CHAPTER XXIX
THE ARDENT LOVER
Between ten and eleven of the clock next morning, Molly's suitor--Icannot call him her lover--arrived at the house. At that hour most ofthe ladies are at morning prayers, and the gentlemen are either at thetavern taking their morning whet, or at the coffee house inconversation, or engaged in some of the sports to which most of themare so much addicted. Lord Fylingdale, although the streets at such anhour are mostly deserted, had to cross the market-place on his way tothe captain's house, in Hogman's Lane, and was, therefore, carried ina chair with the curtains drawn, so as to avoid recognition.
He was received by Captain Crowle in the parlour. For the occasion theold man had put on his Sunday suit, with white silk stockings; and hewore his sword, to which, as the former commander of a ship, he wasentitled.
"I am come, captain, to receive in person your answer to the messageconveyed to you yesterday by my ambassador. I hope that the messagewas delivered faithfully, and with due respect."
"I believe, my lord, with both."
"I assure you, Captain Crowle, that the respect I have conceived foryour character and loyalty is more than I can express in words. Thatyou have inspired, in the mind of your ward, similar virtues I do notdoubt, and this confidence, believe me, has much to do with the offerof my hand to that young lady."
"Your lordship does me the greatest honour. My answer is that I acceptin Molly's name, and joyfully."
"I am delighted. This should be," he added, coldly, "the happiest dayof my life."
"When we spread the news abroad, everybody in Lynn will feel that thegreatest honour has been done to the town as well as to this house."
"Sir, you overrate my position. Still ... however, we must keep thematter secret for a day or two yet. I engage you, captain, to profoundsecrecy."
"As long as you please, my lord. The sooner I may speak of it thebetter I shall like it, for I am bursting with joy and satisfaction."
"Patience, captain, for a day or two."
The captain became serious, even melancholy. "You will take her away,I suppose."
"I fear I must. A married man generally takes away his wife, does henot?"
"You will take her to your country house, and to London. Well, I amold--I am seventy-five already. I cannot expect ever to see her again.Her mother, however, is not so old by thirty years. Perhaps yourlordship will at some time or other--we would not remind you of yourlady's humble folk--allow her if she is within an easy journey to comehere to see her mother."
"Surely--surely, captain. Could I be so hard-hearted as to refuse? Hermother certainly--or yourself. But not her old friends. Not thefriends of her childhood such as that young sailor man--nor the girlsof the place."
"I care not for them, so that I may comfort her poor mother with thatpromise. As for myself, who am I that I should intrude upon her? Letme die happy in the knowledge that she is happy."
"She shall be as happy as the day is long, captain."
"I doubt it not. As for Jack Pentecrosse, an old playfellow, he islike me. He loves her as if she was his sister, but he desires nothingbut the knowledge of the girl's happiness."
"I accept your assurance, captain, that he will not endeavour to seekher or to visit her."
"He will not. My lord," the captain became very serious, "I canpromise you a well-conditioned, virtuous, modest, obedient, anddutiful wife. She will ask for nothing but a continuance of yourlordship's affection and consideration, in return for which she willbe your willing servant as well as your wife."
"Again, captain, I doubt it not. Else I should not be here."
"And when the day comes--when you pass the word, my lord--the bellsshall ring and the music shall play and all the town shall makeholiday, and we will have such a feast and merrymaking that all thecountry round shall ring with it. Lord, I am so happy!"
"But, captain, I have not yet received the consent of the lady."
"Be assured that you will have it. But the girl is shy and hesitates,being, to say the truth, dazzled by the rank to which she is to beraised. A young maid's modesty will perhaps hinder such freedom ofspeech as you would naturally desire."
"I hope, sir, that I am able to appreciate and value the virtue ofmodesty. All I ask of the young lady is her consent."
"Of that you may be assured beforehand."
"Then, captain, as this is an occasion of some awkwardness and onewhich it is well to get through as quickly as possible----" Did oneever hear of such a lover? "Well, to get through as quickly aspossible," his first interview with his mistress. "You will perhapsbring Miss Molly to me or take me to her."
Molly, meanwhile, was in her bedroom, in a strange agitation, hercolour coming and going; now pale, now blushing; for the first time inher life, trembling and inclined to swoon. Even for a girl who loves aman it is an event of the greatest importance, and one never to beforgotten, when she consents to make him happy. But when she is ingrievous doubt, torn by the consciousness that she does not love theman; that she is afraid of him; that she does not desire the change ofrank which he offers; and that she would far rather remain among herown people. In such a case, I say, her trouble is great indeed.However, to do honour to the occasion, she, like the captain, hadassumed her Sunday attire. Her frock, to be sure, was not so fine asthat in which she graced the assembly, but it was passable. To my mindshe looked more beautiful than in that splendid dress.
At her guardian's summons, she slowly descended the stairs. Thekitchen door was open; she looked in as she passed. Her mother,instead of being busy over her housewifery was sitting in her chair,her hands clasped, her eyes closed, her lips moving. She was prayingfor her daughter. Molly stepped in and kissed her. "Mother," she said,"pray that it may turn out well. I must accept him. Yet I doubt. Oh,pray for me!"
"Because," her mother murmured in reply, "the captain cannot help, andJack cannot help; and there is none other that helpeth us but onlyThou, O God!"
Then Molly turned the handle of the parlour door and entered.
"Miss Molly!" her gallant lover, splendid with his star and his fineclothes, took her hand, bowed low, and kissed her fingers.
"You would speak with me, my lord."
"Yesterday I sent a message to your guardian. I told him by mymessenger that I was entirely overcome by the beauty and the charmsand the virtues of his fair ward. And I offered, unworthy as I am, myhand and all that goes with it--my rank, and title, my possessions andmyself."
"The captain told me of the message."
"I have to-day received an answer from him. But although he is yourguardian I would not presume to consider that answer as final. I musthave your answer as well."
"My lord, I am but a humble and a homely person."
"Nay, but lovely as Venus herself."
"I know now, since all the company have come to Lynn, how homely andhumble I am in the eyes of gentlefolk."
"You will no longer be either homely or humble--when you are acountess."
"I fear that your friends among the great will make your lordshipashamed of your choice."
"My friends know me better than to suppose that I can be ashamed bytheir opinion. But, indeed, they have only to see you for that opinionto be changed. Once seen by the world and all will envy andcongratulate the happy possessor of so much beauty."
"Then, are you satisfied that you are truly in love with me?"
"Satisfied?" He took her hand again and kissed it. "How shall Isatisfy you on this point? By what assurance? By what lover's vows?"
She glanced upwards, having spoken so far with hanging head. Her eyesmet his. Alas! they were cold and hard. There was no softeninginfluence of love visible in those eyes; only resolution and purpose.His eyes were as cold as his forehead and as hard as his lips. PoorMolly! Poor countess!
"Is it not, my lord," she asked, "a mere passing fancy? You will betired of me in a month; you will regret that you did not choose ratheramong the fine ladies who speak your language and follow yourmanners."
She shivered. The prospect made her feel cold.
"Then, my lord," she said, "I have nothing more to say. I shall not dojustice to your rank, nor shall I bring to your house the dignitywhich you deserve. Such as I am, take me, if you will, or let me go,if you will."
"Can you doubt, Molly? I will take you." He hesitated; he took herhand again; he stooped and kissed her forehead. There was no passionin his kiss; no tenderness in his touch; no emotion in his voice. Suchas he was then such he would always be. And though the door wasclosed, Molly seemed to hear again the voice of her mother murmuring"but only Thou, O God!"
Her lover drew the captain's armchair and placed it at the open windowwhich looked out into the garden, then filled with flowers, fragrantand beautiful, and melodious with the humming of many bees.
"Sit down, Molly, and let us talk."
He did not sit down. He stood before her; he walked about the room; heplayed with the gold tassels of his sword.
"Molly, since we are to be married, we must be married at once."
"I am your lordship's servant."
"As soon as possible. Are you ready?"
"Ready? I suppose I could be ready in a month or six weeks."
"Why, what is there to do?"
"I have to get things--dresses, house linen, all kinds of things."
"My dear, you are not going to marry a cit. Everything that you wantyou can buy. There are plenty of shops. You want nothing but what youhave--your wardrobe, your fine things, and your common things, andyour jewels. You must not forget your jewels."
"I thought that brides were always provided with things for the house.But if your lordship has already the linen and the napery----"
"Good Lord! How should I know what I have? The thing is that you willneed nothing."
"Where will you take me?"
"I think, first of all, to my house in Gloucestershire. It is notfully furnished; the late possessor, my cousin, whom I succeeded, was,unfortunately, a gambler. He had to cut down his woods and to sellthem; he even had to sell his furniture and pictures. But I can soonput the house in order fit for your reception." It was he himself, andnot his predecessor, who had sold these things. "If it is not so fine,at first, as you would wish, we can soon make it worthy of you."
I have often wondered what he intended to do with his bride if thingshad gone differently. I am now certain that he intended to take her tothis great country house, which, as I have understood, stands in asecluded part of the country, with no near neighbours and no townwithin reach; and that he intended to leave her there, while hehimself went up to London to resume the old gaming and raking, whichhe desired so much, although they had been his ruin. Fate, however,prevented this design.
"If you desire my happiness, my lord----"
"What else is there in the whole world that I should desire?"
"You will take me to that country place and live there. I fear theworld of fashion and I have no wish to live in London. I have learnedfrom the Lady Anastasia how the great ladies pass their time."
"Everything shall be as you wish, Molly. Everything, believe me."
He then, by way of illustrating this assurance, proposed a thing whichhe himself wished.
"We must be married immediately, Molly, because I am called away, byaffairs of importance, to Gloucestershire. I ought to leave this placenot later than Saturday." The day was Thursday.
"Saturday? We must be married on Saturday?"
"Sooner than Saturday. To-morrow. That will give us time enough tomake what little preparations may be necessary."
"To-morrow? But we cannot be married so soon."
"Everything is prepared. I have the license. We can be marriedto-morrow."
"Oh!" It was all she could say.
"There is another thing. Your guardian would like to make a publicceremony of the wedding; he would hang the town with flags, and ringthe bells, and summon the band of the marrowbones and cleavers, whileall the world looked on."
"Yes. He is so proud of the marriage that he would like to celebrateit."
"And you, Molly?"
"I should like to be married with no one to look on, and no one toknow anything about it until it was over."
"Why--there, Molly--there, we are agreed. I was in great fear that youwould not think with me. My dear, if there is one thing which I abhor,it is the public ceremony and the private feasting and merriment withwhich a wedding is accompanied. We do not want the town to be allagog; we do not want to set all tongues wagging; nor do we want to bea show with a grand triumphal march and a feast to last three daysafterwards."
"Can we be private, then?"
"Certainly. I can arrange everything. Now, Molly, my plan is this. Wewill be married privately in St. Nicholas Church at six in themorning, before the company are out of their beds. No one will see us;after the marriage you will come back here; I will return with you,and we will then inform the captain and your mother of the joyfulnews. Believe me, when they come to think it over, they will rejoiceto be spared the trouble and the preparation for a wedding feast."
"But I cannot deceive the captain."
"There is no deception. He has agreed to the match. He knows that youhave agreed. There is one consideration, Molly, which makes a privatemarriage necessary. I could not consent to a public wedding or to awedding feast, because my rank forbids. It would be impossible for meto invite any person of my own position to such a feast, and it wouldbe impossible for me to sit down with those persons--worthy, no doubt,and honest--whom the captain would certainly wish to invite."
This was certainly reasonable, and certainly true. Rank must berespected, and a noble earl cannot sit down to feast with merchants,skippers, mates, parsons and the like.
"Then it shall be as your lordship pleases."
"Be at the church at six," he said. "I will provide everything and seethat everything is ready for you. Do not be recognised as you passalong the street. You can wear a domino with the pink silk cloak whichyou wore the other night at the assembly. Then I shall recognise you.No one else, Molly, need be considered. Are you sure that youunderstand?"
"Yes," she sighed. "I understand."
"Then, Molly," he bowed low, and, without offering to kiss her, thiswonderful lover left his mistress and was carried home in his chair.
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