Mrs. Thornton and Fanny were in the dining-room; the latter in a flutterof small exultation, as the maid held up one glossy material afteranother, to try the effect of the wedding-dresses by candlelight. Hermother really tried to sympathise with her, but could not. Neither tastenor dress were in her line of subjects, and she heartily wished thatFanny had accepted her brother"s offer of having the wedding clothesprovided by some first-rate London dressmaker, without the endlesstroublesome discussions, and unsettled wavering, that arose out ofFanny"s desire to choose and superintend everything herself. Mr.
Thornton was only too glad to mark his grateful approbation of anysensible man, who could be captivated by Fanny"s second-rate airs andgraces, by giving her ample means for providing herself with the finery,which certainly rivalled, if it did not exceed, the lover in her estimation.
When her brother and Mr. Bell came in, Fanny blushed and simpered,and fluttered over the signs of her employment, in a way which couldnot have failed to draw attention from any one else but Mr. Bell. If hethought about her and her silks and satins at all, it was to compare herand them with the pale sorrow he had left behind him, sittingmotionless, with bent head and folded hands, in a room where thestillness was so great that you might almost fancy the rush in yourstraining ears was occasioned by the spirits of the dead, yet hoveringround their beloved. For, when Mr. Bell had first gone up-stairs, Mrs.
Shaw lay asleep on the sofa; and no sound broke the silence.
Mrs. Thornton gave Mr. Bell her formal, hospitable welcome. She wasnever so gracious as when receiving her Son"s friends in her son"shouse; and the more unexpected they were, the more honour to heradmirable housekeeping preparations for comfort.
"How is Miss Hale?" she asked.
"About as broken down by this last stroke as she can be."
"I am sure it is very well for her that she has such a friend as you."
"I wish I were her only friend, madam. I daresay it sounds very brutal;but here have I been displaced, and turned out of my post of comforterand adviser by a fine lady aunt; and there are cousins and what notclaiming her in London, as if she were a lap-dog belonging to them.
And she is too weak and miserable to have a will of her own."
"She must indeed be weak," said Mrs. Thornton, with an impliedmeaning which her son understood well. "But where," continued Mrs.
Thornton, "have these relations been all this time that Miss Hale hasappeared almost friendless, and has certainly had a good deal of anxietyto bear?" But she did not feel interest enough in the answer to herquestion to wait for it. She left the room to make her householdarrangements.
"They have been living abroad. They have some kind of claim upon her.
I will do them that justice. The aunt brought her up, and she and thecousin have been like sisters. The thing vexing me, you see, is that Iwanted to take her for a child of my own; and I am jealous of thesepeople, who don"t seem to value the privilege of their right. Now itwould be different if Frederick claimed her."
"Frederick!" exclaimed Mr. Thornton. "Who is he? What right--?" Mestopped short in his vehement question.
"Frederick," said Mr. Bell in surprise. "Why don"t you know? He"s herbrother. Have you not heard--"
"I never heard his name before. Where is he? Who is he?"
"Surely I told you about him, when the family first came to Milton--theson who was concerned in that mutiny."
"I never heard of him till this moment. Where does he live?"
"In Spain. He"s liable to be arrested the moment he sets foot on Englishground. Poor fellow! he will grieve at not being able to attend hisfather"s funeral. We must be content with Captain Lennox; for I don"tknow of any other relation to summon."
"I hope I may be allowed to go?"
"Certainly; thankfully. You"re a good fellow, after all, Thornton. Haleliked you. He spoke to me, only the other day, about you at Oxford. Heregretted he had seen so little of you lately. I am obliged to you forwishing to show him respect."
"But about Frederick. Does he never come to England?"
"Never."
"He was not over here about the time of Mrs. Hale"s death?"
"No. Why, I was here then. I hadn"t seen Hale for years and years and, ifyou remember, I came-- No, it was some time after that that I came. Butpoor Frederick Hale was not here then. What made you think he was?"
"I saw a young man walking with Miss Hale one day," replied Mr.
Thornton, "and I think it was about that time."
"Oh, that would be this young Lennox, the Captain"s brother. He"s alawyer, and they were in pretty constant correspondence with him; and Iremember Mr. Hale told me he thought he would come down. Do youknow," said Mr. Bell, wheeling round, and shutting one eye, the better tobring the forces of the other to bear with keen scrutiny on Mr.
Thornton"s face, "that I once fancied you had a little tenderness forMargaret?"
No answer. No change of countenance.
"And so did poor Hale. Not at first, and not till I had put it into his head."
"I admired Miss Hale. Every one must do so. She is a beautiful creature,"
said Mr. Thornton, driven to bay by Mr. Bell"s pertinacious questioning.
"Is that all! You can speak of her in that measured way, as simply abeautiful creature"--only something to catch the eye. I did hope you hadhad nobleness enough in you to make you pay her the homage of theheart. Though I believe--in fact I know, she would have rejected you,still to have loved her without return would have lifted you higher thanall those, be they who they may, that have never known her to love.
"Beautiful creature" indeed! Do you speak of her as you would of ahorse or a dog?"
Mr. Thornton"s eyes glowed like red embers.
