For she knew several young ladies in the neighbourhood, who in former times were “setting their caps” at him.
Such disagreeable reflections often threw her into fits of despondency, and on such occasions no one could prevail upon her to sing or play in the parlour, as was her custom of an evening.
And she had been known to flounce out of that apartment in high dudgeon, on one occasion, when someone had mentioned the name of Miss Josephine Smith, who lived next door, and enjoyed a great reputation for a pretty figure, and a graceful dancer—two things in which Clara innocently supposed herself to be greatly deficient.
On a particular afternoon, Miss Clara had been excruciatingly miserable, and knew not the reasons why.
When twilight came she went into the parlour and uncovered the harp, with the intention of playing some pathetic air by way of consolation; but, upon entering the apartment, she perceived Dame Worthington and old Sir Richard Warbeck in earnest conversation in the back parlour, and Charles’s name being mentioned, Clara leaned against the half-opened folding doors and listened.
“Well, I know that the affectionate little Dolly likes him, as much as any girl ever could do, but I don’t think he cares so much about her, perhaps,” said the old dame.
“Say no more about it; if he makes a judicious match I will assist him in the world; but as to mere ’curls, and ‘harp playing,’ and all that superficial nonsense, I know he has an ambition above all that. The girl he carries in his heart has greater qualifications than these, or I am much mistaken, I know the lady he admires most, and she doesn’t live more than a hundred miles from this house,” Sir Richard said.
Clara Haylark could hear no more; she rushed from the apartment in despair. The die was cast! Charles was lost for ever!
For several days she kept her rooms, and could not be prevailed upon, despite all importunities, to appear in the parlour after tea.
No one could assign a cause for her absence, and a certain Augustus Fumbleton, Esq., who was hopelessly paying his addresses to her under the secret auspices of her mother, called evening after evening without seeing his idol on the music-stool, and retired to his cold and lonely lodgings in meek resignation, luxuriating in melancholy madness, yet feeling an intense dismal satisfaction that he could truthfully report to his intended mother-in-law that he was daily decreasing in rotundity, and fast falling into a galloping fashionable decline!