, I know from the time of the
election, when you was given to her by all the country--and to be sure
when we all thought it would be a match directly--and the Lord knows
what put it off!--I say, from that time, her heart was set upon you.
Though she never said a word to me, or any one, I knew how it was,
through all her coldness--And to be sure, when you was in Lon'on so
much with us, all the town said, as all the country did afore, that to
be sure it was to be a match--But then that sad affair, with that
artfullest of women, that took you off from all that was good, and
away, the Lord knows where, to foreign parts!--Well! to be sure, I
never shall forget the day you come back again to us!--and the night of
the ball!--and you dancing with my lady, and all so happy; then, to be
sure, all were sarten it was to be immediately----And now to go and
break my poor lady's heart at the last--Oh, sir, sir! if you could but
see her, it would touch a heart of marble!"

Vivian's astonishment and dismay were so great, that he suffered the
girl, who was an unpractised creature, to go on speaking without
interruption: the warmth of affection with which she spoke of her lady,
also, surprised him: for, till this instant, he had no idea that any one
could love Lady Sarah Lidhurst; and the accounts she gave of the lady's
sufferings not only touched his compassion, but worked upon his vanity.
"This cold, proud young lady that never loved none before, to think," as
her maid said, "that she should come to such a pass, as to be in fits
about him. And it was her belief that Lady Sarah never would recover it,
if he went away out of the castle this day."

The ringing of a bell had repeatedly been heard, whilst Lady Sarah's
maid was speaking; it now rang violently, and her name was called
vehemently from the adjoining apartment. "I must go, I _must_ go!--Oh,
sir! one day, for mercy's sake! stay one day longer!"

Vivian, though he had been moved by this girl's representations, was
determined to effect his retreat whilst it was yet in his power;
therefore he ran down stairs, and had gained the hall, where he was
shaking hands with Lord Glistonbury, when my Lady Glistonbury's own
woman came in a great hurry to say, that her lady, finding herself a
little better now, and able to see Mr. Vivian, begged he would be so
good as to walk up to her dressing-room.

Vivian, with a heavy heart and slow steps, obeyed; there was no
refusing, no evading such a request. He summoned all his resolution, at
the same time saying to himself, as he followed his conductor along the
gallery, "It is impossible that I can ever be drawn in to marry Lady
Sarah.--This is a concerted plan, and I shall not be so weak as to be
the dupe of so gross an artifice."

Lady Glistonbury's maid showed him into her lady's dressing-room and
retired. Lady Glistonbury was seated, and, without speaking, pointed to
a chair which was set opposite to her. "So! a preparation for a scene,"
thought Vivian. He bowed, but, still keeping his hat in his hand, did
not sit down:--he was extremely happy to hear, that her ladyship found
herself something better--much honoured by her permitting him to pay his
respects, and to offer his grateful acknowledgments to her ladyship
before his departure from Glistonbury.

Her ladyship, still without speaking, pointed to the chair. Vivian sat
down, and looked as if he had "screwed his courage to the sticking
place." Lady Glistonbury had sometimes a little nervous trembling of her
head, which was the only symptom of internal agitation that was ever
observable in her; it was now increased to a degree which Vivian had
never before seen.

"Are you in haste, sir, to be gone?" said Lady Glistonbury.

"Not if her ladyship had any commands for him; but otherwise, he had
intended, if possible, to reach town that night."

"I shall not delay you many minutes, Mr. Vivian," said her ladyship.
"You need not be under apprehension that Lady Glistonbury should seek to
detain you longer than your own inclinations induce you to stay; it is,
therefore, unnecessary to insult her with any appearance of haste or
impatience."

Vivian instantly laid down his hat, and protested that he was not in the
slightest degree impatient: he should be very ungrateful, as well as
very ill-bred, if, after the most hospitable manner in which he had been
received and entertained at Glistonbury Castle, he could be in haste to
quit it. He was entirely at her ladyship's orders.

Lady Glistonbury bowed formally--was again silent--the trembling of her
head very great--the rest of her form motionless.

"I have sent for you, Mr. Vivian," said she, "that I might, before you
leave this castle, set you right on a subject which much concerns me.
From the representations of a foolish country girl, a maid-servant of my
daughter, Lady Sarah Lidhurst, which I have just discovered she has made
to you, I had reason to fear that you might leave Glistonbury with very
false notions----"

A cry was heard at this moment from the inner apartment, which
made Vivian start; but Lady Glistonbury, without noticing it, went
on speaking.

"With notions very injurious to my daughter Sarah; who, if I know any
thing of her, would rather, if it were so ordained, go out of this
world, than condescend to any thing unbecoming her sex, her education,
and her family."

Vivian, struck with respect and compassion for the mother, who spoke to
him in this manner, was now convinced that there had been no concerted
plan to work upon his mind, that the maid had spoken without the
knowledge of her lady; and the more proudly solicitous Lady Glistonbury
showed herself to remove what she called the false impression from his
mind, the more he was persuaded that the girl had spoken the truth. He
was much embarrassed between his good-nature and his dread of becoming a
sacrifice to his humanity.

He replied in general terms to Lady Glistonbury, that he had the highest
respect for Lady Sarah Lidhurst, and that no opinion injurious to her
could be entertained by him.

"Respect she must command from all," said Lady Glistonbury; "_that_ it
is out of any man's power to refuse her: as to the rest, she leaves you,
and I leave you, sir, to your own conscience."

Lady Glistonbury rose, and so did Vivian. He hoped that neither her
ladyship nor Lady Sarah had any cause----He hesitated; the words, _to
reproach, to complain, to be displeased_, all came to his lips; but each
seemed improper; and, none other being at hand to convey his meaning, he
could not finish his sentence: so he began another upon a new
construction, with "I should be much concerned if, in addition to all my
other causes of regret in leaving Glistonbury Castle, I felt that I had
incurred Lady Glistonbury's or Lady Sarah's displea--disapprobation."

"As to that, sir," said Lady Glistonbury, "I cannot but have my own
opinion of your conduct; and you can scarcely expect, I apprehend, that
a mother, such as I am, should not feel some disapprobation of conduct,
which has----Sir, I beg I may not detain you--I have the honour to wish
you a good journey and much happiness."

An attendant came from an inner apartment with a message! from Lady
Sarah, who was worse, and wished to see her mother--"Immediately!--tell
her, immediately!"

The servant returned with the answer. Vivian was retiring, but he came
back, for he saw at that moment a convulsive motion contract Lady
Glistonbury's face: she made an effort to walk; but if Vivian had not
supported her instantly, she must have fallen. She endeavoured to
disengage herself from his assistance, and again attempted to walk.

"For God's sake, lean upon me, madam!" said Vivian, much alarmed. With
his assistance, she reached the door of the inner room: summoning all
the returning powers of life, she then withdrew her arm from his, and
pointing back to the door at which Vivian entered, she said, "That is
your way, sir."

"Pardon me--I cannot go--I cannot leave you at this moment," said
Vivian.

"This is my daughter's apartment, sir," said Lady Glistonbury, stopping,
and standing still and fixed. Some of the attendants within, hearing her
ladyship's voice, opened the door; Lady Glistonbury made an effort to
prevent it, but in vain: the chamber was darkened, but as the door
opened, the wind from an open window blew back the curtain, and some
light fell upon a canopy bed, where Lady Sarah lay motionless, her eyes
closed, and pale as death; one attendant chafing her temples, another
rubbing her feet: she looked up just after the door opened, and, raising
her head, she saw Vivian--a gleam of joy illumined her countenance, and
coloured her cheek.

"Sir," repeated Lady Glistonbury, "this is my daughter's----"

She could articulate no more. She fell across the threshold, struck with
palsy. Her daughter sprang from the bed, and, with Vivian's assistance,
raised and carried Lady Glistonbury to an arm-chair near the open
window, drew back the curtain, begged Vivian to go to her father, and
instantly to despatch a messenger for medical assistance. Vivian sent
his own servant, who had his horse ready at the door, and he bid the man
go as fast as he could.

"Then you don't leave Glistonbury to-day, sir?" said the servant.

"Do as I order you--Where's Lord Glistonbury?"

His lordship, with the newspapers and letters open in his hand, came
up--but they dropped on hearing the intelligence that Vivian
communicated. His lordship was naturally humane and good-natured; and
the shock was greater, perhaps, to him, from the sort of enmity in which
he lived with Lady Glistonbury.

"I dread to go up stairs," said he. "For God's sake, Vivian, don't leave
me in this distress!--do order your carriage away!----Put up Mr.
Vivian's carriage."

Lady Sarah's maid came to tell them that Lady Glistonbury had recovered
her speech, and that she had asked, "if Mr. Vivian was gone?"

"Do come up with me," cried Lord Glistonbury, "and she will see you are
not gone."

"Here's my lord and Mr. Vivian, my lady," said the girl.

Then, turning to Lady Glistonbury's woman, she added, in a loud whisper,
"Mr. Vivian won't go to-day."

Lady Sarah gave her maid some commission, which took her out of the
room. Lady Sarah, no longer the formal, cold, slow personage whom Vivian
detested, now seemed to him, and not only seemed but was, quite a
different being, inspired with energy, and quickness, and presence of
mind: she forgot herself, and her illness, and her prudery, and her
love, and every other consideration, in the sense of her mother's
danger. Lady Glistonbury had but imperfectly recovered her recollection.
At one moment she smiled on Vivian, and tried to stretch out her hand to
him, as she saw him standing beside Lady Sarah. But when he approached
Lady Glistonbury, and spoke to her, she seemed to have some painful
recollection, and, looking round the room, expressed surprise and
uneasiness at his being there. Vivian retired; and Lord Glistonbury, who
was crying like a child, followed, saying, "Take me out with you--
Dr. G---- ought to be here before now--I'll send for another
physician!--Very shocking--very shocking--at Lady Glistonbury's time of
life, too--for she is not an old woman by any means. Lady Glistonbury is
eighteen months younger than I am!--Nobody knows how soon it may be
their turn!--It's very shocking!--If I had known she was ill, I would
have had advice for her sooner. She is very patient--too patient--a
great deal too patient. She never will complain--never tells what she
feels, body or mind--at least never tells _me_; but that may be my fault
in some measure. Should be very sorry Lady Glistonbury went out of the
world with things as they are now between us. Hope to God she will get
over this attack!--Hey! Mr. Vivian?"

Vivian said whatever he could to fortify this hope, and was glad to see
Lord Glistonbury show feelings of this sort. The physician arrived, and
confirmed these hopes by his favourable prognostics. In the course of
the day and night her face, which had been contracted, resumed its
natural appearance; she recovered the use of her arm: a certain
difficulty of articulation, and thickness of speech, with what the
physician called hallucination of mind, and a general feebleness of
body, were all the apparent consequences of this stroke. She was not
herself sensible of the nature of the attack, or clear in her ideas of
any thing that had passed immediately previous to it. She had only an
imperfect recollection of her daughter's illness, and of some hurry
about Mr. Vivian's going away. She was, however, well enough to go into
her dressing-room, where Vivian went to pay his respects to her, with
Lord Glistonbury. By unremitting exertions, and unusual cheerfulness,
Lady Sarah succeeded in quieting her mother's confused apprehensions on
her account. When out of Lady Glistonbury's hearing, all the attendants
and the physicians repeatedly expressed fear that Lady Sarah would
over-fatigue and injure herself by this extraordinary energy; but her
powers of body and mind seemed to rise with the necessity for exertion;
and, on this great occasion, she suddenly discovered a warmth and
strength of character, of which few had ever before discerned even the
slightest symptoms.

"Who would have expected this from Sarah?" whispered Lord Glistonbury to
Vivian. "Why, her sister did not do more for me when I was ill! I always
knew she loved her mother, but I thought it was in a quiet, commonplace
way--Who knows but she loves me too?--or might--" She came into the room
at this moment--"Sarah, my dear," said his lordship, "where are my
letters and yesterday's papers, which I never read?--I'll see if there
be any thing in them that can interest your mother."

Lord Glistonbury opened the papers, and the first article of public news
was, "a dissolution of parliament confidently expected to take place
immediately." This must put an end to Vivian's scheme of going to town
to attend his duty in parliament. "But, may be, it is only newspaper
information." It was confirmed by all Lord Glistonbury and Vivian's
private letters. A letter from his mother, which Vivian now for the
first moment had time to peruse, mentioned the dissolution of parliament
as certain; she named her authority, which could not be doubted; and, in
consequence, she had sent down supplies of wine for an election; and she
said that she would "be immediately at Castle Vivian, to keep open house
and open heart for her son. Though not furnished," she observed, "the
castle would suit the better all the purposes of an election; and she
should not feel any inconvenience, for her own part, let the
accommodations be what they might."

Lord Glistonbury directly proposed and insisted upon Lady Mary Vivian's
making Glistonbury her head-quarters. Vivian objected: Lady
Glistonbury's illness was an ostensible and, he hoped, would be a
sufficient excuse for declining the invitation. But Lord Glistonbury
persisted: "Lady Glistonbury, he was sure, would wish it--nothing would
be more agreeable to her." His lordship's looks appealed to Lady Sarah,
but Lady Sarah was silent; and, when her father positively required her
opinion, by adding, "Hey! Sarah?" she rather discouraged than pressed
the invitation. She said, that though she was persuaded her mother
would, if she were well, be happy to have the pleasure of seeing Lady
Mary Vivian; yet she could not, in her mother's present situation,
venture to decide how far her health might be able to stand any
election bustle.

Lady Sarah said this with a very calm voice, but blushed extremely as
she spoke; and, for the first time, Vivian thought her not absolutely
plain; and, for the first time, he thought even the formality and
deliberate coolness of her manner were not disagreeable. He liked her
more, at this moment, than he had ever imagined it possible he could
like Lady Sarah Lidhurst; but he liked her chiefly because she did not
press him into her service, but rather forwarded his earnest wish to get
away from Glistonbury.

Lord Glistonbury appealed to the physician, and asked whether company
and amusement were not "the best things possible for his patient? Lady
Glistonbury should not be left alone, surely! Her mind should be
interested and amused; and an election would be a fortunate circumstance
just at present!"

The physician qualified the assent which his lordship's peremptory tone
seemed to demand, by saying, "that certainly moderate amusement, and
whatever interested without agitating her ladyship, would be salutary."
His lordship then declared that he would leave it to Lady Glistonbury
herself to decide: quitting the end of the room where they were holding
their consultation, he approached her ladyship to explain the matter.
But Lady Sarah stopped him, beseeching so earnestly that no appeal might
be made to her mother, that Vivian was quite moved; and he settled the
business at once to general satisfaction, by declaring that, though
neither he nor Lady Mary Vivian could think of intruding as inmates at
present, yet that they should, as soon as Lady Glistonbury's health
would permit, be as much at Glistonbury Castle as possible; and that the
short distance from his house would make it, he hoped, not inconvenient
to his lordship for all election business. Lord Glistonbury acceded, and
Lady Sarah appeared gratefully satisfied. His lordship, who always took
the task of explanation upon himself, now read the paragraph about the
dissolution aloud to Lady Glistonbury; informed her, that Lady Mary
Vivian was coming immediately to the country; and that they should hope
to see Lady Mary and Mr. Vivian almost every day, though he could not
prevail upon them to take up their abode during the election at
Glistonbury. Lady Glistonbury listened, and tried, and seemed to
understand--bowed to Mr. Vivian and smiled, and said she remembered he
was often at Glistonbury during the last election--that she was happy to
hear she should have the pleasure to see Lady Mary Vivian--that some
people disliked _election times_, but for her part she did not, when she
was strong. Indeed, the last election she recollected with particular
pleasure--she was happy that Lord Glistonbury's interest was of service
to Mr. Vivian. Then "she hoped his canvass _to-day_ had been
successful?"--and asked some questions that showed her mind had become
confused, and that she was confounding the past with the present. Lady
Sarah and Mr. Vivian said a few words to set her right--she looked first
at one, and then at the other, listening, and then said--"I
understand--God bless you both." Vivian took up his hat, and looked out
of the window, to see if his carriage was at the door.

"Mr. Vivian wishes you a good morning, madam," said Lady Sarah: "he is
going to Castle Vivian, to get things ready for Lady Mary's arrival."

"I wish you health and happiness, sir," said Lady Glistonbury,
attempting to rise, whilst some painful reminiscence altered her
countenance.

"Pray do not stir, don't disturb yourself, Lady Glistonbury. I shall pay
my respects to your ladyship again as soon as possible."

"And pray bring me good news of the election, and how the poll stands
to-morrow, Mr. Vivian," added her ladyship, as he left the room.

CHAPTER XII.

Vivian, who had felt oppressed and almost enslaved by his compassion,
breathed more freely when he at last found himself in his carriage,
driving away from Glistonbury. His own castle, and the preparations for
his mother's arrival, and for the expected canvass, occupied him so much
for the ensuing days, that he had scarcely time to think of Lady Julia
or of Lady Sarah, of Russell or Selina: he could neither reflect on the
past, nor anticipate the future; the present, the vulgar present, full
of upholsterers, and paper-hangers, and butlers, and grooms, and
tenants, and freeholders, and parasites, pressed upon his attention with
importunate claims. The dissolution of parliament took place. Lady Mary
Vivian arrived almost as soon as the newspaper that brought this
intelligence: with her came a new set of thoughts, all centering in the
notion of her son's consequence in the world, and of his
happiness--ideas which were too firmly associated in her mind ever to be
separated. She said that she had regretted his having made such a long
stay in the country during the last session, because he had missed
opportunities of distinguishing himself farther in parliament. The
preceding session her ladyship had received gratifying compliments on
her son's talents, and on the figure he had _already_ made in public
life; she felt her self-love as well as her affection interested in his
continuing his political career with spirit and success. "As to the
present election," she observed, "there could be little doubt that he
would be re-elected with the assistance of the Glistonbury interest;
and," added her ladyship, smiling significantly, "I fancy your interest
is pretty strong in that quarter. The world has given you by turns to
Lady Julia and Lady Sarah Lidhurst; and I am asked continually which of
the Lady Lidhursts you are in love with. One of these ladies certainly
must be my daughter-in-law; pray, if you know, empower me to say which."
Lady Mary Vivian spoke but half in earnest, till the extraordinary
commotion her words created in her son, convinced her that the report
had not, now at least, been mistaken.

"Next to Miss Selina Sidney," continued Lady Mary, "who, after her
positive and long persisted-in refusal, is quite out of the question, I
have, my dear son, always wished to see you married to one of the Lady
Lidhursts; and, of course, Lady Julia's talents, and beauty, and
youth----"

Vivian interrupted and hastily told his mother that Lady Julia Lidhurst
was as much out of the question as Miss Sidney could be; for that he had
offered himself, and had been refused; and that he had every reason to
believe that the determination of his second mistress against him would
be at least as absolute and unconquerable as that of his first. His
mother was in amazement. That her son could be refused by Lady Julia
Lidhurst appeared a moral and political impossibility, especially when
the desire for a connexion between the families had been so obvious on
the side of the Glistonburys. What could be the meaning of this? Lady
Julia was perhaps under an error, and fancied he was some way engaged to
Miss Sidney; "or, perhaps," said Lady Mary, who had a ready wit for the
invention of delicate distresses, "perhaps there is some difficulty
about the eldest sister, Lady Sarah; for you know the first winter you
were given to her.--Ay, that must be the case. I will go to Glistonbury
to-morrow, and I will have Lady Julia to myself for five minutes: I
think I have some penetration, and I will know the truth."

Lady Mary was again surprised, by hearing from her son that Lady Julia
was not at Glistonbury--that she was gone with her brother into
Devonshire. So there was a dead silence for some minutes, succeeded by
an exclamation from Lady Mary, "There is some grand secret here--I must
know it!" Her ladyship forthwith commenced a close and able
cross-examination, which Vivian stopped at last by declaring that he was
not at liberty to speak upon the subject: he knew, he said, that his
mother was of too honourable and generous a temper to press him farther.
His mother was perfectly honourable, but at the same time extremely
curious; and though she continually repeated, "I will not ask you
another question--I would not upon any account lead you to say a
syllable that could betray any confidence reposed in you, my dear son;"
yet she indulged herself in a variety of ingenious conjectures: "I know
it is so;" or, "I am sure that I have guessed now, but I don't ask you
to tell me.--You do right to deny it."--Amongst the variety of her
conjectures, Lady Mary did not find out the truth; she was prepossessed
by the idea that Russell was attached to Selina Sidney--a secret which
her own penetration had discovered whilst her son was abroad with Mrs.
Wharton, and which she thought no mortal living knew but herself.
Pre-occupied with this notion, Russell was now omitted in all her
combinations. His having quitted Glistonbury did not create any
suspicion of the real cause of his sudden departure, because there was a
sufficient reason for his going to the north to see his sick relation;
and Lady Mary was too good a philosopher to assign two causes for the
same event, when she had found one that was adequate to the production
of the effect. She therefore quietly settled it in her imagination, that
Lady Julia Lidhurst was going to be married immediately to a certain
young nobleman, who had been lately at Glistonbury whilst they were
acting plays. The next day she went with Vivian to Glistonbury Castle;
for, waiving all the ceremonials of visiting, she was anxious to see
poor Lady Glistonbury, of whose illness she had been apprised, in
general terms, by her son. An impulse of curiosity, mixed perhaps with
motives of regard for her good friend Lady Glistonbury, hastened this
visit. They found Lady Glistonbury much better; she looked nearly as
well as she had done before this stroke; and she had now recovered her
memory, and the full use of her understanding. Vivian observed, that she
and Lady Sarah were both convinced, by Lady Mary Vivian's curiosity,
that he had given no hint of any thing which they did not wish to be
known: and the pleasurable consciousness of his integrity disposed him
to be pleased with them. Lord Glistonbury, on his side, was convinced
that Vivian had behaved honourably with respect to his daughter Julia;
so all parties were well satisfied with each other. His lordship
answered Lady Mary Vivian's inquiries after his son and his daughter
Julia by saying, that Miss Strictland had just returned to Glistonbury
with rather more favourable accounts of Lord Lidhurst's health, and that
Julia and he were now at his brother the Bishop of ----'s. Between this
brother and my Lord Glistonbury there had never been any great intimacy,
their characters and their politics being very different. The moment
Lady Mary Vivian heard Lord Glistonbury pronounce, with such unusual
cordiality, the words, "my brother the bishop," she recollected that the
bishop had a very amiable, accomplished, and remarkably handsome son; so
she arranged directly in her imagination that this was the person to
whom Lady Julia was engaged. Being now thoroughly convinced that this
last conjecture was just, she thought no more about Lady Julia's
affairs; but turned her attention to Lady Sarah, whose cold and guarded
manners, however, resisted her utmost penetration. Disappointed in all
her attempts to lead to sentiment or love, the conversation at last ran
wholly upon the approaching election, upon the canvass, and the strength
of the various interests of the county; on all which subjects Lady Sarah
showed surprisingly exact information. Presently Lord Glistonbury took
Vivian with him to his study to examine some poll-book, and then put
into his hands a letter from Lady Julia Lidhurst, which had been
enclosed in one to himself.

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