Modern Flirtations: A Novel

by Catherine Sinclair

  CHAPTER XXIII.

  One of the best receipts for happiness in this world is, to make theutmost of small pleasures, and the very least of small vexations, whichwas the plan on which Marion invariably lived; and it often seemed asif all the duties of affection and friendship were written with asunbeam on her mind. She now resolved, with characteristic kindness andgood sense, that as her presence at St. John's Lodge could do no goodto her sister, it should at least do no harm; therefore she determinedif possible to obtain leave of absence for a few weeks from home, andto explain in writing to Agnes, her own opinion of Captain DeCrespigny's conduct, and the reasons on which it was grounded; beingconvinced that in all the important affairs of life, perfect franknessbetween friends is, however painful, an imperative duty, and that noone, on any occasion where he has to act or to feel, should be left inthe dark as to his own actual position.

  With a somewhat tremulous voice, and heightened color, Marion proceedednext morning into her brother's private sitting-room, where, surroundedby a perfect armory of rifles, double-barrelled guns and pistols, shefound him selecting his weapons for a pigeon-match to "come off" thatday, between himself and Captain De Crespigny, of whose arrival he wasin momentary expectation; and he seemed by no means inclined at firstto lend her much of his notice.

  "I came to mention, Patrick, that if you have no objection, it is mywish to spend a fortnight now, with uncle Arthur," said Marion. "Wehave met very seldom of late, and Henry De Lancey is going off soon tojoin the army. Did you hear that a commission in the same corps asCaptain De Crespigny, has been sent to him lately by his unknownfriends. The regiment is going soon, I am told, to Canada, but he is tojoin the depot for some months at Portsmouth."

  "Well! but what does all this matter to you! I shall not give myconsent if you ask me till midnight!" exclaimed Sir Patrick, peevishly;for he felt by no means disposed that his house should lose theattraction of Marion's resplendent beauty. "If Sir Arthur in hisdotage, chooses to make himself ridiculous about this anonymous youth,is that any reason why the whole family should go wild about him?Besides, Marion, you confessed long ago, that Mr. Granville visits atour uncle's; and I am determined that you shall learn to know your ownvalue better than to take him! What has he to offer you but thattrumpery little cottage, like a Tunbridge-ware work-box, a kitchengarden stocked with cabbages, or gooseberry bushes, and to live uponbrown bread and water. But I begin to suspect, Marion, that you are oneof the very few people in this world who like their own way; thereforeit is my duty to keep you here out of danger."

  "I wish to escape a danger, rather than to encounter one," repliedMarion, with an ingenuous blush. "You know, Patrick, that I considerAgnes almost engaged to Captain De Crespigny. It would be a very greatdisappointment to me, and I think to yourself, if, after all that haspassed, he become merely general in his attentions--showing nopreference to one of us more than for another. You always wish me to bein the room when he calls,--and--and----"

  "Oh! I understand!" exclaimed Sir Patrick, fixing his hawk's eyes onMarion, and trying to conceal a smile beneath a look of sterninterrogation. "Agnes is jealous!"

  "No! not in the very least! I trust she has no reason--that she nevercan have any. It seems like vanity in me to mention the subject even tomy own brother in confidence, but I will be perfectly honest. You know,Patrick, I saw no society at school. I am not at all aware what iscustomary; but your friend often says things to me that I am sure hewould not like Agnes to hear."

  "You are young and green in this old world, Marion, if you fancy thatAgnes is ever to catch such a will-o'-the-wisp as De Crespigny. _Ils'aime, et n'a point de rival._ He plays with hearts as if they wereshuttlecocks; and indeed some hearts are little better. It is an absurdaffair of vanity on both sides, and the sooner the thing goes off thebetter. I know you are a perfect coward in giving pain, and that Agnesconsiders herself sole proprietor of De Crespigny's attentions; but whomade her so? That bubble will burst ere long; and if he is inclined totry a little harmless flirtation with you, what occasion is there to gooff in a tangent about that, I should like to know! I must insist,Marion, on your doing all that is possible to make this dull,out-of-the-way house of mine, agreeable to my friends, for it isimpracticable to exist here without society, which is the best weaponto kill time with. I shall take it as a mark of your sisterly kindness,to receive De Crespigny as all other young ladies receive himeverywhere. If he only opened his mouth wide enough, I know at least adozen girls who would jump down his throat, and '_il faut jouer le jeu,selon les regles de la societe dans laquelle vous etes force devivre_.' My deepest resentment shall rest on either Agnes or you,Marion, if my most intimate companion be banished from our society,either by the one liking him too much, or the other too little."

  "But, Patrick! if you think Agnes lays too much stress on Captain DeCrespigny's very marked attentions, and lover-like language, why do younot warn her against becoming really attached to him?"

  "Pshaw! nonsense! She will come to her senses soon, if she has anysenses to come to. Agnes' hopes are all certainties; and she expects byshutting her own eyes, that everybody else shall become blind; but sheor any one might see with half an eye, that De Crespigny cares no morefor her than the poker does for the tongs. Agnes has been given toexpecting impossibilities from childhood, when she used to be angry ather wax doll for not answering her when spoken to. If she did notflatter herself so egregiously, the flattery of De Crespigny would doher no harm. His love affairs flame up and go out again like alucifer-match box."

  "Yet, Patrick," replied Marion, trying to steady her voice, and to lookexcessively firm, "I must make a point of going for one week to uncleArthur. If Agnes is to be disappointed, let me not have any part of theblame, either from her, or from myself."

  "My good Marion! what trash you talk! It puts my mustachios out of curlto hear you! Agnes is no more engaged to De Crespigny than I am to Mrs.Penfold! There is no necessity on that score for your becoming aporcupine, and setting up your quills at my friend. _Il n'a fait, queremplir son role de jeune homme._ Agnes thinks every partner at a ballwould gladly become a partner for life, and if any one of them were tomention the ring of Saturn, she would consider it a proposal; but herlovers all drop off like nine pins at last. Many a time she has seenthe 'decline and fall' of her empire already, and it will be the samething now in De Crespigny's case. 'Old birds are not caught withchaff.'"

  "You mean that the chaff is Captain De Crespigny, of course," repliedMarion, with reproachful gravity. "But the subject might have beenillustrated with a more graceful allusion to Agnes' lovers."

  "As for Agnes' lovers, no one can tell who they are; yet depend uponit, De Crespigny is not in the number. As usual, she is always flirtingwith the wrong man! Agnes has about as much chance of him as the man inthe moon!" continued Sir Patrick, with increasing vehemence. "She mightas well attempt to overtake last year! Open the door of yourunderstanding, Marion, and listen to me: De Crespigny will no morepropose to her than you will to the Archbishop of Canterbury! Anybodymay see he is merely amusing himself!"

  "Then he deserves to be hanged!" replied Marion, indignantly. "Surely,Patrick, you should not have allowed this to continue so long, and togo so far, under your own eyes, unless you really believed that CaptainDe Crespigny was as much attached to Agnes as she is certainly to him."

  "Or at least to his future title and estates! My dear friend, one wouldsuppose you had swallowed a whole circulating library this morning! Areyou a believer in broken hearts? My good Marion, they were explodedlong ago, like ghosts and witchcraft! Nobody now dies of love except onthe stage. You do not actually suppose Agnes will expire with thedisappointment! She knows better. Why, Marion, you must expect to gothrough half-a-dozen such affairs before you get safe into the harborof matrimony."

  "I hope not! My heart would not stand quite so much breakage," repliedMarion, coloring and laughing, while she added, in a lower tone,"besides which it is already in very safe keeping. I have given itaway, you know, Patri
ck, once for all."

  "Pshaw! Marion, none of your sentimental vagaries! Your attachment is,of course, to be a _chef d'oeuvre d'amour_; but nothing lasts for evernow. If there were no disappointments in such a love-in-a-cottageaffair as yours, what would become of poets and novel readers! Agnesunderstands the game of life better than you do. In her estimation, itis like a rubber at whist, where hearts are trumps, and the prize agood establishment in common with the first partner who offers. DeCrespigny knows all this, and cannot be expected to place any greatvalue on a second-hand heart, much the worse for wear. The intimacybetween them has chiefly arisen from our relationship, he being hercousin only once removed."

  "I wish he were removed altogether. Captain De Crespigny ought tosuffer all the bitterness of disappointment himself, when hisinsatiable vanity inflicts it so heartlessly on others."

  "Suppose you take that method of revenging Agnes," replied Sir Patrick,with a penetrating look. "He is the best catch going, and very civil toyou. De Crespigny's attentions are an honor to any one, and would bequite a feather in your cap."

  "So he seems to think; but I have no desire for such feathers. I makeit a rule," said Marion, archly, "never to refuse any gentleman till hehas proposed; but the honor of making him miserable for life never canbe mine, though he so well deserves it. I suppose, being a RomanCatholic, he has bought an indulgence for deceit, or I should rathersay falsehood."

  "What old-fashioned bread-and-butter ideas you have, Marion! Everybodyhas been ill-used by somebody, and nobody minds it now. Agnes willcontinue incurably heart-broken, til some new lover pays his devoirs,and then you will understand her better, Marion. _On garde long tempsson premier amant quand on n'en pas un second._"

  "I judge of her by myself; and if once so cruelly deceived as she is,Patrick, my heart could never venture on any second attachment--never!Once awakened from such a dream, I neither could nor would attempt todream it over again. My ideas of mutual attachment are not borrowedfrom novels or poems, because I never had time to read one at Mrs.Penfold's, but from conceiving what it might be to have a companion forlife, from whom no thought should be concealed, and all my happinessderived. Who could ever place such trust in Captain De Crespigny, if hehas really, as I may say, swindled Agnes out of her time, thoughts, andaffections, without intending amply to repay them with his own? I amrapidly disliking him, Patrick; and the longer we talk, the moreanxious I become for your leave to be out of his way entirely. Dependupon it, I shall be excessively rude to your friend the next time wemeet. So, pray, let me go to-morrow."

  Hearing a slight noise, Marion looked round, and she would have felt itrather a relief at the moment if the floor could have opened under herfeet, when, with a gasp of consternation, she beheld Captain DeCrespigny standing in an attitude of perplexity and irresolution nearthe door, evidently, for once in his life, feeling almost awkward, andvery nearly abashed, though a moment afterwards he regained his usualmatchless intrepidity of countenance and manner; when Sir Patrickadvanced, with extended hand, to welcome him, saying,

  "Ah! De Crespigny! is that you?"

  "The same and no other," replied he, bending his riding-whip till itnearly broke; but assuming an Irish accent to conceal his annoyance."The top of the morning to you both. How is every inch of you?"

  "Very tolerable, indeed! It always does me good to be astonished, andcertainly your apparition came rather unexpectedly. It made mymustachios perfectly stand upon end; and Marion will not require astroke of electricity for some time after this! She seems rapidlypetrifying into stone!"

  "Miss Marion Dunbar! if my presence be unwelcome, I wish it werepossible to dissolve away in the likeness of a sigh!" said he, with acomic smile. "Shall I invite myself to sit down, or will any one elsedo so?"

  "If you are so exceedingly ceremonious, perhaps Marion ought to reachyou a chair," replied Sir Patrick, while his face became perfectlycrimsoned with trying to suppress a burst of laughter, when he observedthe graceful timidity of Marion's manner, contrasted with the easyassurance of Captain De Crespigny's, who looked at her with undisguisedadmiration. "I had been inwardly betting with myself for the last halfhour that you would drop in exactly as you did. Here is an undeniablyfine day, so that ends all discussion of the weather, and now for ourpigeon-match."

  "Any match you please in this house. I have been sitting for the lastten minutes tuning your sister's guitar, and she sent me here for thestrings. How much her dog Darling has improved in the tone andexpression of his barking."

  "Agnes is perfectly dog mad since you gave her that pert ill-temperedlittle animal. As Lord Byron said, 'nobody need want a friend who canget a dog.' She wears a lock of his hair set in gold--has got a supplyof sheets and towels for him, marked with his name--helps him beforeany of us at dinner--teaches him to bark Toryism--and says dogs haveall the good qualities of mankind, with none of the evil. I wish thosewho preach sermons against cruelty to animals, would also say a littleagainst over-indulging them, especially in the case of lap-dogs."

  "It is an amiable weakness," observed Captain De Crespigny, in a tonethat sounded very like contempt. "I suppose your sister would scarcelybe outdone by Queen Henrietta Maria, who rushed through a shower ofbullets to save her favorite lap-dog. I envy the whole canine race.They have, like ourselves, fox-hunting and grouse-shooting foramusement; and moreover, they are such favorites with the ladies!Horses are slaves and drudges from youth to age, bearing a yoke fromwhich nothing can deliver them except death; but dogs generally meetwith some return for their attachment, and are always believed to besincere in what they profess. What do you say, Miss Marion Dunbar? HaveI not reason to envy your estimation of Darling?"

  Marion colored to the very temples, embarrassed by the consciousnessof all that Captain De Crespigny had evidently overheard, and aftersaying a few inaudible words, she would have hastened out of the room;but on looking round, Sir Patrick, who privately thought that on thepresent occasion there might be one too many, had strolled off to thedrawing-room, and as Captain De Crespigny continued speaking, she couldnot, without actual rudeness, withdraw. A blush is one of the mostbeautiful phenomena in nature, and so thought Captain De Crespigny,when he perceived Marion's color flitting like an aurora borealis,while for a moment she remained completely abashed, and then, with alook of apprehensive timidity, re-seated herself.

  "Excuse me, Miss Dunbar!" said he, in a tone of unwonted gravity andrespect, while his usual self-confident audacity seemed entirely tohave forsaken him. "I became inadvertently a listener to-day, when myname was mentioned by you in terms of which I must entreat anexplanation. You will think me perhaps rather too much of thefree-and-easy school, if I take this liberty; but the value I placeupon your good opinion and cousinly regard is such, that I shallneither eat nor sleep till you have enlightened me respecting theoffences for which I am to be thus condemned unheard."

  "Pray forget all that was said! I am unaccustomed to--to conceal mythoughts!" replied Marion, trying to look particularly firm; but seeingthat Captain De Crespigny still waited with an obvious resolution toobtain something more explicit, she felt herself urged on to say what,under ordinary circumstances, she would have sunk into the earth ratherthan utter; therefore assuming a certain haughty dignity of mannerquite unusual with her, she added, "If I did not almost consider you abrother, I should not remain in the room now; but I do most sincerelyregret that your name occurred in our conversation at all, andparticularly in a way for which I ought to apologise."

  "As for my name, Miss Dunbar!" replied Captain De Crespigny, in arallying tone, "make any use of it you please. Take it yourself, orgive it to your dog, and I shall feel honored; but pardon me for beingdesirous that you, more than any other person in the world, shouldunderstand how perfectly unfounded is the idea of my being engagedto--to any lady."

  "From all that has passed, Captain De Crespigny, and from what I havemyself heard you say, I could scarcely have believed it possible thatthere could be any mistake," replied Marion, indignantly. "I shallnev
er pardon myself for having betrayed such unfounded expectations;but let it be understood, that I spoke only my own thoughts, in whichno other person is implicated."

  "And the misapprehension was most natural--perhaps unavoidable, MissDunbar, considering how little you are yet accustomed to the_persiflage_ of every-day society," replied Captain De Crespigny,looking perfectly irresistible. "But allow me the privilege of acousin, to give you some little knowledge of the world as it is."

  "You have done that already," replied Marion, coldly; "and I mean to beas long as possible of learning more. It certainly does not improveupon acquaintance."

  "We have all much to complain of, undoubtedly! If the gossiping worldhere had its own way, I should be married to as rapid a succession ofyoung ladies as the Sultan in the Arabian Nights. Reports grow herelike hops. Old women round a tea table make up their budget of scandal,without giving due allowance to the altered customs of society, and myname is for ever going about the world like a cricket-ball. Everygentleman asks his partners to dance now, as nearly as possible in atone as if he were engaging a partner for life, and says all that wordscan express, without attaching any permanent meaning to it, provided hehas never asked that one conclusive question, which I have never yetventured to put, though most anxious soon to do so, if I had theslightest encouragement from one whom, above all others, Iadmire,--Madam, will you marry me?"

  Captain De Crespigny said these last words very much as if he meantthem now to be serious, and fixed his eyes--eyes accustomed to dowonders--on Marion, who felt the color rushing painfully into hercheek; but angry at herself for blushing, she turned away in silence,while he added more energetically than before,

  "I would not, for all the worlds upon earth, lose one iota of your goodopinion. That really is precious to me. Allow me, irritated as youevidently are, in some degree to justify myself respecting my cousinAgnes. Strike, but hear me. She knows the world, having already smiledon hundreds of admirers, and blushed for dozens; therefore I am but onein a crowd, who, like the kings in Macbeth, 'come like shadows and sodepart,' being scarcely missed in the rapid succession which follows;and, to use a vulgar proverb, 'there are some ladies with whom oneshoulder of mutton very soon drives down another.'"

  Captain Be Crespigny paused; and had Marion been less agitated, andless anxious to terminate the interview, she could have smiled at thisunusual fit of humility, which made him willing, for once, to supposethat his attentions could be insignificant; but seeing that she was nowabout to make a hasty exit from the room, he rapidly continued, with aslight relapse into his ordinary tone of conceit:

  "I am vain enough to think that I deserve to be preferred for somethingbetter than the mere accident of birth and fortune, with which the verymeanest of mankind may be endowed; but there are ladies--observe I namenobody--who, if they were informed that a gentleman waited in the nextroom ready to marry them, with double my income, rank, and property,would ask no other question, but put on a veil, get up a fit of bridalhysterics, and proceed to chapel. Such intimacies as mine with yoursister are like a tread-mill, always apparently getting on, but neveradvancing, while neither of us ever dream of going a step beyond it.Agnes is formed to be gazed at with wondering admiration--to makeconquests, but not to keep them. I would no more think of beingseriously in love with her, than with a piece of Dresden china in ashop window. She should be shut up in a glass case, to be admired andforgotten every day. It is not the mere symmetry of form or featuresthat could permanently interest me," continued Captain De Crespigny,looking a million of things; but Marion's eyes were fixed on the door,while her whole countenance was in a glow of indignant vexation, and hecontinued to speak with increasing ardor. "There is beauty in anicicle, and beauty in a sunbeam; but how different. Can you wonder--canyou blame me--that I see the disparity in mind as much as in appearancebetween yourself and your sister. She is like an amusing book,destitute of interest, to be taken up with pleasure, but laid asidewithout regret. She might beguile a weary hour; but you would preventthe possibility of any hour ever becoming so."

  "Captain De Crespigny, I know not what the _persiflage_ of societyentitles you to say, and it would be well for the happiness of othersif they understood your ideas upon that subject as well," repliedMarion, with restored firmness--and never had she looked so tall. "Youforget the confidence that subsists between sisters, and that I amaware you generally express very different feelings, which I must stillhope, for your credit, are the real truth, otherwise nothing you cansay shall ever convince me that Agnes is not extremely ill-treated. Ionly wonder very much that she cares for you at all. I have beenbetrayed into speaking on this subject--I shall regret having done soas long as I live--but I must be true to my sister now, in saying whatI think of your conduct, that it has been most heartless and mostunjustifiable. Let me request you never again to speak to me as youhave done to-day."

  "No! not till the next opportunity. You should be angry often, MissDunbar, for it becomes you, and is the only thing that can bring you tothe level of an ordinary mortal; therefore, let me detain you by theright of cousinship, if by no other, even against your wishes, onemoment longer to propose terms of peace. I am going next week to dopenance at Beaujolie Park with my very long-lived and not very muchrespected uncle, who insists on my escorting him to Harrowgate. He may,perhaps, be unreasonable enough to detain me two months, during whichit would have amused me beyond measure could I act the invisiblegentleman and observe your sister; but what I cannot do myself you mayand must. If Agnes does not flirt in a young-lady-like manner withevery man she meets, then I make you a very safe promise, that the restof my life shall be devoted to her, and nothing you ever read in aromance shall exceed my devotion and constancy; but you must be honest,and if the day after my P.P.C. cards are left, you perceive her quiteas happy to see Captain Digby, or Lord Wigton, or Sir Anybody Anything,as ever she was to see me, then I am to be honorably acquitted; and youwill consider me entitled," added Captain De Crespigny, with one of hismost expressive looks, "to seek for happiness where I could be sure offinding it, if only fortunate enough to be thought deserving; but,unless a preference be reciprocal, the expression of it is littlebelieved or valued."

  "Captain De Crespigny," replied Marion, looking a thousand ways toavoid meeting his eye, "whoever you may hereafter prefer, I can wish nogreater happiness to any one than I enjoy myself, being engaged to onein whom I can place the most perfect reliance. My brother has probablytold you already, what I am always proud to acknowledge, that your oldfriend Mr. Granville, is attached to me, and we await only Patrick'sconsent to our marriage, having fortunately obtained my uncle's."

  The color mounted in brilliant hues to Marion's cheek when she spoke,for it was evidently a strong effort to do so at all, and her eyes werefixed on the ground, or she would have been astonished and shocked atthe effect her words produced on Captain De Crespigny, who bit his liptill the blood nearly sprung out, while his face became for a momentpale as death; but, after fixing a long scrutinizing look on Marion'scountenance, to read its expressions, he said, in a voice so alteredfrom his usual tone of gay hilarity, that she could scarcely haverecognised it:

  "Dunbar will never consent. Impossible! He knows your value better. Itcannot be. A parson with nothing but his pulpit! I never dreamed ofsuch a thing--never. A life of Sunday schools and clothing societies inthat bauble of a cottage. Pshaw! No girl ever ends by marrying thefirst man she likes, and no more will you. I shall make you prefer mein a month."

  "Probably not, as I rather dislike you now," replied Marion,suppressing a smile.

  "That will wear off. It is best, as Mrs. Malaprop says, to begin with alittle aversion. You will at last like me beyond any one in the world."

  "Extremes meet sometimes; but I must explain myself once for all now,Captain De Crespigny, that no one may ever be led into a mistake. Mybrother wishes us to be responsible for making this house, as far as wecan, agreeable to his friends, but only as Patrick's friend can I evernow have pleasure in seeing you h
ere, as, in another respect, Iheartily disapprove of your conduct, and I will not appear for onemoment to participate in the sort of farce you would carry on here withmyself,--and with others. Let us be on terms of cousinly civility forthe future, and never on more."

  "Well, then, I am satisfied to be received on your terms," repliedCaptain De Crespigny, with an exceedingly dissatisfied look. "Let me bewelcomed on your brother's account, until I can make myself welcome onmy own. As for constancy in this world, it is all very right and verydesirable, but, as I hope one of your admirers may soon discover,

  "Rien n'est plus commun que le nom, Rien n'est plus rare que la chose."