CHAPTER V.
"And bright The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men; A thousand hearts beat happily; and when Music arose with its voluptuous swell, Soft eyes looked love to eyes that spoke again, And all went merry as a marriage-bell."--_Childe Harold._
"Deep lay the snow on the ground below, And leaden was the air; The icicles white hung glittering bright From the pine-tree's branches bare."--_Ballad._
Weeks passed by. Still the prospect of Ellen's becoming acquainted withLord Wentworth seemed distant as ever. Occasionally she saw him inchurch; occasionally either he or his brothers would rein up theircarriage at Seaview, and take her brother a drive; but still no advancetowards friendship was made. She began to grow hopeless, and to fancyher bright dreams were like the mirage of the desert, only feeding vaindesires, and leaving her thirsty as before.
Ellen and her father received an invitation to a grand ball, which thethen Duke of Buccleuch was to give in honour of the election, which hisson was disputing with Mr. Rushington, a dangerously popular Whig, a manof considerable fortune and address. The Duke and Lord Wentworth beingboth firm Tories had little doubt that between them they would carry theday in favour of the Earl of Dalkeith, and the time was busily spent incanvassing. The better to insure his son's interests, the Duke resolvedon giving a grand Election Ball; and it was whispered that many a vote,conscientiously denied, would lay at his feet if an invitation to thisball was duly forwarded. Of course all the family at the Towers, as wellas the Marquis, were amongst the invited. Captain de Vere, oneafternoon, brought his brother the happy news that Ellen Ravensworth wasto be there; he did not then know that Lord Wentworth had himself askedfor, and sent the invitation to them.
On the day of the ball great preparations were made at Dalkeith, inorder that it might prove the most decided success. The palace was to bebrightly illuminated, and the trees hung with variegated lamps. At theTowers, however, there was no unusual excitement; such things satlightly on people accustomed to the brilliancy of the Prince Regent'sCourt, and the day was spent in battue shooting, which proved, however,a failure, owing to the excessively cold north-east wind.
Very differently did Ellen Ravensworth spend the day; to her it was oneof the greatest events of life, and she could think and talk of nothingelse but the ball. She knew, too, that all the De Veres were to bethere, at least she had heard so, and she could not help a secretfeeling of joy that L'Estrange had joined his regiment, or rather hadbeen ordered to take a troop of the 7th Hussars from Edinburgh to thePreston Barracks near Brighton, then one of the most fashionableresorts, owing to the Pavilion the Prince Regent had built there. Shefelt now free as air, and if--if Lord Wentworth did dance with her, howhappy she would feel! She could settle to nothing all that day; andthere was one thing which caused her no little uneasiness; this was theremissness of Madame Delany, who had not yet sent the ball-dress, thoughit had been promised on the previous evening. Three times did theanxious girl send to Edinburgh, three times did Madame send the sameprovoking answer: "It would be sent in abundance of time."
The day wore through; it was a dark, gloomy day, with scud fleetingacross the sky; but towards evening it cleared off cold and frosty. Sixo'clock, the dinner-hour, struck; but nothing could Ellen eat. Her dresshad not yet arrived!
"Oh, how provoking this is, papa!" exclaimed the disappointed girl. "MayI not send _once_ more?"
"No, love, you had better not; it will only annoy Madame, and you willget it none the sooner."
Ellen knew this was only reasonable, and tried to be as patient as shecould under these trying circumstances; but when seven o'clock came, andstill no appearance of her dress, her case was truly piteous. Johnnyvolunteered to drive to town and bring it back with him, if his sisterwould get everything else ready; and with a heavy heart Ellen wentupstairs to dress. At last Johnny returned, and Ellen rushed to meethim--but no! Madame had sent it an hour ago--it should have arrived bythis time.
"This is maddening!" cried the frantic beauty; "it is, it is; where canit be? They must have taken it to a wrong house!" And no longer able tocontrol herself, she burst into a paroxysm of grief, and cried as if herheart would break. Her father tried every expedient to quiet her; hetold her she would spoil her looks if she cried in this silly manner,and proposed she should put on her last ball-dress, which was verypretty; but it was in vain, Ellen had set her heart on appearing in herown beautiful choice; and, sooner than put on another, she would stay athome! Just then a bell rang. "My dress!" But no,--it was the carriage totake them to Dalkeith, and she not ready! Surely the stars foughtagainst her. However, all grief must have its end, and at last Ellen'shad too. A little after nine the missing robe arrived,--the messengerhad only been detained at another house, that was all. How Ellen hatedthose people! She ran upstairs now as joyful as she had been miserablefive minutes before. A long time was spent ere she was fitted to hertaste; at last she appeared arrayed in all her magnificence, and morethan an hour later than they had intended they set off for Dalkeith.
But Ellen's misfortunes were not yet ended. Before they had proceeded amile on their road the carriage suddenly came to a dead halt.
"What is wrong now?" said Mr. Ravensworth, in his turn beginning to fearthey were doomed to mishaps.
"Nothing, sir, nothing, only a trace broken. I will ride one of thehorses to the village in ten minutes and get another, sir."
Twenty minutes, however, elapsed ere the coachman again made hisappearance; during which time, left on the road in the most forlorncondition, they were exposed to the taunts of every coachman and flunkywho passed in their gay turn-outs to the ball, and called out, "Shall wetell the Duke you are coming?" and the like. After all their troubles,they were, however, safely landed at the Palace, arriving there exactlyas the church clock struck eleven.
Ellen's only consolation was that they were at any rate fashionablylate. How she wondered if the Wentworths had been there long! Afterbeing duly presented to the Duke and Duchess, who stood at the door inno very enviable position bowing, or saying a word to each guest as heor she passed, Mr. Ravensworth and his daughter began to make a tour ofthe splendid suite of apartments, brilliantly lighted up for theoccasion. Endless dancers, in glittering array, passed and repassedthem. All were smiling, all seemed happy,--all seemed to have friendsbut them; they knew nobody,--nobody seemed to know, or care about them.Had it not been for Ellen's great beauty, which attracted the attentionand admiration of all the officers present, they would have beenunnoticed too. Ellen cared only for one face, and whilst she saw it notshe was miserable. It was not till she and her father had thrice madethe round of the suite that Ellen began to feel persuaded _he_ was notthere. She refused every offer to dance, and they were by no means few,with a cold smile; and many a gay young spark who was introduced to her,and anxiously sought the pleasure of dancing the next set, went away sadand downcast when the disdainful Beauty refused him. At last she met alady acquaintance, and seated herself by her friend, whilst Mr.Ravensworth went in quest of a partner; he by no means intending tofollow Ellen's example. Lost in a dreamy reverie, even while she talkedher mind followed not her words, till a name was announced that made hergive such a start, her friend asked her if she felt quite well.
After dinner at the Towers Lord Wentworth and Frank adjourned to thebilliard-room till it was time to dress. Lord Arranmore and the Captainhad dined at Piershill, where several troops of the 7th were quartered,and were to start from thence. Ten had struck some time ere the game wasfinished, and then Lord Wentworth said--
"We had better go and dress now, I suppose; remember Ellen Ravensworthis to be there. I wonder if she went at _nine_."
"No doubt of it," said Frank; and with these words they left for theirseveral rooms. It was eleven ere they again appeared, Frank in fulluniform, and the Earl simply in evening dress, with the broad blueribbon of the Garter across his breast.
"What! neither of the girls down y
et?" said Frank; "one would havethought they had had time to dress."
At that moment the sisters appeared: Lady Edith in black moire antiquetrimmed with Venice point lace,--a scarf of the same expensive fabricwas thrown over her shoulders with charming neglige; excepting herearrings and bracelets, which were of rubies, she wore no ornament, buta diamond star of five points on her brow. Florence was arrayed inBrussels lace over white glace silk; a string of the finest pearls wastwisted through her golden hair; she wore pendants of emerald, andbracelets of the same precious gem clasped her snowy arms.
"Ah, you both look very nice; let me help you on with your operacloaks," said Lord Wentworth. It was the announcement of "The LadiesEdith and Florence de Vere, the Honourable Francis de Vere," that madeEllen start so.
"Then he is not coming," thought she, "and my hopes are vain."
"Who are those lovely creatures?" said her friend.
"Lord Wentworth's sisters," mechanically answered Ellen, as the Earl,who had stayed a minute behind to give directions about the carriage,was announced.
"There is Wentworth's flame," whispered Lady Florence to Edith; "howflushed she looks; but she is really very pretty."
After saying a few words to his hosts, Lord Wentworth hastened after hisparty, only casting one glance at Ellen as he passed, and again herhopes fell, and she sighed deeply. The admired of all admirers, the twoyoung men, each with one of his sisters on his arm, passed down therooms, smiling, or bowing, or speaking to every one. Frank was soonrelieved of Florence's company, who was whirled off in the new dance,the then novel waltz, by Sir Richard Musgrave, a lieutenant in theCaptain's troop. Lord Wentworth's charge was less easy to dispose of;and, like Ellen, she saddened many a heart, till Lord Dalkeithsucceeded in obtaining her hand for a quadrille. Just then the Earlcaught a glimpse of Mr. Ravensworth hurrying past, and immediatelyfollowed him.
"Where are you racing to, Mr. Ravensworth?"
"Oh! I beg your pardon for not seeing you, my Lord, but I am just now inpursuit of my daughter, who seems lost in this gay throng."
"I can, then, be of the greatest assistance, and will guide you to themissing beauty. Here, this way,--gently! Ah! there she is like ablooming Eastern bride! And now, Mr. Ravensworth, as I have guided youso well, will you reward me by an introduction to your fair daughter?"
"With the greatest pleasure; but you honour her too much,--'The Earl ofWentworth--my daughter, Miss Ravensworth.'"
Ellen felt almost too happy to speak. Here actually stood the Earlbefore her! he had pushed a point to know her,--she felt proud of herpower.
"Well, Miss Ravensworth, we at length know each other. Your brotherJohnny is such a favourite with us all, and he has spoken so much ofyou, that I feel as if I was speaking to an old friend."
"Oh, you are too good to say so, my Lord," was all that Ellen couldanswer, her heart quite fluttering all the while.
Lord Wentworth, perceiving her hesitation, with the ease of a man of theworld, soon put her at her ease too. A few minutes afterwards he led herforth as his partner in the next waltz. Those few minutes, with heridol's arm round her waist, and his head leaning over her shoulder, asthey whirled through the elegant mazes of the dance, were a heaven uponearth to poor Ellen:--
"Merrily, merrily, cheerily, cheerily, merrily goes the ball,"
and our heroine was in turn introduced to all the members of the De Verefamily, and what was more, was taken down to supper by the Earl, to theundisguised wrath and mortification of anxious mothers and jealousdaughters, who "really could not see what there was to admire so verymuch in her." Whilst all went merry indoors, a very different scene wastaking place out,--a hurricane of wind bent the trees, and blew out thefestive lights, and like arrows on the blast came the white snowflakes,beating on the steps and covering over the carpets, which were no soonerlaid down than they were whitened. Such was the scene as Lord Wentworthhanded Ellen to her carriage, and this made a capital excuse for hisoffering his magnificent sable cloak, fastened with glittering diamonds,to protect the fair child of beauty's neck and shoulders from the windand snow; and for insisting on her accepting it as a defence from thecold on her way home. He would take no refusal; so, after seeing hersafely ensconced in her carriage, with his mantle wrapped round her, hemore than pressed her hand, shook hands warmly with her father, and lefther in an ecstacy of delight. Returning to the Palace, he collected hisparty as soon as he could. Florence had danced with every one; Edithwith no one, excepting the Duke, Lord Dalkeith, a Russian Grand Duke,and of course her fiance, Arranmore, who, leaving Frank to drive homewith the Captain, took his place by Edith in the Earl's carriage. Theythen all went home, pleased and delighted with the evening,--the Earlperhaps more than any one. On the following morning they found more thantwo feet of snow had fallen during the night, the sky had cleared, and asharp frost crisped the surface.
"How did you like the ball, John?" said Lady Florence, entering thebreakfast room, rubbing her hands with the cold.
"I thought it a d--d humbug; I know I liked our supper at the barracksten times better--you didn't hear me come home this morning did you,Floss, at seven o'clock, by Musgrave's sledge?"
"No, but you must be tired then."
"Not a whit--Musgrave's affair is the most confoundedly clumsycontrivance I ever saw though: I promised to show him Wentworth'sRussian sledge some day. Ha! ha! old fellow," continued the Captain asLord Wentworth entered, "you went and did it, by Jove, though."
"I, how? what do you mean?"
"What do I mean? oh, I like that--why, Wentworth, you have turned thatpoor girl's head, I'll stake high; all our fellows were talking of it."
"I did nothing, merely danced with a pretty girl--flirted perhaps alittle, no more."
"And never took her down to supper? nor spread your cloak over her fairshoulders? nor pressed her to take it home?"
"Bets are ten to one she dies a countess," said Frank, who had meanwhileentered.
"Oh! Frank, what stuff you talk!"
"Well, Floss," said John, "how many fellows did you dance with?"
"I am sure I don't know--how you do tease."
"No wonder! Egad! I believe you danced with every one," said hertormentor.
"I have ordered the two sledges," said the Earl, glad to change theconversation.
"Oh! hurrah! are you coming with me, girls?"
"No, thank you, John! we have more respect for our lives."
"You will, Arranmore; I told Wilton," (the master of the horse,) "to putin the two unbroken Irish beggars in my one--tandem fashion."
"No, Arthur, don't go," said Edith.
"Pshaw! don't frighten him, Edith. I shall think you are a coward if youwon't come."
"No fear for that, I'll go," answered the Marquis.
"You will come with me, girls?"
"Yes, we are not afraid of you, Wentworth."
Accordingly after breakfast the sleighs were brought round to the door,and all clad in furs ready to face the cold. First the Captain had toget off, and though he was a first-rate whip it was no easy matter, andtwice he was nearly over ere he could get the ponies under control. Atlast he was off at a dashing rate, and had apparently lost all controlof his horses long before he was out of sight. In a more dignifiedmanner the Earl and Frank drove off with Lady Edith and Florence inside,wrapped in the costliest furs. Following the traces of the Captain'ssledge they soon came to a spot where it was evident a disaster hadoccurred--a broken trace--wild plunges in the snow--and a shatteredfir-tree, the cause of the mishap. The tracks, however, afterwards wenton more regularly, which showed no one had been hurt.
"I had better call for my cloak, Frank," said the Earl, as he nearedEllen's house; "but," continued he, pointing to two figures on the snow,"I should know that girl."
"Miss Ravensworth, and young Nimrod,--love has lynx eyes," repliedFrank. In a few moments the sleigh caught them up.
"Hallo there! where are you running to? that's one way of treating yourfriends, Miss Ravensworth," said Lo
rd Wentworth, as he stopped thesleigh.
"I was hastening to fetch your cloak, my Lord: it was such a comfort tome last night," she replied, as she shook hands with the Earl, who hadleaped down and proposed giving them a drive.
"I am sure my sisters will be delighted, won't you Edie? here is MissRavensworth coming for a drive with us--Frank, you may drivenow--Johnny, you get up on the box, and your sister and I will getinside."
"How do you do?" said Lady Edith and Florence as Ellen and the Earlentered; "how glad we are we met you!"
"How kind of you to say so, Lady Edith."
"Well, how did you like the ball?" said the Earl, as the sleigh glidedoff.
"Oh! so much. I felt a little dull till you came."
"Till _I_ came; what had I to do with it?"
Ellen saw her blunder, and blushed crimson as she perceived her friendsall smile.
"I hope you found my brother's cloak acceptable?" said Lady Edith,perceiving her embarrassment, and changing the conversation.
"Oh, so warm, I don't know what I should have done without it."
"I shall now have a double value for it, Miss Ravensworth, since youhave worn it."
"Oh, don't say so," exclaimed Ellen.
"Well, I hope we may have the pleasure of seeing you at the Towers someday. Do you know, Miss Ravensworth, I dreamed about you last night!"
"What nonsense you do talk, Wentworth," said Lady Florence.
"No nonsense; it is true."
"What did you dream, Lord Wentworth?" said Ellen, regaining her courage."Oh, do tell me."
"No, you would be so angry."
"Oh, I wouldn't, do tell me."
"Very well, you have promised. I dreamed then--but mercy on us, whereare we going to?"
This exclamation was caused by a sudden swerve, and then as sudden adescent of the sleigh downwards at an angle of 45 deg.. Frank had driven onsteadily enough till he came to the Queen's Drive,[C] a fine roadsurrounding Arthur's Seat. Just as the sleigh was gliding along abovethe Loch of Duddingston, feeling cold, he had given the reins to Johnnyfor a moment, while he lighted a cigar and took a pull at the brandyflask; but no sooner did the spirited horses perceive another, andweaker, hand guided them, than they left the road, and swinging roundplunged down the steep decline towards the Loch.
"God save us!" cried Frank as he seized the reins from the terrifiedboy, "where _are_ you going?" He then by a masterpiece of drivingmanaged to guide the impetuous horses down without overthrowing thesleigh, and adroitly brought them round just as they seemed to be aboutplunging into the thinly frozen-over lake; he then brought them up witha sharp turn, and as he viewed their tracks down the hill now thatdanger was over, burst into a fit of laughter as his brother put out hishead from the inside, and sternly demanded from Frank the meaning ofsuch an ill-timed practical joke. As soon as Frank could speak, he toldthe whole occurrence, which in its turn made the occupants of the insidelaugh too, though the ladies but a few minutes before were screaming interror; at least two of them, for Lady Edith was as self-possessed asany of her brothers. Frank promised not to trust Johnny again, and theythen proceeded homewards, dropping Ellen and her brother at their home,and getting in return the far-famed cloak. They found the Captain andArranmore already at the Towers, and the former told in great glee howthey had twice come to grief--nearly overturned the mail coach, andquite overthrown a cart full of apples.
The winter now set in with greater severity than ever, and the mercuryonce or twice sank below 0 deg.. Duddingston was of course frozen stronglyover, and presented a gay appearance with all the skaters, and thenumbers of fair Scotch ladies that graced the scene with their presence.The Earl's sleigh often honoured the ice, and once he and his sisterscalled for Ellen and Johnny, and on that occasion Ellen had beenchaperoned by her admirer over the Loch. On her return home she found aninvitation, including all of them, even to Maude, asking the pleasure oftheir company at dinner on Christmas day, and concluding by saying thata sleigh would be sent for them in plenty of time, as the snow now laytoo deep in the country to render any other mode of conveyance safe. Onthat--to Ellen--eventful day the sleigh drew up before Seaview abouthalf-past six o'clock; the cold was intense, but abundance of furs hadbeen provided, including the Earl's own cloak for Ellen's especial use.
"So here you are, Miss Ravensworth. Welcome to the Towers," said theEarl, as in true olden fashion he handed the fair lady out of thesleigh. "How are you, Ravensworth? how are you, Johnny? and Maude, thisis the first time I have seen you, I hope it will not be the last."
He then ushered them to the drawing-room, where as warm a welcomeawaited them from the ladies. It was quite a family party, and the onlystrangers besides themselves were Mr. Lennox and Sir Richard Musgrave;Lord Arranmore was counted as one of the family. They thus sat downtwelve to a real Christmas dinner, and never did a happier or merrierparty meet together. Mr. Lennox was in high feather at his good fortune,and most assiduous in his attention to the Ladies de Vere, perhaps asmuch as the Earl was to Ellen, whom he had taken down to dinner. Afterthe ladies and Johnny left, the gentlemen drew nearer the fire andbegan to make themselves comfortable. Mr. Lennox introduced the subjectof the new clergyman at St. John's, which was in the Earl's gift, andasked if it was his lordship's intention to give the incumbency to Mr.Power, then doing duty.
"I am sure I do not care, Mr. Lennox; whatever is pleasing to you andthe Vestry is the same to me: let Power have it if you like."
"I am d--d if I'd give it to Power," said the Captain.
"Why not, Captain de Vere?" said Mr. Lennox, much aghast at hisconversation.
"Why not? because he is such a tedious fool."
"When did you ever hear him preach?" said Frank.
"I never knew you troubled his church."
"I never yet met him but what he tried to force one of his d--d sermonson me, whether a fellow wanted it or no; I cut his gab short, I know."
"Well, Captain, you are sincere certainly! but, asking your pardon, Ishould say Mr. Power's sermons would do you good perhaps."
"You are right, Lennox, I _am_ sincere; I thank God, whatever I am, I amnot a hypocrite."
"I am glad you thank God for anything," replied Lord Arranmore.
"If I had thought I wouldn't have then," retorted the godless young man.
"Well, well, don't quarrel," said the Earl; "let Power have the living,and let the matter end."
"He'll do a power of harm," said the Captain, levelling a last shot atthe head of the clergyman, to whom, in common with his kind, he had agreat antipathy, and regarded as his natural enemy.
"Apropos of changing the subject, how do you like the idea of ourregiment going to Brighton?" said Sir Richard.
"Famously," answered the Captain, "we shall have a rare lark with theRegent. Do you remember the last time he supped with us, Musgrave?"
"I should think I did just: what a spree we had that night!"
"What was it?" said Frank; "out with it, John--now you are in for astory."
The Captain then told how the Prince and one of his royal brothers,Musgrave and he, had gone out for a spree in London, knocked down theCharlies, and going into a tavern, how the Prince had got up a row, andwhen they were all milling, unbuttoned his coat and shown them his Starand Garter. His narrative was intermingled with dreadful oaths, andduring the recital he and Musgrave, as well as Arranmore, who was also ahard drinker, had plied themselves with a heavy quantity of liquor inLennox's opinion, but a quantity that the Captain only regarded as amilksop's allowance. By-and-by, as they imbibed more wine, the mirthgrew faster and more furious, and queer stories were told, till theEarl, seeing the scene was distasteful both to Lennox and Ravensworth,ended it by a proposition to join the ladies, much to the Captain'shorror, who, as he tossed off a glass of raw brandy, wondered "why thedeuce his brother was in such a jolly hurry that night."
After a pleasant evening, in which Ellen astonished Lady Edith, herselfa fine musician, by her proficiency as a pianiste, the sledge was
announced and the happy party broke up. As the Earl handed Ellen downstairs, he expressed a hope she would often find her way to the Towers;and as he pressed her hand, he slipped a small packet into herclasp,--tightly she held it all the way home, nor dared to open itbefore her father, and Mr. Lennox, who took advantage of their sleigh.On their way back the family were canvassed pretty freely by Mr. Lennoxand her father, who were both grieved at the irreligious tone of thehouse, and both gave as their opinion that Captain de Vere was the mostgodless young man they had ever met with. Little better could be said ofLord Arranmore and Sir R. Musgrave; the Earl and Frank seemed the best,and the latter was certainly suffering from the evil example before him.Nothing could be said against the ladies. However, with all theirfaults, neither of the gentlemen felt otherwise than proud of knowingthem. Johnny was rather delighted than otherwise, and seemed to think itwas a grand thing to drink, smoke, and swear like the Captain. Ellensaid nothing, but in her heart she pitied them, and was even willing togloss over all the Captain's faults out of her love to his brother. Whenthey reached home, she rushed to her room and opened the little packet,which revealed a ring formed of a whole hoop of emeralds, and insidewere engraved two words--"Hope on!"
"I will, I will!" cried the happy girl; and that night she dreamed shewas the bride of Lord Wentworth!
The Weird of the Wentworths: A Tale of George IV's Time, Vol. 1 Page 5