Bracelets

by Maria Edgeworth

  CONTINUATION OF THE BRACELETS.

  The first of June was now arrived, and all the young competitors were ina state of the most anxious suspense. Leonora and Cecilia continued tobe the foremost candidates; their quarrel had never been finallyadjusted, and their different pretensions now retarded all thoughts of areconciliation. Cecilia, though she was capable of acknowledging any ofher faults in public before all her companions, could not humble herselfin private to Leonora; Leonora was her equal, they were her inferiors;and submission is much easier to a vain mind, where it appears to bevoluntary, than when it is the necessary tribute to justice or candour.So strongly did Cecilia feel this truth that she even delayed making anyapology, or coming to any explanation with Leonora, until success shouldonce more give her the palm.

  If I win the bracelet to-day, said she to herself, I will solicit thereturn of Leonora's friendship; it will be more valuable to me than eventhe bracelet; and at such a time, and asked in such a manner, she surelycannot refuse it to me. Animated with this hope of a double triumph,Cecilia canvassed with the most zealous activity; by constant attentionand exertion she had considerably abated the violence of her temper, andchanged the course of her habits. Her powers of pleasing were nowexcited, instead of her abilities to excel; and, if her talents appearedless brilliant, her character was acknowledged to be more amiable; sogreat an influence upon our manners and conduct have the objects of ourambition. Cecilia was now, if possible, more than ever desirous ofdoing what was right, but she had not yet acquired sufficient fear ofdoing wrong. This was the fundamental error of her mind; it arose in agreat measure from her early education.

  Her mother died when she was very young; and though her father hadsupplied her place in the best and kindest manner, he had insensiblyinfused into his daughter's mind a portion of that enterprising,independent spirit, which he justly deemed essential to the character ofher brother. This brother was some years older than Cecilia, but he hadalways been the favourite companion of her youth; what her father'sprecepts inculcated, his example enforced, and even Cecilia's virtuesconsequently became such as were more estimable in a man than desirablein a female.

  All small objects and small errors she had been taught to disregard astrifles; and her impatient disposition was perpetually leading her intomore material faults; yet her candour in confessing these, she had beensuffered to believe, was sufficient reparation and atonement.

  Leonora, on the contrary, who had been educated by her mother in amanner more suited to her sex, had a character and virtues more peculiarto a female; her judgment had been early cultivated, and her good senseemployed in the regulation of her conduct; she had been habituated tothat restraint, which, as a woman, she was to expect in life, and earlyaccustomed to yield; compliance in her seemed natural and graceful.

  Yet, notwithstanding the gentleness of her temper, she was in realitymore independent than Cecilia; she had more reliance upon her ownjudgment, and more satisfaction in her own approbation. Though far frominsensible to praise, she was not liable to be misled by theindiscriminate love of admiration; the uniform kindness of her manner,the consistency and equality of her character, had fixed the esteem andpassive love of her companions.

  By passive love, we mean that species of affection which makes usunwilling to offend, rather than anxious to oblige; which is more ahabit than an emotion of the mind. For Cecilia, her companions feltactive love, for she was active in showing her love to them.

  Active love arises spontaneously in the mind, after feeling particularinstances of kindness, without reflection on the past conduct or generalcharacter; it exceeds the merits of its object, and is connected with afeeling of generosity, rather than with a sense of justice.

  Without determining which species of love is the more flattering toothers, we can easily decide which is the most agreeable feeling to ourown minds; we give our hearts more credit for being generous than forbeing just; and we feel more self-complacency when we give our lovevoluntarily, than when we yield it as a tribute which we cannotwithhold. Though Cecilia's companions might not know all this in theory,they proved it in practice; for they loved her in a much higherproportion to her merits than they loved Leonora.

  Each of the young judges were to signify their choice by putting a redor a white shell into a vase prepared for the purpose. Cecilia's colourwas red, Leonora's white. In the morning nothing was to be seen butthese shells, nothing talked of but the long-expected event of theevening. Cecilia, following Leonora's example, had made it a point ofhonour not to inquire of any individual her vote previous to their finaldetermination.

  They were both sitting together in Louisa's room; Louisa was recoveringfrom the measles. Every one, during her illness, had been desirous ofattending her; but Leonora and Cecilia were the only two that werepermitted to see her, as they alone had had the distemper. They wereboth assiduous in their care of Louisa; but Leonora's want of exertionto overcome any disagreeable feelings of sensibility often deprived herof presence of mind, and prevented her being so constantly useful asCecilia. Cecilia, on the contrary, often made too much noise and bustlewith her officious assistance, and was too anxious to invent amusementsand procure comforts for Louisa, without perceiving that illness takesaway the power of enjoying them.

  As she was sitting in the window in the morning, exerting herself toentertain Louisa, she heard the voice of an old pedlar who often used tocome to the house. Down stairs she ran immediately to ask Mrs. Villars'spermission to bring him into the hall.

  Mrs. Villars consented, and away Cecilia ran to proclaim the news to hercompanions; then first returning into the hall, she found the pedlarjust unbuckling his box, and taking it off his shoulders. "What wouldyou be pleased to want, Miss?" said he. "I've all kinds oftweezer-cases, rings, and lockets of all sorts," continued he, openingall the glittering drawers successively.

  "Oh!" said Cecilia, shutting the drawer of lockets which tempted hermost, "these are not the things which I want; have you any chinafigures, any mandarins?"

  "Alack-a-day, Miss, I had a great stock of that same china ware, but nowI'm quite out of them kind of things; but I believe," said he, rummagingin one of the deepest drawers, "I believe I have one left, and here itis."

  "Oh, that is the very thing! what's its price?"

  "Only three shillings, ma'am." Cecilia paid the money, and was justgoing to carry off the mandarin, when the pedlar took out of hisgreat-coat pocket a neat mahogany case; it was about a foot long, andfastened at each end by two little clasps; it had besides a small lockin the middle.

  "What is that?" said Cecilia, eagerly.

  "It's only a china figure, Miss, which I am going to carry to anelderly lady, who lives nigh at hand, and who is mighty fond of suchthings."

  "Could you let me look at it?"

  "And welcome, Miss," said he, and opened the case.

  "O goodness! how beautiful!" exclaimed Cecilia.

  It was a figure of Flora, crowned with roses, and carrying a basket offlowers in her hand. Cecilia contemplated it with delight. "How I shouldlike to give this to Louisa," said she to herself; and at last breakingsilence, "Did you promise it to the old lady?"

  "O no, Miss; I didn't promise it--she never saw it; and if so be thatyou'd like to take it, I'd make no more words about it."

  "And how much does it cost?"

  "Why, Miss, as to that, I'll let you have it for half-a-guinea."

  Cecilia immediately produced the box in which she kept her treasure, andemptying it upon the table, she began to count the shillings; alas!there were but six shillings. "How provoking!" said she; "then I can'thave it--where's the mandarin? O I have it," said she, taking it up, andlooking at it with the utmost disgust. "Is this the same that I hadbefore?"

  "Yes, Miss, the very same," replied the pedlar, who, during this time,had been examining the little box out of which Cecilia had taken hermoney; it was of silver.

  "Why, ma'am," said he, "since you've taken such a fancy to the piece, ifyou've a mind to make up t
he remainder of the money, I will take thishere little box, if you care to part with it."

  Now this box was a keepsake from Leonora to Cecilia. "No," said Ceciliahastily, blushing a little, and stretching out her hand to receive it.

  "Oh, Miss!" said he, returning it carelessly, "I hope there's nooffence; I meant but to serve you, that's all. Such a rare piece ofchina-work has no cause to go a begging," added he, putting the Floradeliberately into the case; then turning the key with a jerk, he let itdrop into his pocket, and lifting up his box by the leather straps, hewas preparing to depart.

  "Oh, stay one minute!" said Cecilia, in whose mind there had passed avery warm conflict during the pedlar's harangue.