Stranica 181 [181]
133
for madmen.”
Mr. Giles, reminded of his unbecoming
costume, snatched off and pocketed his
night-eap, and substituted a hat of grave
and sober shape which he took out of the
chaise. ‘This done, the postboy drove off,
and Giles, Mr. Maylie, and Oliver followed
at their leisure.
As they walked along, Oliver glanced
from time to time with much interest and
curiosity at the new-comer. He seemed
about five-and-twenty years of age, and
was of the middle height ; his countenance
was frank and handsome, and his de¬
meanour singularly easy and prepossess¬
ing. Notwithstan ing the differences be¬
tween youth and age, he bore so strong a
likeness to the old lady, that Oliver would
have had no great difficulty in imagining
their relationship, even if he had not
already spoken of her as his mother.
Mrs. Maylie was anxiously waiting to
receive her son when he reached the cot¬
tage, and the meeting did not take place
without great emotion on both sides.
6 Oh, mother,” whispered the young
man, “ why did you not write before?"
s] did write,” replied Mrs. Maylie;
“but, on reflection, I determined to két
back the letter until I had heard Mr. Los¬
berne’s opinion.”
" But why,” said the young man, “ wh
run the chance of that occurring whic
not utter that word now—if this illness
had terminated differently, how could you
ever have forgiven yourself, or I been
happy again!"
“If that had been the case, Harry,”
said Mrs. Maylie, “I fear your happiness
would have been effectually blighted, and
that your arrival here a day sooner or a
day later would have been of very, very
little import.”
6 And who can wonder if it be so, mo¬
ther?” rejoined the young man; “ or why
should I say if?—It is—it is—you know
it, mother—you must know it.”
“I know that she well deserves the
best and purest love that the heart of man
ean offer,” said Mrs. Maylie; “I know
that the devotion and affection of her na¬
ture require no ordinary return, but one
that shall be deep and lasting. If I did
aot feel this, and know, besides, that a
shanged behaviour in one she loved would
areak her heart, I should not feel my task
60 difficult of performance, or have to en¬
counter a many struggles in my own bo¬
“This is unkind, mother,” said Harry.
“Do you still suppose that [am so much
a boy as not to know ny own mind, or to
mistake the impulses of my own soul!"
s [ think, my dear fellow,” returned
Mrs. Maylie, laying her hand upon his
shoulder, “that youth has many generous
impulses which do not last, and that
among them are some which, being gra¬
tified, become only the more fleeting.
Above all, I think,” said the lady, fixing
her eyes on her son’s face, “that if an
enthusiastic, ardent, ambitious young man
has a wife on whose name is a stain,
which, though it originate in no fault of
hers, may be visited by cold and sordid
people upon her, and upon his children
also, and, in exact proportion to his suc¬
cess in the world, be cast in his teeth, and
made the subject of sneers against him,
he may—no matter how generous and
good his nature—one day repent of the
connection he formed in early life, and
she may have the pain and torture of
knowing that he does so.”
c Mother,” said the young man impa¬
tiently, " he would be a mere selfish brute,
unworthy alike of the name of man and of
the woman you describe, who acted thus.”
“You think so now, Harry,” replied
his mother.
“ And ever will,” said the young man.
red during
the last two days wrings from me the
undisguised avowal to you of a passion
which, as you well know, is not one of
yesterday, nor one I have lightly formed.
On Rose, sweet gentle girl, my heart 1s
set as firmly as ever heart of man was
set on woman. I have no thought, or
view, or hope in life beyond her; and if
you oppose me in this great stake, you
take my peace and happiness in your
hands and cast them to the wind. Mo¬
ther, think better of this, and of me, and
do not disre the warm feelings of
which you seem to think so little.”
“Harry,” said Mrs. Maylie, "it is be¬
cause I think so much of warm and sensi¬
tive hearts that I would spare them from
being wounded. But we have said
enough, and more than enough, on this
matter just now.”
“Let it rest with Rose, then,” inter¬
posed Harry. " You will not press these
overstrained opinions of yours so far as to
throw any obstacle in my way?!"
“T will not,” rejoined Mrs. Maylie,
?
“but I would have you consider——”