But if Laura was in high glee, so was not Max, who had to stand by while Charley carried off Ella Bedford, Nelly laughingly fastening upon his other arm.
“A rude coarse beast, bai Jove!” muttered Max elegantly, as he tried vainly to get the little button of his glove secured. “Let him have a fall again, and see if I’ll go to his help!”
“I shall come with you if I may,” said Nelly demurely2.
“To be sure!” laughed Charley, whose heart throbbed3 with pleasure as he felt—nay4, hardly felt—the light pressure of the grey glove upon his arm. “Miss Bedford won’t mind, I hope. Do you know, Miss Bedford, I’m rather glad you are with us? I’m almost afraid Nelly means some inroad upon my purse.”
“No, I don’t,” said Nelly, “so don’t be afraid;” and then she walked very demurely by their side, Charley encouraging her to stay upon observing Ella’s constraint5 and troubled looks.
“She’d be off like a frightened pigeon—dove, I mean!” muttered Charley, as he looked down at the almost painful face beside him. But a little quiet conversation upon current topics seemed to set her more at ease, and, after a while, Hugh Lingon approaching, Charley Vining whispered, loudly enough, though, for Nelly to hear:
“Now I’m going, Miss Bedford, for here comes Nelly’s intended. I hope you will play the chaperone most stringently6.”
Nelly rewarded him with a sharp pinch as he left them, Hugh Lingon taking his place; and Ella, whose heart beat almost painfully, asking herself the reason why.
But Charley Vining had laid his plans that day, and he felt he must proceed with caution. So hurrying himself, he acted the part of host with admirable tact7, picking out the ladies who seemed neglected, forming sets for croquet, handing refreshments8, or escorting little parties to the lake-like river for boating; distributing himself, as it were, throughout the grounds, and at last interrupting a tête-à-tête between Laura and Hugh Lingon, who had soon forsaken10 the ladies left in his charge.
Laura commenced a little minauderie, professing11 to be unable to leave Mr Lingon; but she gave up directly she saw Charley’s laugh, for she knew that it would be—nay, was—seen through. She knew Charley Vining to be different from most men of her acquaintance; and accepting his offer, she gladly took his arm, making the match-making mammas to whisper, as the handsome couple passed through the grounds, “There, didn’t I tell you so?” and then to gossip about how they had had their suspicions concerning the purpose of the fête.
But Laura’s pleasure was but short-lived; for though Charley was pleasant, gay, and chatty, he was nothing more, and though he carefully avoided referring to the croquet-party, she felt that he was not as she could wish.
“He’ll go back to her as soon as, with any decency12, he can,” she thought; and her teeth were set, and her fingers clenched13, pressing the nails almost through her gloves, as she forced back a sigh.
But she soon cheered up, for she told herself it was not for long, and determined14 to try if gentleness would gain the day; she listened to all her companion said, striving the while, without being obtrusive15, to obliterate16 her past words of anger.
Laura was wrong; for it was not for a considerable time, and until he had played cavalier to many a lady—winning the thanks and smiles of Sir Philip, who was delighted at his son’s efforts—that he sought once more Ella Bedford, followed by Sir Philip’s eyes; the old gentleman gazing uneasily after him as he went up and offered his arm, which was reluctantly taken.
“I’m going now,” said Nelly, who had kept with her guard the whole time; “I want something to eat. I declare, Charley Vining, I’ve only had one thin slice of butter spread with bread-crumbs, and a cup of tea;” and before a word could be said, she had darted17 off.
Sir Philip’s were not the only eyes that followed Charley Vining to where sat Ella Bedford; for as Max Bray18 followed him at a distance, as if by accident Laura did the same, and brother and sister gave genuine starts as they encountered at the union of two alleys19.
“Grows quite romantic, bai Jove!” sneered20 Max; but he relapsed into an uncomfortable look on seeing the penetrating21 gaze directed at him by his sister.
“Let me take your arm,” she said coldly; and then, as the shades of evening were fast falling, they walked slowly on together, towards a part of the grounds now apparently22 deserted23.
Meanwhile Charley Vining had led Ella across the lawn, pressing her to partake of some refreshment9, but in vain; and at last, in spite of herself, she found that she was alone with him, in a secluded24 part of the grounds.
“There is a seat here,” said Charley. “Shall we rest for a few minutes?”
“It would hardly be advisable,” was the quiet reply; “the evening is damp.” And then for a few moments there was a pause, as they still walked slowly on, Charley with his heart beating heavily, and Ella eager to return to the throng25 upon the lawn—a throng that the afternoon through she had avoided—and hardly liking26 to speak, lest she might betray her agitation27, and that she looked upon this otherwise than as an ordinary attention of host to one of his guests.
For Ella was not blind: her woman’s instinct had whispered to her respecting the many attentions pressed upon her, and she trembled as she recalled the night when the cross was returned; for her heart told her that such things must not be—that she must be cold and cautious, guarding and steeling herself against tender emotions, for she was but the poor paid governess, and this man, whose arm she lightly touched, was almost engaged to Laura Bray.
But the silence was broken at length by Charley, who spoke28 deeply, as he stopped short by a standard covered with pale white roses, whose perfume seemed shed around upon the soft night air.
“Miss Bedford,” he said, “I have been in pain, almost in agony, for many days past; and till I found that I had been wronging you, it seemed to me that life was going to be unbearable29.”
“Pain!—wronging me!” exclaimed Ella.
“Yes,” he said; “but hear me out. I am no polished speaker, Miss Bedford—only a simple, blunt, and I hope honest and truthful30 man. A week or two since I believed that you favoured the suit of Max Bray: to-night I will not insult you with questions, but tell you honestly I do not believe that to be the case; and when the conviction flashed upon me that I was wrong, I tell you frankly31 my heart leaped with joy. You may ask why: I will tell you.”
“Mr Vining,” exclaimed Ella, “this must not be; you forget yourself, your position—you forget me when you talk so. Pray lead me back.”
“You speak as if my words pained you, Miss Bedford,” said Charley huskily. “Pray forgive me if they do. Nay, but a few minutes longer.”
He caught one hand in his, and as she glanced for an instant in his direction, the rising moon gleaming through the trees lit up his handsome earnest face, photographing it, as it were, upon her brain; for to her dying day she never forgot that look—that countenance32 so imploringly33 turned upon her.
“Miss Bedford—Ella,” he whispered, “I love you tenderly and devotedly34! This is no light declaration: till I saw you, woman never occupied my thoughts. You see by my brusque ways, my bluntness, that I have been no dallier in drawing-rooms, no holder35 of lady’s silk. Till now, my loves have been in the stables, kennels36, fields. Blunt language this—uncomplimentary perhaps; but I am no courtier. I speak as I feel, and I tell you that to win your love in return would be to make me a happy man.”
“Mr Vining,” exclaimed Ella, vainly trying to release her hand, “lead me back, pray!”
“Nay,” said Charley, with sadness in his tones, “I will not force you to listen to me;” and he released her hand. “I was hopeful that you would have listened to my suit.”
“Indeed—indeed,” said Ella, “I cannot, Mr Vining: it can never be. You forget—position—me!”
She could say no more—her words seemed to stifle37 her; and had she continued speaking, she felt that she would have burst into tears.
“I forget nothing,” said Charley, almost sternly. “How can I forget? How can I ever forget? But surely,” he said, once more catching38 her hand in his—“surely you cannot with that sweet gentle face be cruel, and love to torture one who has spoken simply the truth—laid bare to you his feelings! You believe what I say?”
“Yes, yes!” almost sobbed39 Ella. “But indeed—indeed it can never be. Do not think me either harsh or cruel, for I mean it not.”
“What am I to think then?” said Charley bitterly. “Is it that you reject me utterly40, or am I so poor a wooer that you would have me on my knees, protesting, swearing? No; I wrong you again: it is not that,” he exclaimed passionately41. “Look here, Ella”—he plucked one of the white roses, tearing his hand as he did so, the blood appearing in a long mark across the back—“emblematic,” he said, smiling sadly, “of my love. You see it has its smarts and pains. You refused me so slight a gift once, but take this; and though I am a man I can freely say that my love for you is as pure and spotless as that simple flower. You will not refuse that?”
He could see the tears in her eyes, and that her face was drawn42 as if with pain; but one trembling hand was extended to take the flower; then, before he could recover from his surprise, she had turned from him and fled; when, with almost a groan43, he threw himself upon the garden-seat, remaining motionless for a few moments, and then rising to hurry back to the marquee.
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1
annoyance
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| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
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demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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throbbed
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| 抽痛( throb的过去式和过去分词 )； （心脏、脉搏等）跳动 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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constraint
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| n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物 | |
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stringently
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| adv.严格地，严厉地 | |
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tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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8
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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10
Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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obtrusive
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| adj.显眼的；冒失的 | |
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obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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18
bray
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| n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫 | |
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alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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21
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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28
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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30
truthful
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| adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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32
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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imploringly
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| adv. 恳求地, 哀求地 | |
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34
devotedly
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| 专心地； 恩爱地； 忠实地； 一心一意地 | |
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holder
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| n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物 | |
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36
kennels
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| n.主人外出时的小动物寄养处，养狗场；狗窝( kennel的名词复数 )；养狗场 | |
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37
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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38
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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39
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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40
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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41
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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42
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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43
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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