“Rawlins whose mill was burnt? Oh yes! my lady, I know him very well, but all that is settled. My lord, to whom he also applied, wrote to me to find him employment, and to give him and his family, for the present, a cottage that chanced to be vacant, and he also desired me to give the wife some allowance weekly till they had a little recovered themselves, and till he could see what more could be done for them, for they are honest industrious people, and my lord is so good. I have his letter somewhere about me, if your ladyship would like to see it,” added Reynolds, searching in a large pocket-book, in which among heaps of bills and papers he at last found it, and gave it to Emmeline.
Her heart overflowed towards her husband. “How good! how kind he is!” thought she, and she almost added, “kind to every one but me.”
The letter said nothing more than what Reynolds had repeated; but still, even to see his hand-writing was agreeable. She was just going to return it to him, when on the other side of the page, a postscript and her own name caught her eye, and with a beating heart, she continued:—
“I hope you have attended to those alterations in the greenhouse which Lady Fitzhenry wished to have made—and desire the groom to exercise her horse properly for her before her return, for when I last rode him he was much too spirited.”
Emmeline read and re-read these few words expressive of care and thought for her, till she exaggerated their meaning far beyond their original import, and on them built many a visionary castle of future happiness. She mounted her horse, and many an additional caress and kind word she addressed to the animal, now that it was connected in her mind with Fitzhenry, and with the first expression of interest about herself that had ever escaped him. She found the Rawlins family overflowing with gratitude, and offering up prayers for her husband, in which it cannot be doubted she most heartily joined.
Buoyed up by all these exhilarating feelings, she had almost forgotten her real situation, and the terms on which she and this beloved Fitzhenry lived; and in these flattering dreams, the two intervening days quickly passed, and that on which she was to expect him at last arrived. The whole of the morning was spent in restless anticipations of happiness, picturing to herself their meeting, fancying what he would say to her, how he would look at her, till she actually heard his carriage drive up to the door. With a beating heart she flew to the window, and her delighted eye caught the first glance of the face she loved.
His two friends were with him, and all three entered the room together. Emmeline was so overjoyed at seeing him again after a month’s separation—(a century in love’s calculation of time,) that fearful of expressing too much, she remained as if spell-bound in her place. Fitzhenry came up to her, but his manner was, if possible, more cold, more embarrassed than ever. How unlike the meeting that she had indulged herself in acting over and over in her own mind! He introduced his two companions to her. Mr. Pelham had one of those calm but expressive countenances which directly obtains our interest; and when he held out his hand to Emmeline, claiming the friendship of his friend’s wife, the interest seemed reciprocal. Indeed, his look of anxious curiosity when presented to her, would have been embarrassing, had not his manner been marked with a peculiar appearance of kindness.
Very different was the impression made on Emmeline by Mr. Moore. Although he looked clever and lively, she shrunk at once from him; the glance of his eye had something penetrating and satirical which she dreaded. With a pure guileless heart, and an unreproving conscience, poor Emmeline could not help fearing a quick observer of feelings in all the little daily occurrences of life.
The rest of the party that Fitzhenry had announced followed the day after. Lady Saville was what might be called agreeable in society, although more from possessing the polish and easy manner of the world, than from any decided talents or accomplishments. At first, she and her sister had, with the true impertinence of fine ladies, settled between them, that Emmeline could only be fit to laugh at; and they anticipated no little amusement in quizzing the banker’s daughter. But when they found her, as even they were themselves obliged to allow, quite on a par with themselves, perfect in manners, and in fact possessing the outward good breeding of the world, although free from that falsehood and selfishness which so often destroys its charm, they changed their tone, and resolved they would patronize her, declaring, “she was quite a person to be brought forward.” And they soon, found real pleasure in her society and conversation.
Some of the county neighbours, with whom Lady Saville was previously acquainted, joined the party, and the house was quite full. This, Emmeline plainly saw was now Fitzhenry’s plan of life when forced to be at Arlingford; and she was compelled with a sigh to own it was the best for them both; for in so numerous a society of course they were necessarily apart, and any coldness was little remarked. She could not help being aware that the distance between them, and the awkwardness of their manner, had rather encreased than worn off. And could it be otherwise? Two people no way connected can live under the same roof mutually cold and careless, and still be perfectly good friends, for the one will think so little about the other, that, when thrown together by chance, their manners will wear the ease of indifference. But between Fitzhenry and Emmeline, this was impossible. Both entirely engrossed by one feeling, which was to be concealed from the other, they had no point de reunion, no neutral ground on which to meet; and the more poor Emmeline’s affections became engaged, the more—and she felt conscious of it herself—the more timid and cold her manner grew towards her husband, and that of course reacted on Fitzhenry’s. He evidently too was now much out of spirits, and looked ill. Mr. Moore’s gaiety seemed too much for him; he rallied him too much on his gravity, and on his lately acquired married importance, as he called it, appearing to Emmeline purposely to take pleasure in tormenting him.