Ashcliffe Hall: A tale of the last century

by Emily Sarah Holt

This was only Tuesday. Celia heard the question put with a sinking of dismay. How should she go? yet how should she refuse?

"My Lady Ingram," said Squire Passmore, coming forward at last, "if you were this child's own mother, or if her father were yet alive, I could not of course set myself against your taking her away. But you tell us that you are only her step-mother, and that her father is dead. It seems to me, therefore, that she is at least as much our child as yours—rather more, indeed, seeing that we have brought her up from her cradle, and you have never cared to see her until this day. Moreover, I hope your Ladyship will not take it ill of me, if I ask you for some proof that you really are the child's step-mother."

"What proof shall I give you, Mr. Passmore?" asked Lady Ingram, quietly. "I have every wish to satisfy you. If you desire to see proofs that I am really Lady Ingram, ask the servants my name, or look here"—

She drew a letter from her pocket, and held it out to the Squire. The direction was—"To my Lady Ingram."

"Madam," said the Squire, returning the letter with a bow, "I do not in the least doubt that I have the honor of addressing my Lady Ingram. But can you satisfy me that you are Celia's step-mother?"

"If my word is not enough to satisfy you, Mr. Passmore," answered Lady Ingram, not at all annoyed, "I know of nothing that will do it. The marriage-registers of Celia's parents, or my own, would give you no information concerning her: and she has no register of baptism. I believe, however, that her name was written on a paper left with her, in Sir Edward's hand. If you will produce that paper, I will show you more of his writing, which you can compare with it. I think the fact of my knowledge on the subject ought to prove to you that I am the person whom I represent myself to be."

The writing on the two papers, when compared, tallied; and Squire Passmore felt that Lady Ingram was right, and that she could not produce any proof of her relationship so strong as the mere fact of her knowledge of Celia's name and origin. If she really were Celia's step-mother, he had no wish to prevent his adopted daughter from making acquaintance with her own family: and he saw nothing for it but to take Lady Ingram at her word.

"I am satisfied, Madam, that you have some relation to Celia," said he. "And as to her visiting you—for I cannot consent to her being taken entirely away—let the child choose for herself. Sure she is old enough."

"Ah!" said Lady Ingram, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Very well. You shall decide, chère Celia. At the least you will visit me?"

"I will visit you, Madam, with pleasure," answered Celia, a little to the damage of truth; "but these dear friends, who have had a care of me from my childhood, I could not leave them entirely, Madam." The sentence ended in tears.