to shatter it, but by only one substance can it be
impressed. And in this instance Aram had but one
secret and strong cause to prevent his yielding to
Madeline’s wishes;—if he remained
at the house this night, how could he well avoid a
similar compliance the next? And on the next
was his interview with Houseman. This reason
was not, however, strong enough to enable him to resist
Madeline’s soft entreaties; he trusted to the
time to furnish him with excuses, and when Lester
returned, Madeline with a triumphant air informed
him that Aram had consented to be their guest for the
night.”
“Your influence is indeed greater than mine,”
said Lester, wringing his hat as the delicate fingers
of Ellinor loosened his cloak; “yet one can
scarcely think our friend sacrifices much in concession,
after proving the weather without. I should pity
our poor patrole most exceedingly, if I were not thoroughly
assured that within two hours every one of them will
have quietly slunk home; and even Peter himself, when
he has exhausted his bottle, will be the first to
set the example. However, I have stationed two
of the men near our house, and the rest at equal distances
along the village.”
“Do you really think they will go home, Sir?”
said Ellinor, in a little alarm; “why they would
be worse than I thought them, if they were driven
to bed by the rain. I knew they could not stand
a pistol, but a shower, however hard, I did imagine
would scarcely quench their valour.”
“Never mind, girl,” said Lester, gaily
chucking her under the chin, “we are quite strong
enough now to resist them. You see Madeline has
grown as brave as a lioness—Come, girls,
come, let’s have supper, and stir up the fire.
And, Nell, where are my slippers?”
And thus on the little family scene, the cheerful
wood fire flickering against the polished wainscot;
the supper table arranged, the Squire drawing his
oak chair towards it, Ellinor mixing his negus; and
Aram and Madeline, though three times summoned to
the table, and having three times answered to the
summons, still lingering apart by the hearth—let
us drop the curtain.
We have only, ere we close our chapter, to observe,
that when Lester conducted Aram to his chamber he
placed in his hands an order payable at the county
town, for three hundred pounds. “The rest,”
he said in a whisper, “is below, where I mentioned;
and there in my secret drawer it had better rest till
the morning.”
The good Squire then, putting his finger to his lip,
hurried away, to avoid the thanks, which, indeed,
however he might feel them, Aram was no dexterous
adept in expressing.
The sisters alone.—The
gossip of love.—An alarm
—and an event.
Juliet.—My
true love is grown to such excess,
I cannot sum up half my sum of
wealth.
—Romeo
and Juliet.
