Heartsease | Page 7

fairness,--the form of her face the perfect oval!--what you so seldom
see--and her figure, just the right height, tall and taper! I don't believe
she could be awkward if she was to try. She'll beat every creature
hollow, especially in a few years' time when she's a little more formed.'

'She is very young?'
'Sixteen on our wedding-day. That's the beauty of it. If she had been a
day older it would have been a different thing. Not that they could have
spoilt her,--she is a thoroughbred by nature, and no mistake.'
'How did your acquaintance begin?'
'This way,' said Arthur, leaning back, and twirling a chair on one of its
legs for a pivot. 'Fitzhugh would have me come down for a fortnight's
fishing to Wrangerton. There's but one inn there fit to put a dog to sleep
in, and when we got there we found the house turned out of window for
a ball, all the partitions down on the first floor, and we driven into holes
to be regaled with distant fiddle-squeak. So Fitzhugh's Irish blood was
up for a dance, and I thought I might as well give in to it, for the floor
shook so that there was no taking a cigar in peace. So you see the stars
ordained it, and it is of no use making a row about one's destiny,'
concluded Arthur, in a sleepy voice, ceasing to spin the chair.
'That was your first introduction?'
'Ay. After that, one was meeting the Mosses for ever; indeed, we had to
call on the old fellow to get leave for fishing in that water of Lord St.
Erme's. He has a very pretty sort of little place out of the town close to
the park, and--and somehow the weather was too bright for any sport,
and the stream led by their garden.'
'I perceive,' said John.
'Well, I saw I was in for it, and had nothing for it but to go through with
it. Anything for a quiet life.'
'A new mode of securing it,' said John, indignant at his nonchalance.
'There you don't display your wonted sagacity,' returned Arthur coolly.
'You little know what I have gone through on your account. If you had
been sound-winded, you would have saved me no end of persecution.'

'You have not avoided speculation as it is,' John could not help saying.
'I beg to observe that you are mistaken. Old Moss is as cunning a fox as
ever lived; but I saw his game, and without my own good-will he might
have whistled for me. I saw what he was up to, and let him know it, but
as I was always determined that when I married it should be to please
myself, not my aunt, I let things take their course and saved the row at
home.'
'I am sure she knew nothing of this.'
'She? Bless you, poor child. She is as innocent as a lamb, and only
thinks me all the heroes in the world.'
'She did not know my father was ignorant of it?'
'Not she. She does not know it to this day.' John sat thinking; Arthur
twirled the chair, then said, 'That is the fact. I suppose my aunt had a
nice story for you.'
'It agreed in the main with yours.'
'I was unlucky,' said Arthur, 'I meant to have brought her home before
my aunt and Theodora had any news of it. I could have got round them
that way, but somehow Theodora got scent of it, and wrote me a
furious letter, full of denunciation--two of them--they hunted me
everywhere, so I saw it was no use going there.'
'She is much hurt at your letter. I can see that she is, though she tries to
hide her feelings. She was looking quite pale when we came home, and
I can hardly bear to see the struggle to look composed when you are
mentioned.'
This evidently produced some compunction, but Arthur tried to get rid
of it. 'I am sure there was nothing to take to heart in it--was there,
John?'
'I don't know. She had burnt it without letting any one see it; and it was

only through my aunt that we learnt that she had received it.'
'Well! her temper is up, and I am sorry for it,' said Arthur. 'I forget what
I said. I dare say it was no more than she deserved. I got one of these
remonstrances of hers at Wrangerton, on the day before, and another
followed me a couple of days after to Matlock, so I could not have that
going on for ever, and wrote off to put a stop to it. But what does his
lordship say?'
'Do you wish him to forgive or not?' said his brother,