by Fanny Burney
CHAPTER LXXXVI
Elinor, for a considerable time, remained in the same posture,ruminating, in silent abstraction; yet giving, from time to time,emphatic, though involuntary utterance, to short and incoherentsentences. 'A spirit immortal!--' 'Resurrection of the Dead!--' 'A lifeto come!--' 'Oh Albert! is there, then, a region where I may hope to seethee again!'
Suddenly, at length, seeming to recollect herself, 'Pardon,' she cried,'Albert, my strangeness,--queerness,--oddity,--what will you call it? Iam not the less,--O no! O no! penetrated by your impressivereasoning--Albert!--'
She lifted up her head, and, looking around, exclaimed, with an air ofconsternation, 'Is he gone?'
She arose, and with more firmness, said, 'He is right! I meant not,--andI ought not to see him any more;--though dearer to my eyes is his sight,than life or light!--'
Looking, then, earnestly forwards, as if seeking him, 'Farewell, OhAlbert!' she cried: 'We now, indeed, are parted for ever! To see theeagain, would sink me into the lowest abyss of contempt,--and I would farrather bear thy hatred!--Yet hatred?--from that soul of humanity!--whatviolence must be put upon its nature! And how cruel to reverse suchineffable philanthropy!--No!--hate me not, my Albert!--It shall be myown care that thou shalt not despise me!'
Slowly she then walked away, followed silently by Juliet, who durst notaddress her. Anxiously she looked around, till, at some distance, shedescried a horseman. It was Harleigh. She stopped, deeply moved, andseemed inwardly to bless him. But, when he was no longer in sight, sheno longer restrained her anguish, and, casting herself upon the turf,groaned rather than wept, exclaiming, 'Must I live--yet behold thee nomore!--Will neither sorrow, nor despair, nor even madness kill me?--Mustnature, in her decrepitude, alone bring death to Elinor?'
Rising, then, and vainly trying again to descry the horse, 'All, all isgone!' she cried, 'and I dare not even die!--All, all is gone, from thelost, unhappy Elinor, but life and misery!'
Turning, then, with quickness to Juliet, while pride and shame dried hereyes, 'Ellis,' she said, 'let him not know I murmur!--Let not his lasthearing of Elinor be disgrace! Tell him, on the contrary, that hisfriendship shall not be thrown away; nor his arguments be forgotten, orunavailing: no! I will weigh every opinion, every sentiment that hasfallen from him, as if every word, unpolluted by human ignorance orinformity, had dropt straight from heaven! I will meditate uponreligion: I will humble myself to court resignation. I will fly hence,to avoid all temptation of ever seeing him more!--and to distract mywretchedness by new scenes. Oh Albert!--I will earn thy esteem byacquiescence in my lot, that here,--even here,--I may taste the paradiseof alluring thee to include me in thy view of happiness hereafter!'
Her foreign servant, then, came in view, and she made a motion to himwith her hand for her carriage. She awaited it in profound mentalabsorption, and, when it arrived, placed herself in it without speaking.
Juliet, full of tender pity, could no longer forbear saying, 'Adieu,Madam! and may peace re-visit your generous heart!'
Elinor, surprized and softened, looked at her with an expression ofinvoluntary admiration, as she answered, 'I believe you to be good,Ellis!--I exonerate you from all delusory arts; and, internally, I neverthought you guilty,--or I had never feared you! Fool! mad fool, that Ihave been, I am my own executioner! my distracting impatience to learnthe depth of my danger, was what put you together! taught you to know,to appreciate one another! With my own precipitate hand, I have dug thegulph into which I am fallen! Your dignified patience, your noblemodesty--Oh fatal Ellis!--presented a contrast that plunged a daggerinto all my efforts! Rash, eager ideot! I conceived suspense to be mygreatest bane!--Oh fool! eternal fool!--self-willed, andself-destroying!--for the single thrill of one poor moment's returningdoubt--I would not suffer martyrdom!'
She wept, and hid her face within the carriage; but, holding out herhand to Juliet, 'Adieu, Ellis!' she cried, 'I struggle hardly not towish you any ill; and I have never given you my malediction: yetOh!--that you had never been born!'--
She snatched away her hand, and precipitately drew up all the blinds, tohide her emotion; but, presently, letting one of them down, called out,with resumed vivacity, and an air of gay defiance, 'Marry him,Ellis!--marry him at once! I have always felt that I should be less mad,if my honour called upon me for reason!--my honour and my pride!'
The groom demanded orders.
'Drive to the end of the world!' she answered, impatiently, 'so you askme no questions!' and, forcibly adding, 'Farewell, too happy Ellis!' sheagain drew up all the blinds, and, in a minute, was out of sight.
Juliet deplored her fate with the sincerest concern; and ruminated uponher virtues, and attractive qualities, till their drawbacks diminishedfrom her view, and left nothing but unaffected wonder, that Harleighcould resist them: 'twas a wonder, nevertheless, that every feeling ofher heart, in defiance of every conflict, rose, imperiously, to separatefrom regret.
At the cottage, she found her recovered property, which she nowconcluded,--for her recollection was gone,--that she had dropt upon herentrance into the room occupied by Harleigh, before she had perceivedthat it was not empty.
Here, too, almost immediately afterwards, her messenger returned with aletter, which had remained more than a week at the post-office; whitherit had been sent back by the farmer, who had refused to risk advancingthe postage.
The letter was from Gabriella, and sad, but full of business. She hadjust received a hurrying summons from Mr de ----, her husband, to joinhim at Teignmouth, in Devonshire; and, for family-reasons, which oughtnot to be resisted, to accompany him abroad. Mr de ---- had been broughtby an accidental conveyance to Torbay; whence, through a peculiarlyfavourable opportunity, he was to sail to his place of destination. Hecharged her to use the utmost expedition; and, to spare the expence of adouble journey, and the difficulties of a double passport, for and fromLondon, he should procure permission to meet her at Teignmouth; wherethey might remain till their vessel should be ready; the town ofBrixham, within Torbay, being filled with sailors, and unfit for femaleresidence.
Gabriella owned, that she had nothing substantial, nor even rational, tooppose to this plan; though her heart would be left in the grave, theEnglish grave of her adored child. She had relinquished, therefore, hershop, and paid the rent, and her debts; and obtained money for thejourney by the sale of all her commodities. She then tenderly entreated,if no insurmountable obstacles forbid it, that Juliet would be of theirparty; and gave the direction of Mr de ---- at Teignmouth.
Not a moment could Juliet hesitate upon joining her friend; thoughwhether or not she should accompany her abroad, she left for decision attheir meeting. She greatly feared the delay in receiving the lettermight make her arrive too late; but the experiment was well worth trial;and she reached the beautifully situated small town of Teignmouth thenext morning.
She drove to the lodging of which Gabriella had given the direction;where she had the affliction to learn, that the lady whom she described,and her husband, had quitted Teignmouth the preceding evening forTorbay.
She instantly demanded fresh horses, for following them; but thepostilion said, that he must return directly to Exeter, with his chaise;and enquired where she would alight. Where she might most speedily, sheanswered, find means to proceed.
The postilion drove her, then, to a large lodging-house; but the townwas so full of company, as it was the season for bathing, that there wasno chaise immediately ready; and she was obliged to take possession of aroom, till some horses returned.
As soon as she had deposited her baggage, she resolved upon walking backto the late lodging of Gabriella, to seek some further information.
In re-passing a gallery, which led from her chamber to the stairs, sheperceived, upon a band-box, left at the half-closed door of whatappeared to be the capital apartment, the loved name of Lady AuroraGranville.
Joy, hope, fondness, and every pleasurable emotion, danced suddenly inher breast; and, chacing away, by surprize, all fearful ca
ution,irresistibly impelled her to push open the door.
All possibility of concealment was, she knew, now at an end; and, withit, finished her long forbearance. How sweet to cast herself, at length,under so benign a protection! to build upon the unalterable sweetness ofLady Aurora for a consolatory reception, and openly to claim hersupport!
Filled with these delighting ideas, she gently entered the room. It wasempty; but, the door to an inner apartment being open, she heard thesoft voice of Lady Aurora giving directions to some servant.
While she hesitated whether, at once, to venture on, or to send in somemessage, a chambermaid, coming out with another band-box, shut the innerdoor.
The dress of Juliet was no longer such as to make her appearance in acapital apartment suspicious; and the chambermaid civily enquired whomshe was pleased to want.
'Lady Aurora Granville,' she hesitatingly answered; adding that shewould tap at her ladyship's door herself, and begging that the maidwould not wait.
The maid, busy and active, hurried off. Quickly, then, though softly,Juliet stept forward; but at the door, trembling and full of fears, shestopt short; and the sight of pen, ink, and paper upon a table,determined her to commit her attempt to writing.
Seizing a sheet of paper, without sitting down, and in a hand scarcelylegible, she began,
'Is Lady Aurora Granville still the same Lady Aurora, the kind, thebenignant, the indulgent Lady Aurora,--' when the sound of anothervoice, a voice more discordant, if possible, than that of Lady Aurorahad been melodious, reached her ear from under the window: it was thatof Mrs Howel.
As shaking now with terrour as before she had been trembling with hope,she rolled up her paper; and was hurrying it into her work-bag, whichhad been returned to her by Harleigh; when the chambermaid, re-enteringthe room, stared at her with some surprize, demanding whether she hadseen her ladyship.
'No; ... I believe ... she is occupied,' Juliet, stammering, answered;and flew along the gallery back to her chamber.
That Lady Aurora should be under the care of Mrs Howel, who was thenearest female relation of Lord Denmeath, could give no surprize toJuliet; but the impulse which had urged her forward, had only painted toher a precious interview with Lady Aurora alone; for how venture toreveal herself in presence of so hard, so inimical a witness? The veryidea, joined to the terrible apprehension of irritating Lord Denmeath,to aid some new attack from her legal persecutor; so damped her risingjoy, so repressed her buoyant hopes, that, to avoid the insupportablerepetition of injurious interrogatories, painful explanations, andinsulting incredulity, she decided, if she could join Gabriella atTorbay, to accompany her to her purposed retreat; and there to awaiteither intelligence of the Bishop, or an open summons from her ownfamily.
She hastened, therefore, to the late lodging of Gabriella; where, upon amore minute investigation, she found, that a message had been left, incase a lady should call to enquire for Madame de ----, to say, that thesmall vessel in which M. de ---- and herself were humanely to bereceived as passengers, was ready to sail; and to promise to write upontheir landing; and to endeavour to fix upon some means of re-union. Thelady, the lodging-people said, had lost all hope of her friend'sarrival, but had left that message in case of accidents.
More eagerly than ever, Juliet now enquired for any kind of carriage;but the town was full, and every vehicle was engaged till the nextmorning.
The next morning opened with a new and cruel disappointment: thechambermaid came with excuses, that no chaise could be had, till towardsevening, as the Honourable Mrs Howel had engaged all the horses, tocarry herself and her people to Chudleigh-park.
Dreadful to the impatience of Juliet was such a loss of time; yet sheshrunk from all appeal, upon her prior rights, with Mrs Howel.
Still, not to render impossible, before her departure, an interview,after which her heart was sighing, with Lady Aurora, she addressed toher a few lines.
'To the Right Honourable Lady Aurora Granville.
'Brought hither in search of the friend of my earlier youth, what have been my perturbation, my hope, my fear, at the sound of the voice of her whom, proudly and fondly, it is my first wish to be permitted to love, and to claim as the friend of my future days! Ah, Lady Aurora! my inmost soul is touched and moved!--nevertheless, not to press upon the difficulties of your delicacy, nor to take advantage of the softness of your sensibility, I go hence without imploring your support or countenance. I quit again this loved land, scarcely known, though devoutly revered, to watch and wait,--far, far off!--for tidings of my future lot: I go to join the generous guardian of my orphan life,--till I know whether I may hope to be acknowledged by a brother! I go to dwell with my noble adopted sister,--till I learn whether I may be recalled, to be owned by one still nearer,--and who alone can be still dearer!'
She gave this paper sealed, for delivery, to the chambermaid; sayingthat she was going to take a long walk; and desiring, should there beany answer, that it might carefully be kept for her return.
This measure was to give Lady Aurora time to reflect, whether or not sheshould demand an explanation of the note; rather than to surprize thefirst eager impulse of her kindness.
She then bent her steps towards the sea-side; but, though it was stillvery early, there was so much company upon the sands, taking exercisebefore, or after bathing, that she soon turned another way; and, invitedby the verdant freshness of the prospects, rambled on for a considerabletime: at first, with no other design than to while away a few hours;but, afterwards, to give to those hours the pleasure ever new, everinstructive, of viewing and studying the works of nature; which, on thischarming spot, now awfully noble, now elegantly simple; where the seaand the land, the one sublime in its sameness, the other, exhilaratingin its variety, seem to be presented, as if in primeval lustre, to theadmiring eye of a meditative being.
She clambered up various rocks, nearly to their summit, to enjoy, in onegrand perspective, the stupendous expansion of the ocean, glitteringwith the brilliant rays of a bright and cloudless sky: dazzled, shedescended to their base, to repose her sight upon the soft, yet livelytint of the green turf, and the rich, yet mild hue of the downy moss.Almost sinking, now, from the scorching beams of a nearly vertical sun,she looked round for some umbrageous retreat; but, refreshed the nextmoment, by salubrious sea-breezes, by the coolness of the rocks, or bythe shade of the trees, she remained stationary, and charmed; a devoutlyadoring spectatress of the lovely, yet magnificent scenery encirclingher; so vast in its glory, so impressive in its details, of wild, variednature, apparently in its original state.
When at length, she judged it to be right to return, upon coming withinsight of the lodging-house, she saw a carriage at the door, into whichsome lady was mounting.
Could it be Lady Aurora?--could she so depart, after reading her letter?She retreated till the carriage drove off; and then, at the foot of thestairs, met the chambermaid; of whom she eagerly asked, whether therewere any letter, or message, for her, from Lady Aurora.
The maid answered No; her ladyship was gone away without saying anything.
The words 'gone away' extremely affected Juliet, who, in ascending toher room, wept bitterly at such a desertion; even while concluding it tohave been exacted by Mrs Howel.
She rang the bell, to enquire whether she might now have a chaise.
The chambermaid told her that she must come that very moment to speak toa lady.
'What lady?' cried Juliet, ever awake to hope; 'Is Lady Aurora Granvillecome back?'
No, no; Lady Aurora was gone to Chudleigh.
'What lady then?'
Mrs Howel, the maid answered, who ordered her to come that instant.
''Tis a mistake,' said Juliet, with spirit; 'you must seek some otherperson to whom to deliver such a message!'
The maid would have asserted her exactitude in executing her commission;but Juliet, declining to hear her, insisted upon being left.
Extremel
y disturbed, she could suggest no reason why Mrs Howel shouldremain, when Lady Aurora was gone; nor divine whether her letter werevoluntarily unanswered; or whether it had even been delivered; nor whatmight still instigate the unrestrained arrogance of Mrs Howel.
In a few minutes, the chambermaid returned, to acquaint her, that, ifshe did not come immediately, Mrs Howel would send for her in anothermanner.
Too indignant, now, for fear, Juliet, said that she had no answer togive to such a message; and charged the maid not to bring her any other.
Another, nevertheless, and ere she had a moment to breathe, followed;which was still more peremptory, and to which the chambermaid sneeringlyadded,
'You wonna let me look into youore work-bag, wull y?'
'Why should you look into my work-bag?'
'Nay, it ben't I as do want it; it be Maddam Howel.'
'And for what purpose?'
'Nay, I can't zay; but a do zay a ha' lost a bank-note.'
'And what have I, or my work-bag, to do with that?'
'Nay I don't know; but it ben't I ha' ta'en it. And it ben't I--'
She stopt, grinning significantly; but, finding that Juliet deigned notto ask an explanation, went on: 'It ben't I as husselled zomat into mywork-bag, in zuch a peck o' troubles, vor to hide it; it ben't I, vorthere be no mortal mon, nor womon neither, I be afeared of; vor I doteake no mon's goods but my own.'
Juliet now was thunderstruck. If a bank-note were missing, appearances,from her silently entering and quitting the room, were certainly againsther; and though it could not be difficult to clear away such asuspicion, it was shocking, past endurance, to have such a suspicion toclear.
While she hesitated what to reply, the maid, not doubting but that herembarrassment was guilt, triumphantly continued her own defence; saying,whoever might be suspected, it could not be she, for she did not go intoother people's rooms, not she! to peer about, and see what was to beseen; nor say she was going to call upon grand gentlefolks, when she wasnot going to do any such thing; not she! nor tear paper upon otherpeople's tables, to roll things up, and poke them into her work-bag; notshe! she had nothing to hide, for there was nothing she took, so therewas nothing she had to be ashamed of, not she!
She then mutteringly walked off; but almost instantly returned, desiringto know, in the name of Mrs Howel, whether Miss Ellis preferred that thebusiness of her examination should be terminated, before properwitnesses, in her own room.
Juliet, thus assailed, urged by judgment, and a sense of propriety,struggled against personal feelings and fears; and resolved to rescuenot only herself, but her family, from the disgrace of a publicinterrogatory. She walked, therefore, straight forward to the apartmentof Mrs Howel; determined to own, without delay, her birth and situation,rather than submit to any indignity.
At the entrance, she made way for the chambermaid to announce her; butwhen she heard that voice, which, to her shocked ears, sounded far morehoarse, more harsh, and more coarse than the raven's croak, her spiritsnearly forsook her. To cast herself thus upon the powerful enmity ofLord Denmeath, with no kind Lady Aurora at hand, to soften the hazardoustale, by her benignant pity; no generous Lord Melbury within call, toresist perverse incredulity, by spontaneous support, and promisedprotection:--'twas dreadful!--Yet no choice now remained, no possibleresource; she must meet her fate, or run away as a culprit.
The latter she utterly disdained; and, at the words, loudly spoken, fromthe inner room, 'Order her to appear!' she summoned to her aid all thatshe possessed of pride or of dignity, to disguise her apprehensions; andobeyed the imperious mandate.
Mrs Howel, seated upon an easy chair, received her with an air ofprepared scorn; in which, nevertheless, was mixed some surprize at theelegance, yet propriety, of her attire. 'Young woman,' she sternly said,'what part is this you are acting? And what is it you suppose will beits result? Can you imagine that you are to brave people of conditionwith impunity? You have again dared to address, clandestinely, and byletter, a young lady of quality, whom you know to be forbidden to affordyou any countenance. You have entered my apartment under falsepretences; you have been detected precipitately quitting it, thrustingsomething into your work-bag, evidently taken from my table.'--
Juliet now felt her speech restored by contempt. 'I by no meansintended, Madam,' she drily answered, 'to have intruded upon yourbenevolence. The sheet of paper which I took was to write to Lady AuroraGranville; and I imagined,--mistakenly, it seems,--that it was alreadyher ladyship's.'
The calmness of Juliet operated to produce a storm in Mrs Howel thatfired all her features; though, deeming it unbecoming her rank in life,to shew anger to a person beneath her, she subdued her passion intosarcasm, and said, 'Her ladyship, then, it seems, is to provide thepaper with which you write to her, as well as the clothes with which youwait upon her? That she refuses herself whatever is not indispensable,in order to make up a secret purse, has long been clear to me; and Inow, in your assumed garments, behold the application of herprivations!'
'Oh Lady Aurora! lovely and loved Lady Aurora! have you indeed thiskindness for me! this heavenly goodness!'--interrupted, from asensibility that she would not seek to repress, the penetrated Juliet.
'Unparalleled assurance!' exclaimed Mrs Howel. 'And do you think thustriumphantly to gain your sinister ends? no! Lady Aurora will never seeyour letter! I have already dispatched it to my Lord Denmeath.'
The spirit of Juliet now instantly sunk: she felt herself again betrayedinto the power of her persecutor; again seized; and trembled soexceedingly, that she with difficulty kept upon her feet.
Mrs Howel exultingly perceived her advantage. 'What,' she haughtilydemanded, 'has brought you hither? And why are you here? If, indeed, youapproach the sea-side with a view to embark, and return whence youcame, I am far from offering any impediment to so befitting a measure.My Lord Denmeath, I have reason to believe, would even assist it. Speak,young woman! have you sense enough of the unbecoming situation in whichyou now stand, to take so proper a course for getting to your home?'
'My home!' repeated Juliet, casting up her eyes, which, bedewed withtears at the word, she then covered with her handkerchief.
'If to go thither be your intention,' said Mrs Howel, 'the matter may beaccommodated; speak, then.'
'The little, Madam, that I mean to say,' cried Juliet, 'I must beg leaveto address to you when you are alone.' For the waiting-woman stillremained at the side of the toilette-table.
'At length, then,' said Mrs Howel, much gratified, though alwaysscornful; 'you mean to confess?' And she told her woman to hasten thepacking up, and then to step into the next room.
'Think, however;' she continued; 'deliberate, in this interval, uponwhat you are going to do. I have already heard the tale which I haveseen, by your letter, you hint at propagating; heard it from my LordDenmeath himself. But so idle a fabrication, without a single proof, ordocument, in its support, will only be considered as despicable. Ifthat, therefore, is the subject upon which you purpose to entertain mein this _tete a tete_, be advised to change it, untried. Such staletricks are only to be played upon the inexperienced. You may well blush,young woman! I am willing to hope it is with shame.'
'You force me, Madam, to speak!' indignantly cried Juliet; 'though youwill not, thus publicly, force me to an explanation. For your own sake,Madam, for decency's, if not for humanity's sake, press me no further,till we are alone! or the blush with which you upbraid me, now, mayhereafter be yours! And not a blush like mine, from the indignation ofinnocence injured--yet unsullied; but the blush of confusion and shame;latent, yet irrepressible!'
Rage, now, is a word inadequate to express the violent feelings of MrsHowel, which, nevertheless, she still strove to curb under an appearanceof disdain. 'You would spare me, then,' she cried, 'this humiliation?And you suppose I can listen to such arrogance? Undeceive yourself,young woman; and produce the contents of your work-bag at once, orexpect its immediate seizure for examination, by an officer of justice.'
'
What, Madam, do you mean?' cried Juliet, endeavouring, but not verysuccessfully, to speak with unconcern.
'To allow you the choice of more, or fewer witnesses to your boastedinnocence!'
'If your curiosity, Madam,' said Juliet, more calmly, yet not daring anylonger to resist, 'is excited to take an inventory of my small property,I must endeavour to indulge it.'
She was preparing to untie the strings of her work-bag; when a suddenrecollection of the bank-notes of Harleigh, for the possession of whichshe could give no possible account, checked her hand, and changed hercountenance.
Mrs Howel, perceiving her embarrassment, yet more haughtily said, 'Willyou deliver your work-bag, young woman, to Rawlins?'
'No, Madam!' answered Juliet, reviving with conscious dignity; 'I willneither so far offend myself at this moment,--nor you for every momentthat shall follow! I can deliver it only into your own hands.'
'Enough!' cried Mrs Howel. 'Rawlins, order Hilson to enquire out themagistrate of this village, and to desire that he will send to me somepeace-officer immediately.'
She then opened the door of a small inner room, into which she shutherself, with an air of deadly vengeance.
Mrs Rawlins, at the same time, passed to the outer room, to summonHilson.
Juliet, confounded, remained alone. She looked from one side to theother; expecting either that Mrs Howel would call upon her, or that MrsRawlins would return for further orders. Neither of them re-appeared, orspoke.
Alarmed, now, yet more powerfully than disgusted, she compelled herselfto tap at the door of Mrs Howel, and to beg admission.
She received no answer. A second and a third attempt failed equally.Affrighted more seriously, she hastened to the outer room; where a man,Hilson, she supposed, was just quitting Mrs Rawlins.
'Mrs Rawlins,' she cried; 'I beseech you not to send any one off, tillyou have received fresh directions.'
Mrs Rawlins desired to know whether this were the command of her lady.
'It will be,' Juliet replied, 'when I have spoken to her again.'
Mrs Rawlins answered, that her lady was always accustomed to be obeyedat once; and told Hilson to make haste.
Juliet entreated for only a moment's delay; but the man would notlisten.
Though from justice Juliet could have nothing to fear, the idea ofbeing forced to own herself, when a peace-officer was sent for, to avoidbeing examined as a criminal, filled her with such horrour and affright,that, calling out, 'Stop! stop! I beseech you stop!--' she ran after theman, with a precipitate eagerness, that made her nearly rush into thearms of a gentleman, who, at that moment, having just passed by Hilson,filled up the way.
Without looking at him, she sought to hurry on; but, upon his saying, 'Iask pardon, Ma'am, for barricading your passage in this sort;' sherecognized the voice of her first patron, the Admiral.
Charmed with the hope of succour, 'Is it you, Sir?' she cried. 'Oh Sir,stop that person!--Call to him! Bid him return! I implore you!--'
'To be sure I will, ma'am!' answered he, courteously taking off his hat,though appearing much amazed; and hallooing after Hilson, 'Hark'ee, mylad! be so kind to veer about a bit.'
Hilson, not venturing to shew disrespect to the uniform of the Admiral,stood still.
The Admiral then, putting on his hat, and conceiving his business to bedone, was passing on; and Hilson grinning at the short-lived impediment,was continuing his route; but the calls and pleadings of Juliet made theAdmiral turn back, and, in a tone of authority, and with the voice of aspeaking trumpet, angrily cry, 'Halloo, there! Tack about and comehither, my lad! What do you go t'other way for, when a lady calls you?By George, if they had you aboard, they'd soon teach you bettermanners!'
Juliet, again addressing him, said, 'Oh Sir! how good you are! how trulybenevolent!--Detain him but till I speak with his lady, and I shall beobliged to you eternally!'
'To be sure I will, Ma'am!' answered the wondering Admiral. 'He sha'n'tpass me. You may depend upon that.'
Juliet, meaning now to make her sad and forced confession, re-enteredthe first apartment; and was soliciting, through Mrs Rawlins, for anaudience with Mrs Howel; when Hilson, surlily returning, preceded thepetitioner to his lady; and complained that he had been set upon by abully of the young woman's.
Mrs Howel, coming forth, with a wrath that was deaf to prayer orrepresentation, gave orders that the master of the house should becalled to account for such an insult to one of her people.
The master of the house appearing, made a thousand excuses for what hadhappened; but said that he could not be answerable for people's fallingto words upon the stairs.
Mrs Howel insisted upon reparation; and that those who had affronted herpeople should be told to go out of the house; or she herself would neverenter it again.
The landlord declared that he did not know how to do such a thing, forthe gentleman was his honour the Admiral; who was come to spend two orthree days there, from the shipping at Torbay.
If it were a general-officer who had acted thus, she said, he couldcertainly give some reason for his conduct; and she desired the landlordto ask it of him in her name.
In vain, during this debate, Juliet made every concession, save that ofdelivering her work-bag to the scrutiny of Mrs Rawlins; nothing lesswould satisfy the enraged Mrs Howel, who resisted all overtures for a_tete a tete_; determined publicly to humble the object of her wrath.
The Admiral, who was found standing sentinel at the door, desired anaudience of the lady himself.
Mrs Howel accorded it with readiness; ordering Hilson, Mrs Rawlins, andthe landlord, to remain in the room.