Colin smiled and said, “Isabel does not easily
accept an answer she dislikes.”
“But remember, both of you,” continued
Lord Keith, “that happen what may, this poor
child is not to be in her charge. I’ve
seen enough of her children left alone in perambulators
in the sun. You will be in Edinburgh?”
he added, turning to Rachel.
“Yes, when Alick’s leave ends.”
“I shall return thither when this matter is
over, I know I shall be better at home in Scotland,
and if I winter in Edinburgh, may be we could make
some arrangement for his being still under your eye.”
Rachel went home more elevated than she had been for
months past.
AT LAST.
“I bid thee hail, not as in former
days,
Not as my chosen only, but my bride,
My very bride, coming to make my house
A glorious temple.” A. H. Hallam.
“Timber
End,
Littleworthy,
September
10th.
“Dear Miss Williams,—I must begin
by entreating your forgiveness for addressing you
in a manner for which perhaps you may be unprepared;
but I trust you have always been aware, that any objections
that I may have offered to my brother Colin’s
attachment to yourself have never been personal, or
owing to anything but an unfortunate complication
of circumstances. These difficulties are, as
no doubt he will explain to you, in great measure
removed by the present condition of my family, which
will enable me to make such settlements as I could
wish in the ease of one so nearly connected with me;
so that I am enabled to entreat of you at length to
reward the persevering constancy so well deserved.
I have a further, and a personal cause for wishing
that the event should not be deferred, as regard for
my feelings might have led you to propose. You
are aware of the present state of my health, and that
it has become expedient to make immediate arrangements
for the future guardianship of my little boy.
His uncles are of course his natural guardians, and
I have unbounded confidence in both; but Alexander
Keith’s profession renders it probable that
he may not always be at hand, and I am therefore desirous
of being able to nominate yourself, together with
my brother, among the personal guardians. Indeed,
I understand from Alexander Keith, that such was the
express wish of his sister. I mention this as
an additional motive to induce you to consent.
For my own part, even without so stringent a cause,
all that I have ever seen or known of yourself would
inspire me with the desire that you should take a
mother’s place towards my son. But you
must be aware that such an appointment could only
be made when you are already one of the family, and
this it is that leads me to entreat you to overlook
any appearance of precipitancy on my brother’s
part, and return a favourable reply to the request,
which with my complete sanction, he is about to address
to you.
