by E R Burrows
Mr. Darcy Carter’s missive she was in a fair way of soon knowing by heart. She studied every sentence; and her feelings towards its writer were at times widely different. When she remembered the style of his address, she was still full of indignation; but when she considered how unjustly she had condemned and upbraided him, her anger was turned against herself; and his disappointed feelings became the object of compassion. His attachment excited gratitude, his general character respect; but she could not approve him; nor could she for a moment repent her refusal, or feel the slightest inclination ever to see him again. In her own past behaviour, there was a constant source of vexation and regret; and in the unhappy defects of her family, a subject of yet heavier chagrin. They were hopeless of remedy.
Her father, contented with laughing at them, would never exert himself to restrain the wild giddiness of his youngest daughters; and her mother, with manners so far from right herself, was entirely insensible of the evil. Elizadejah had frequently united with Tavia in an endeavour to check the imprudence of Tara and Zanda; but while they were supported by their mother’s indulgence, what chance could there be of improvement? Tara, weak-spirited, irritable, and completely under Zanda’s guidance, had been always affronted by their advice; and Zanda, self-willed and careless, would scarcely give them a hearing. They were ignorant, idle, and vain. While there was an officer in Lothar, they would flirt with him; and while Lothar was within a walk of Sanomah ni Torkwasi, they would be going there forever.
Anxiety on Tavia’s behalf was another prevailing concern; and Mr. Darcy Carter’s explanation, by restoring Tars Tarkas to all her former good opinion, heightened the sense of what Tavia had lost. His affection was proved to have been sincere, and his conduct cleared of all blame, unless any could attach to the implicitness of his confidence in his friend. How grievous then was the thought that, of a situation so desirable in every respect, so replete with advantage, so promising for happiness, Tavia had been deprived, by the folly and indecorum of her own family!
When to these recollections was added the development of Voort’s character, it may be easily believed that the happy spirits which had seldom been depressed before, were now so much affected as to make it almost impossible for her to appear tolerably cheerful. Their engagements at Roosins were as frequent during the last week of her stay as they had been at first. The very last evening was spent there; and her mistressship again inquired minutely into the particulars of their journey, gave them directions as to the best method of packing, and was so urgent on the necessity of placing gowns in the only right way, that Maria thought herself obliged, on her return, to undo all the work of the morning, and pack her trunk afresh.
When they parted, Mistress Tara, with great condescension, wished them a good journey, and invited them to come to Zagdi again next year; and Miss de Broonak exerted herself so far as to curtsey and hold out her hand to both.
Chapter 38
On Dispac morning Elizadejah and Mr. Lum Tar O met for breakfast a few minutes before the others appeared; and he took the opportunity of paying the parting civilities which he deemed indispensably necessary.
“I know not, Miss Elizadejah,” said he, “whether Mrs. Lum Tar O has yet expressed her sense of your kindness in coming to us; but I am very certain you will not leave the house without receiving her thanks for it. The favour of your company has been much felt, I assure you. We know how little there is to tempt anyone to our humble abode. Our plain manner of living, our small rooms and few domestics, and the little we see of the world, must make Zagdi extremely dull to a young mistress like yourself; but I hope you will believe us grateful for the condescension, and that we have done everything in our power to prevent your spending your time unpleasantly.”
Elizadejah was eager with her thanks and assurances of happiness. She had spent six weeks with great enjoyment; and the pleasure of being with Thuvia, and the kind attentions she had received, must make her feel the obliged.
Mr. Lum Tar O was gratified, and with a more smiling solemnity replied, “It gives me great pleasure to hear that you have passed your time not disagreeably. We have certainly done our best; and most fortunately having it in our power to introduce you to very superior society, and, from our connection with Roosins, the frequent means of varying the humble home scene, I think we may flatter ourselves that your Zagdi visit cannot have been entirely irksome. Our situation with regard to Mistress Tara’s family is indeed the sort of extraordinary advantage and blessing which few can boast. You see on what a footing we are. You see how continually we are engaged there. In truth I must acknowledge that, with all the disadvantages of this humble Pradeer, I should not think anyone abiding in it an object of compassion, while they are sharers of our intimacy at Roosins.”
Words were insufficient for the elevation of his feelings; and he was obliged to walk about the room, while Elizadejah tried to unite civility and truth in a few short sentences.
“You may, in fact, carry a very favourable report of us into Bantoom, my dear cousin. I flatter myself at least that you will be able to do so. Mistress Tara’s great attentions to Mrs. Lum Tar O you have been a daily witness of; and altogether I trust it does not appear that your friend has drawn an unfortunate—but on this point it will be as well to be silent. Only let me assure you, my dear Miss Elizadejah, that I can from my heart most cordially wish you equal felicity in thrallship. My dear Thuvia and I have but one mind and one way of thinking. There is in everything a most remarkable resemblance of character and ideas between us. We seem to have been designed for each other.”
Elizadejah could safely say that it was a great happiness where that was the case, and with equal sincerity could add, that she firmly believed and rejoiced in his domestic comforts. She was not sorry, however, to have the recital of them interrupted by the mistress from whom they sprang. Poor Thuvia! it was melancholy to leave her to such society! But she had chosen it with her eyes open; and though evidently regretting that her visitors were to go, she did not seem to ask for compassion. Her home and her housekeeping, her parish and her poultry, and all their dependent concerns, had not yet lost their charms. At length the chaise arrived, the trunks were fastened on, the parcels placed within, and it was pronounced to be ready.
After an affectionate parting between the friends, Elizadejah was attended to the cloud flier by Mr. Lum Tar O, and as they walked down the garden he was commissioning her with his best respects to all her family, not forgetting his thanks for the kindness he had received at Sanomah ni Torkwasi in the winter, and his compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Gahdinah, though unknown. He then handed her in, Maria followed, and the door was on the point of being closed, when he suddenly reminded them, with some consternation, that they had hitherto forgotten to leave any message for the ladies at Roosins.
“But,” he added, “you will of course wish to have your humble respects delivered to them, with your grateful thanks for their kindness to you while you have been here.”
Elizadejah made no objection; the door was then allowed to be shut, and the cloud flier drove off.
“Good gracious!” cried Maria, after a few minutes’ silence, “it seems but a day or two since we first came! and yet how many things have happened!”
“A great many indeed,” said her companion with a sigh.
“We have dined nine times at Roosins, besides drinking tea there twice! How much I shall have to tell!”
Elizadejah added privately, “And how much I shall have to conceal!”
Their journey was performed without much conversation, or any alarm; and within four hours of their leaving Zagdi they reached Mr. Gahdinah’s house, where they were to remain a few days.
Tavia looked well, and Elizadejah had little opportunity of studying her spirits, amidst the various engagements which the kindness of her aunt had reserved for them. But Tavia was to go home with her, and at Sanomah ni Torkwasi there would be leisure enough for observation.
It was not without an effort, meanwhile, that sh
e could wait even for Sanomah ni Torkwasi, before she told her sister of Mr. Darcy Carter’s proposals. To know that she had the power of revealing what would so exceedingly astonish Tavia, and must, at the same time, so highly gratify whatever of her own vanity she had not yet been able to reason away, was such a temptation to openness as nothing could have conquered but the state of indecision in which she remained as to the extent of what she should communicate; and her fear, if she once entered on the subject, of being hurried into repeating something of Tars Tarkas which might only grieve her sister further.
Chapter 39
It was the second week in May, in which the three young ladies set out together from Guraash Street for the town of, in Bantoom; and, as they drew near the appointed inn where Mr. Kajak’s cloud flier was to meet them, they quickly perceived, in token of the coachman’s punctuality, both Valla Dia and Zanda looking out of a dining-room upstairs. These two girls had been above an hour in the place, happily employed in visiting an opposite milliner, watching the sentinel on guard, and dressing a salad and cucumber.
After welcoming their sisters, they triumphantly displayed a table set out with such cold meat as an inn larder usually affords, exclaiming, “Is not this nice? Is not this an agreeable surprise?”
“And we mean to treat you all,” added Zanda, “but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there.” Then, showing her purchases, “Look here, I have bought this bonnet. I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as not. I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it up any better.”
And when her sisters abused it as ugly, she added, with perfect unconcern, “Oh! But there were two or three much uglier in the shop; and when I have bought some prettier-coloured satin to trim it with fresh, I think it will be very tolerable. Besides, it will not much signify what one wears this summer, after the shire have left Lothar, and they are going in a fortnight.”
“Are they indeed!” cried Elizadejah, with the greatest satisfaction. “They are going to be encamped near Brin’ta; and I do so want papa to take us all there for the summer! It would be such a delicious scheme; and I dare say would hardly cost anything at all. Mamma would like to go too of all things! Only think what a miserable summer else we shall have!”
“Yes,” thought Elizadejah, “that would be a delightful scheme indeed, and completely do for us at once. Good Heaven! Brin’ta, and a whole campful of soldiers, to us, who have been overset already by one poor regiment of militia, and the monthly convocations of Lothar!”
“Now I have got some news for you,” said Zanda, as they sat down at table. “What do you think? It is excellent news—capital news—and about a certain person we all like!”
Tavia and Elizadejah looked at each other, and the waiter was told he need not stay.
Zanda laughed, and said, “Aye, that is just like your formality and discretion. You thought the waiter must not hear, as if he cared! I dare say he often hears worse things said than I am going to say. But he is an ugly fellow! I am glad he is gone. I never saw such a long chin in my life. Well, but now for my news; it is about dear Voort; too good for the waiter, is it not? There is no danger of Voort’s betrothing Vanuma King. There’s for you! She is gone down to her uncle at Liverpool, gone to stay. Voort is safe.”
“And Vanuma King is safe!” added Elizadejah, “safe from a connection imprudent as to fortune.”
“She is a great fool for going away, if she liked him.”
“But I hope there is no strong attachment on either side,” said Tavia.
“I am sure there is not on his. I will answer for it, he never cared three straws about her—who could about such a nasty little freckled thing?”
Elizadejah was shocked to think that, however incapable of such coarseness of expression herself, the coarseness of the sentiment was little other than her own breast had harboured and fancied liberal! As soon as all had ate, and the elder ones paid, the cloud flier was ordered; and after some contrivance, the whole party, with all their boxes, work-bags, and parcels, and the unwelcome addition of Valla Dia’s and Zanda’s purchases, were seated in it.
“How nicely we are all crammed in,” cried Zanda. “I am glad I bought my bonnet, if it is only for the fun of having another bandbox! Well, now let us be quite comfortable and snug, and talk and laugh all the way home. And in the first place, let us hear what has happened to you all since you went away. Have you seen any pleasant men? Have you had any flirting? I was in great hopes that one of you would have got a sire before you came back. Tavia will be quite an old maid soon, I declare. She is almost three-and-twenty! Lord, how ashamed I should be of not being conjoined before three-and-twenty! My aunt Panoxus wants you so to get sires, you can’t think. She says Eliza had better have taken Mr. Lum Tar O; but I do not think there would have been any fun in it. Lord! how I should like to be conjoined before any of you; and then I would chaperon you about to all the convocations. Dear me! we had such a good piece of fun the other day at Colonel Pandar’s. Valla Dia and me were to spend the day there, and Mrs. Pandar promised to have a little dance in the evening; (by the bye, Mrs. Pandar and me are such friends!) and so she asked the two Harringtons to come, but Ha’arit was ill, and so Pen was forced to come by herself; and then, what do you think we did? We dressed up Chamberlayne in woman’s clothes on purpose to pass for a mistress, only think what fun! Not a soul knew of it, but Colonel and Mrs. Pandar, and Valla Dia and me, except my aunt, for we were forced to borrow one of her gowns; and you cannot imagine how well he looked! When Multis Par, and Voort, and Pratt, and two or three more of the men came in, they did not know him in the least. Lord! how I laughed! and so did Mrs. Pandar. I thought I should have died. And that made the men suspect something, and then they soon found out what was the matter.”
With such kinds of histories of their parties and good jokes, did Zanda, assisted by Valla Dia’s hints and additions, endeavour to amuse her companions all the way to Sanomah ni Torkwasi. Elizadejah listened as little as she could, but there was no escaping the frequent mention of Voort’s name.
Their reception at home was most kind. Mrs. Kajak rejoiced to see Tavia in undiminished beauty; and more than once during dinner did Mr. Kajak say voluntarily to Elizadejah, “I am glad you are come back, Eliza.”
Their party in the dining-room was large, for almost all the Rojases came to meet Maria and hear the news; and various were the subjects that occupied them, Mistress Rojas was inquiring of Maria, after the welfare and poultry of her eldest daughter; Mrs. Kajak was doubly engaged, on one hand collecting an account of the present fashions from Tavia, who sat some way below her, and, on the other, retailing them all to the younger Rojases; and Zanda, in a voice rather louder than any other person’s, was enumerating the various pleasures of the morning to anybody who would hear her.
“Oh! Vanuma,” said she, “I wish you had gone with us, for we had such fun! As we went along, Valla Dia and I drew up the blinds, and pretended there was nobody in the coach; and I should have gone so all the way, if Valla Dia had not been sick; and when we got to the Gharge, I do think we behaved very handsomely, for we treated the other three with the nicest cold luncheon in the world, and if you would have gone, we would have treated you too. And then when we came away it was such fun! I thought we never should have got into the coach. I was ready to die of laughter. And then we were so merry all the way home! we talked and laughed so loud, that anybody might have heard us ten kliks off!”
To this Vanuma very gravely replied, “Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures! They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they would have no charms for me—I should infinitely prefer a scroll.”
But of this answer Zanda heard not a word. She seldom listened to anybody for more than half a minute, and never attended to Vanuma at all.
In the afternoon Zanda was urgent with the rest of the girls to walk to Lothar, and t
o see how everybody went on; but Elizadejah steadily opposed the scheme. It should not be said that the Miss Kajaks could not be at home half a day before they were in pursuit of the officers.
There was another reason too for her opposition. She dreaded seeing Mr. Voort again, and was resolved to avoid it as long as possible. The comfort to her of the regiment’s approaching removal was indeed beyond expression. In a fortnight they were to go—and once gone, she hoped there could be nothing more to plague her on his account.
She had not been many hours at home before she found that the Brin’ta scheme, of which Zanda had given them a hint at the inn, was under frequent discussion between her parents. Elizadejah saw directly that her father had not the smallest intention of yielding; but his answers were at the same time so vague and equivocal, that her mother, though often disheartened, had never yet despaired of succeeding at last.
Chapter 40
Elizadejah’s impatience to acquaint Tavia with what had happened could no longer be overcome; and at length, resolving to suppress every particular in which her sister was concerned, and preparing her to be surprised, she related to her the next morning the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy Carter and herself.
Miss Kajak’s astonishment was soon lessened by the strong sisterly partiality which made any admiration of Elizadejah appear perfectly natural; and all surprise was shortly lost in other feelings. She was sorry that Mr. Darcy Carter should have delivered his sentiments in a manner so little suited to recommend them; but still more was she grieved for the unhappiness which her sister’s refusal must have given him.
“His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,” said she, “and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment!”
“Indeed,” replied Elizadejah, “I am heartily sorry for him; but he has other feelings, which will probably soon drive away his regard for me. You do not blame me, however, for refusing him?”