The Two Guardians | Page 8

"Gerald is with Jemmy Wortley, somewhere," she replied, "and I
begged Mrs. Wortley and Agnes to go down the village and leave me
alone. I have been very busy all the morning, and my head feels quite
confused with thoughts!"
"I am glad to have found you," said Edmund. "I have seen so little of
you since I have been here."
"Yes, you have been always with Mr. Lyddell. When does he go?"
"To-morrow morning."
"And you stay longer, I hope?"
"Only till Monday; I wish it was possible to stay longer, but it is
something to have a Sunday to spend here."
"And then I am afraid it will be a long time before we see you again."
"I hope not; if you are in London, it will be always easier to meet."
"In London! Ah! that reminds me I wanted to ask you what I am to say
to Selina Marchmont. I have a very kind letter from her, asking us to
come to stay with her directly, and hoping that it may be arranged for
us to live with them."
"Ah! I have a letter from her husband to the same effect," said Edmund.
"It really is very kind and friendly in them."

"Exceedingly," said Marian. "Will you read her letter, and tell me how
I am to answer her!"
"As to the visit, that depends upon what you like to do yourself. I
should think that you would prefer staying with the Wortleys, since
they are so kind as to receive you."
"You don't mean," exclaimed Marian, eagerly, "staying with them for
ever!"
Edmund shook his head. "No, Marian, I fear that cannot be."
"Then it is as I feared," sighed Marian. "I wonder how it is that I have
thought so much about myself; but it would come into my head, what
was to become of us, and I was very much afraid of living with the
Lyddells; but still there was a little glimmering of hope that you might
be able to manage to leave us with the Wortleys."
"I heartily wish I could," said Edmund, "but it is out of my power. My
uncle--"
"Surely papa did not wish us to live with the Lyddells?" cried Marian.
"I do not think he contemplated your living any where but at home."
"But the Vicarage is more like home than any other place could ever
be," pleaded Marian, "and papa did not like the Lyddells nearly so well
as the Wortleys."
"We must abide by his arrangements, rather than our own notions of his
wishes," said Edmund. "Indeed, I know that he thought Mr. Lyddell a
very sensible man."
"Then poor Gerald is to grow up away from his own home, and never
see the dear old moors! But if we cannot stay here, I had rather be with
Selina. She is so fond of Gerald, and she knows what home was, and
she knew and loved--them. And we should not meet so many strangers.
Only think what numbers of Lyddells there are! Boys to make Gerald

rude, and girls, and a governess--all strangers. And they go to London!"
concluded poor Marian, reaching the climax of her terrors. "O Edmund,
can you do nothing for us?"
"You certainly do not embellish matters in anticipation. You will find
them very different from what you expect--even London itself, which,
by the by, you would have to endure even if you were with Selina,
whom I suspect to be rather too fine and fashionable a lady for such a
homely little Devonshire girl."
"That Mrs. Lyddell will be. She is a very gay person, and they have
quantities of company. O Edmund!"
"The quantities of company," replied her cousin, "will interfere with
you far less in your schoolroom with the Miss Lyddells, than alone
with my Lady Marchmont, where, at your unrecognized age, you would
be in rather an awkward situation."
"Or I could go to Torquay, to old Aunt Jessie?"
"Aunt Jessie would not be much obliged for the proposal of giving her
such a charge."
"But I should take care of her, and make her life less dismal and
lonely."
"That may be very well some years hence, when you are your own
mistress: but at present I believe the trouble and change of habits which
having you with her would occasion, would not be compensated by all
your attention and kindness. Have you written to her yet?"
"No, I do not know how, and I hoped it was one of the letters that you
undertook for me."
"I think I ought not to relieve you of that. Aunt Jessie is your nearest
relation; I am sure this has been a great blow to her, and that it has cost
her much effort to write to you herself.