CHAPTER IX.
It was not with Sandford, as it had lately been with Rushbrook under thedispleasure of Lord Elmwood--to the latter he behaved, as soon as theirdissension was past, as if it had never happened--but to Sandford it wasotherwise--the resentment which he had repressed at the time of theoffence, lurked in his heart, and dwelt upon his mind for several days;during which, he carefully avoided exchanging a word with him, and gaveevery other demonstration of his anger.
Sandford, though experienced in the cruelty and ingratitude of theworld, yet could not without difficulty brook this severity, thiscontumely, from a man, for whose welfare, ever since his infancy, hehad laboured; and whose happiness was more dear to him, in spite of allhis faults, than that of any other person. Even Lady Matilda was not sodear to Sandford as her father--and he loved her more that she was LordElmwood's child, than for any other cause.
Sometimes the old Priest, incensed beyond bearing, was on the point ofsaying to his patron, "How, in my age, dare you thus treat the man, whomin his youth you respected and revered?"
Sometimes instead of anger, he felt the tear, he was ashamed to own,steal to his eye, and even fall down his cheek. Sometimes he left theroom half determined to leave the house--but these were all halfdeterminations; for he knew him with whom he had to deal too well, notto know that he might be provoked into yet greater anger; and thatshould he once rashly quit his house, the doors most probably would beshut against him for ever.
In this humiliating state (for even many of the domestics could not butobserve their Lord's displeasure) Sandford passed three days, and wasbeginning the fourth, when sitting with Lord Elmwood and Rushbrook justafter breakfast, a servant entered, saying, as he opened the door, tosomebody who followed, "You must wait till you have my Lord'spermission."
This attracted their eyes to the door, and a man meanly dressed, walkedin, following close to the servant.
The latter turned, and seemed again to desire the person to retire, butin vain; he rushed forward regardless of his opposer, and in greatagitation, cried,
"My Lord, if you please, I have business with you, provided you willchuse to be alone."
Lord Elmwood, struck with the intruder's earnestness, bade the servantleave the room; and then said to the stranger,
"You may speak before these gentlemen."
The man instantly turned pale, and trembled--then, to prolong the timebefore he spoke, went to the door to see if it was shut--returned--yetstill trembling, seemed unwilling to say his errand.
"What have you done," cried Lord Elmwood, "that you are in this terror?What have you done, man?"
"Nothing, my Lord," replied he, "but I am afraid I am going to offendyou."
"Well, no matter;" (he answered carelessly) "only go on, and let me knowyour business."
The man's distress increased--and he cried in a voice of grief andaffright--"Your child, my Lord!"----
Rushbrook and Sandford started; and looking at Lord Elmwood, saw himturn white as death. In a tremulous voice he instantly cried,
"What of her?" and rose from his seat.
Encouraged by the question, and the agitation of him who asked it, thepoor man gave way to his feelings, and answered with every sign ofsorrow,
"I saw her, my Lord, taken away by force--two ruffians seized and carriedher away, while she screamed in vain to me for help, and tore her hairin distraction."
"Man, what do you mean?" cried the Earl.
"Lord Margrave," replied the stranger, "we have no doubt, has formedthis plot--he has for some time past beset the house where she lived; andwhen his visits were refused, he threatened this. Besides, one of hisservants attended the carriage; I saw, and knew him."
Lord Elmwood listened to the last part of this account with seemingcomposure--then turning hastily to Rushbrook, he said,
"Where are my pistols, Harry?"
Sandford rose from his seat, and forgetting all the anger between them,caught hold of the Earl's hand, and cried, "Will you then prove yourselfa father?"
Lord Elmwood only answered, "Yes," and left the room.
Rushbrook followed, and begged with all the earnestness he felt, to bepermitted to accompany his uncle.
While Sandford shook hands with the farmer a thousand times; and he, inhis turn, rejoiced, as if he had already seen Lady Matilda restored toliberty.
Rushbrook in vain entreated Lord Elmwood; he laid his commands upon himnot to go a step from the Castle; while the agitation of his own mind,was too great, to observe the rigour of this sentence on his nephew.
During the hasty preparations for the Earl's departure, Sandfordreceived from Miss Woodley the sad intelligence of what had happened;but he returned an answer to recompence her for all she had suffered onthe occasion.
Within a few hours Lord Elmwood set off, accompanied by his guide, thefarmer, and other attendants furnished with every requisite to ascertainthe success of their enterprise--while poor Matilda little thought of adeliverer nigh, much less, that her deliverer should prove her father.
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