As the carriage moved slowly through a lane between Elmwood Castle and her own house, on casting her eyes out of the window, Miss Milner’s countenance was brightened in an instant, and that instant Lord Frederick, on horse-back, was at the coach door, and the coachman stopped.
“Oh, Miss Milner,” cried he, (with a voice and manner that could give little suspicion of the truth of what he said) “I am overjoyed at the happiness of seeing you, even though it is but an accidental meeting.”
She was evidently glad to see him; but the earnestness with which he spoke, put her upon her guard not to express the like, and she said, in a cool constrained manner, she “Was glad to see his Lordship.”
The reserve with which she spoke, gave Lord Frederick immediate suspicion who was in the coach with her, and turning his head quickly, he met the stern eye of Dorriforth; upon which, without the smallest salutation, he turned from him again abruptly and rudely. Miss Milner was confused, and Miss Woodley in torture, at this palpable affront, to which Dorriforth alone appeared indifferent.
“Go on,” said Miss Milner to the footman, “desire the coachman to drive on.”
“No,” cried Lord Frederick, “not till you have told me when I shall see you again.”
“I will write you word, my Lord,” replied she, something alarmed. “You shall have a letter immediately after I get home.”
As if he guessed what its contents were to be, he cried out with warmth, “Take care, then, Madam, how you treat me in that letter—and you, Mr. Dorriforth,” turning to him, “do you take care what it contains; for if it is dictated by you, to you I shall send the answer.”
Dorriforth, without making any reply, or casting a look at him, put his head out of the window on the opposite side, and called, in a very angry tone, to the coachman, “How dare you not drive on, when your Lady orders you?”
The sound of Dorriforth’s voice in anger, was to the servants so unusual, that it acted like electricity upon the man, and he drove on at the instant with such rapidity, that Lord Frederick was in a moment left many yards behind. As soon, however, as he recovered from the surprise into which this sudden command had thrown him, he rode with speed after the carriage, and followed it, till it arrived at the door of Miss Milner’s house; there, giving himself up to the rage of love, or to rage against Dorriforth for the contempt he had shewn to him, he leaped from his horse when Miss Milner stepped from her carriage, and seizing her hand, entreated her “Not to desert him, in compliance with the injunctions of monkish hypocrisy.”