The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb Part 2

"Maria! in my hours of visionary indulgence, I have sometimes painted to myself a _husband_--no matter whom--comforting me amidst the distresses, which fortune had laid upon us. I have smiled upon him through my tears; tears, not of anguish, but of tenderness;--our children were playing around us, unconscious of misfortune; we had taught them to be humble, and to be happy; our little shed was reserved to us, and their smiles to cheer it.--I have imagined the luxury of such a scene, and affliction became a part of my dream of happiness."

The girl blushed as she read, and trembled--she had a sort of confused sensation, that Allan was noticing her--yet she durst not lift her eyes from the book, but continued reading, scarce knowing what she read.

Allan guessed the cause of her confusion. Allan trembled too--his colour came and went--his feeling became impetuous--and, flinging both arms round her neck, he kissed his young favourite.

Rosamund was vexed and pleased, soothed and frightened, all in a moment--a fit of tears came to her relief.

Allan had indulged before in these little freedoms, and Rosamund had thought no harm of them--but from this time the girl grew timid and reserved--distant in her manner, and careful of her behaviour, in Allan's presence--not seeking his society as before, but rather shunning it--delighting more to feed upon his idea in absence.

Allan too, from this day, seemed changed: his manner became, though not less tender, yet more respectful and diffident--his bosom felt a throb it had till now not known, in the society of Rosamund--and, if he was less familiar with her than in former times, that charm of delicacy had superadded a grace to Rosamund, which, while he feared, he loved.

There is a _mysterious character_, heightened indeed by fancy and pa.s.sion, but not without foundation in reality and observation, which true lovers have ever imputed to the object of their affections. This character Rosamund had now acquired with Allan--something _angelic, perfect, exceeding nature_.

Young Clare dwelt very near to the cottage. He had lost his parents, who were rather wealthy, early in life; and was left to the care of a sister, some ten years older than himself.

Elinor Clare was an excellent young lady--discreet, intelligent, and affectionate. Allan revered her as a parent, while he loved her as his own familiar friend. He told all the little secrets of his heart to her--but there was _one_, which he had hitherto unaccountably concealed from her--namely, the extent of his regard for Rosamund.

Elinor knew of his visits to the cottage, and was no stranger to the persons of Margaret and her grandaughter. She had several times met them, when she had been walking with her brother--a civility usually pa.s.sed on either side--but Elinor avoided troubling her brother with any unseasonable questions.

Allan's heart often beat, and he has been going to tell his sister _all_--but something like shame (false or true, I shall not stay to enquire) had hitherto kept him back--still the secret, unrevealed, hung upon his conscience like a crime--for his temper had a sweet and n.o.ble frankness in it, which bespake him yet a virgin from the world.

There was a fine openness in his countenance--the character of it somewhat resembled Rosamund's--except that more fire and enthusiasm were discernible in Allan's--his eyes were of a darker blue than Rosamund's--his hair was of a chesnut colour--his cheeks ruddy, and tinged with brown. There was a cordial sweetness in Allan's smile, the like to which I never saw in any other face.

Elinor had hitherto connived at her brother's attachment to Rosamund.

Elinor, I believe, was something of a physiognomist, and thought she could trace in the countenance and manner of Rosamund qualities, which no brother of her's need be ashamed to love.

The time was now come, when Elinor was desirous of knowing her brother's favorite more intimately--an opportunity offered of breaking the matter to Allan.

The morning of the day, in which he carried his present of fruit and flowers to Rosamund, his sister had observed him more than usually busy in the garden, culling fruit with a nicety of choice not common to him.

She came up to him, un.o.bserved, and, taking him by the arm, enquired, with a questioning smile--"What are you doing, Allan? and who are those peaches designed for?"

"For Rosamund Gray"--he replied--and his heart seemed relieved of a burthen, which had long oppressed it.

"I have a mind to become acquainted with your handsome friend--will you introduce me, Allan? I think I should like to go and see her this afternoon."

"Do go, do go, Elinor--you don't know what a good creature she is--and old blind Margaret, you will like _her_ very much."

His sister promised to accompany him after dinner; and they parted.

Allan gathered no more peaches, but hastily cropping a few roses to fling into his basket, went away with it half filled, being impatient to announce to Rosamund the coming of her promised visitor.

CHAPTER V

When Allan returned home, he found an invitation had been left for him, in his absence, to spend that evening with a young friend, who had just quitted a public school in London, and was come to pa.s.s one night in his father's house at Widford, previous to his departure the next morning for Edinburgh University.

It was Allan's bosom friend--they had not met for some months--and it was probable, a much longer time must intervene, before they should meet again.

Yet Allan could not help looking a little blank, when he first heard of the invitation. This was to have been an important evening. But Elinor soon relieved her brother, by expressing her readiness to go alone to the cottage.

"I will not lose the pleasure I promised myself, whatever you may determine upon, Allan--I will go by myself rather than be disappointed."

"Will you, will you, Elinor?"

Elinor promised to go--and I believe, Allan, on a second thought, was not very sorry to be spared the aukwardness of introducing two persons to each other, both so dear to him, but either of whom might happen not much to fancy the other.

At times, indeed, he was confident that Elinor _must_ love Rosamund, and Rosamund _must_ love Elinor--but there were also times in which he felt misgivings--it was an event he could scarce hope for very joy!

Allan's _real presence_ that evening was more at the cottage than at the house, where his _bodily semblance_ was visiting--his friend could not help complaining of a certain absence of mind, a _coldness_ he called it.

It might have been expected, and in the course of things predicted, that Allan would have asked his friend some questions of what had happened since their last meeting, what his feelings were on leaving school, the probable time when they should meet again, and a hundred natural questions which friends.h.i.+p is most lavish of at such times; but nothing of all this ever occurred to Allan--they did not even settle the method of their future correspondence.

The consequence was, as might have been expected, Allan's friend thought him much altered, and, after his departure, sat down to compose a doleful sonnet about a "faithless friend."--I do not find that he ever finished it--indignation, or a dearth of rhymes, causing him to break off in the middle.

CHAPTER VI

In my catalogue of the little library at the cottage, I forgot to mention a book of Common Prayer. My reader's fancy might easily have supplied the omission--old ladies of Margaret's stamp (G.o.d bless them) may as well be without their spectacles, or their elbow chair, as their prayer book--I love them for it.

Margaret's was a handsome octavo, printed by Baskerville, the binding red, and fortified with silver at the edges. Out of this book it was their custom every afternoon to read the proper psalms appointed for the day.

The way they managed was this: they took verse by verse--Rosamund _read_ her little portion, and Margaret repeated hers, in turn, from memory--for Margaret could say all the Psalter by heart, and a good part of the Bible besides. She would not unfrequently put the girl right when she stumbled or skipped. This Margaret imputed to giddiness--a quality which Rosamund was by no means remarkable for--but old ladies, like Margaret, are not in all instances alike discriminative.

They had been employed in this manner just before Miss Clare arrived at the cottage. The psalm they had been reading was the hundred and fourth--Margaret was naturally led by it into a discussion of the works of creation.

There had been _thunder_ in the course of the day--an occasion of instruction which the old lady never let pa.s.s--she began--

"Thunder has a very awful sound--some say, G.o.d Almighty is angry whenever it thunders--that it is the voice of G.o.d speaking to us--for my part, I am not afraid of it"--

And in this manner the old lady was going on to particularise, as usual, its beneficial effects, in clearing the air, destroying of vermin, &c.

when the entrance of Miss Clare put an end to her discourse.

Rosamund received her with respectful tenderness--and, taking her grandmother by the hand, said, with great sweetness, "Miss Clare is come to see you, grandmother."

"I beg pardon, lady--I cannot _see_ you--but you are heartily welcome--is your brother with you, Miss Clare? I don't hear him."--

"He could not come, madam, but he sends his love by me."

"You have an excellent brother, Miss Clare--but pray do us the honor to take some refreshment--Rosamund"----

And the old lady was going to give directions for a bottle of her currant wine--when Elinor, smiling, said "she was come to take a cup of tea with her, and expected to find no ceremony."

"After tea, I promise myself a walk with _you_, Rosamund, if your grandmother can spare you."--Rosamund looked at her grandmother.