tales for fifteen-第26章

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Charlotte　smiled；　and　taking　her　work；　quietly
seated　herself　at　her　table　before　she　replied

〃You　go　through　Cupid's　exercise　so　dexterously；
Maria；　one　is　led　to　suspect　you　have　seen　some
service。〃

〃Not　under　such　an　officer；　girl！　Ah！　Colonel
Delafield；　or　Generalno；　Field　Marshal　Delafield；　is
an　officer　that　might　teach〃as　Miss　Osgood　spoke
with　short　interruptions　between　her　epithets；　as　if
in　search　of　proper　terms；　she　dwelt　a　moment　on
the　last　word　in　such　a　manner　as　to　give　it　a
particular　emphasisCharlotte　started；　more
perhaps　from　the　manner　than　the　expression；　and
turning　her　glowing　face　towards　her　friend；　she
cried　involuntarily

〃Is　it　possible　that　you　could　have　overheard〃

〃What？〃

〃Nothingwhat　nonsense！〃

〃Let　me　tell　you；　Miss　Prude；　it　is　in　such　nonsense；
however；　that　the　happiness　or　misery　of　us　poor
sports　of　fortune；　called　women；　in　a　great　measure
blooms　or　fadesnow　that　I　call　poetical！but　for
your　answer：　first　you　saidindeed；　Mr。　Delafield；
this　is　SO　unexpected…though　you　knew　well
enough　what　was　comingthen　you　blushed　as　you
did　a　little　while　ago；　and　said　I　am　so　youngI
am　but　poor　seventeenthen　he　swore　you　were
seventyno；　no；but　he　said　you　are　old　enough　to
be　his　ruling　starhis　destinyhis　idolhis　object
of　WORSHIPha！　I　do　hit　the　right　epithet　now　and
then。　Wellthen　you　said　you　had　parents；　as　if　the
poor　man　did　not　know　that　already；　and　that　they
must　be　consulted；　and　he　desired　you　to　ask　the
whole　cityhe　defied　them　all　to　say　aught　against
himhe　was　regular　at　churchsubscribed　to　the
widow's　society；　and　the　assembly；　and　in　short；
was　called　a　'good'　young　man；　even　in　Wall…
street。〃

〃All　this　is　very　amusing；　Mariabut〃

〃It　is　all　very　true。　Then　he　was　pressing；　and　you
were　coy；　until　finally　he　extorted　your　definitive
answer；　which　was〃　Maria　paused；　and　seemed　to
be　intensely　studying　the　looks　of　the　otherMiss
Henley　smiled　as　she　turned　her　placid；　ingenuous
features　to　her　gaze；　and　continued　the
conversation　by　repeating；

〃Which　was？〃

〃NO；　irretrievableunanswerableunalterable　NO。〃

〃I　have　not　authorized　you　to　suspect　any　part　of
this　rhapsody　to　be　trueI　have　not　said　you　were
right　in　a　single　particular。〃

〃Excuse　me；　Miss　Henley；　you　have　said　all；　and
Seymour　Delafield　told　me　the　same　as　we　passed
each　other　at　the　street　door。〃

〃Is　it　possible！〃

〃It　could　not　be　otherwise。　His　mouth　was　shut；　it
is　true；　and　his　tongue　might　have　been　in　his
pocket；　for　any　thing　I　know：　but　his　eyes　and　his
head；　his　walk；　and　even　his　nose　were　downcast；
and　spoke　mortification。　On　the　other　hand；　your
little　body　looks　an　inch　higher；　your　eyes　look
resolute；　as　much　as　to　say；　'Avaunt；　false　one！
your　whole　appearance　is　that　of　determined　denial；
mingled〃

〃Mingled　with　what；　trifler？〃

〃Mingled　with　a　little　secret；　woman's　pride；　that
you　have　had　an　opportunity　of　showing　your
absolute　character。〃

〃You　know　these　feelings　from　experience；　do　you？〃

〃No　child；　my　very　nature　is　charity；　if　the　request
had　been　made　to　me；　I　should　have　sent　the
desponding　youth　to　my　father；　and　if　he　refused；
to　my　mother〃

〃And　if　she　refused？〃

〃Why　then　I　should　have　said；　two　negatives　make
an　affirmative。〃

Charlotte　laughed；　and　in　this　manner　the　serious
explanation　which；　between　friends　so　intimate
might　have　been　expected；　was　avoided。　Maria；　at
the　same　time；　that　she　fell　and　manifested　a　deep
interest　in　the　TETE…A…TETE　that　she　had　promoted；
always　avoided　any　thing　like　a　grave　explanation；
and　we　have　failed　in　giving　the　desired　view　of　the
character　of　Miss　Henley；　if　our　readers　deem　it
probable　that　she　would　ever　touch　on　the　subject
voluntarily。

The　winter　passed　by　in　the　ordinary　manner　in
which　other　winters　pass　in　this　climate；　being　a
mixture　of　mild；　delightful　days；　clear　sky；　and
invigorating　sun；　and　of　intense；　cold；　raw　winds；
and　snow　storms。　The　two　latter　seemed　to　try　the
constitution　of　poor　George　Morton　to　the　utmost。
The　severe　cold　that　he　took　in　his　charitable
excursion　lingered　about　him　through　the　cold
months；　and　before　the　genial　warmth　of　May
occurred　to　relieve　him；　his　physicians　pronounced
that　his　lungs　were　irremediably　affected。　During
the　period　of　doubt　and　apprehension　which
preceded　the　annunciation　of　this　opinion；　and　of
distress　and　agony　which　succeeded　it；　the　family
of　Mr。　Henley　warmly　sympathized　in　the　feelings　of
their　neighbours。　The　long　intimacy　that　had
existed　between　George　and　Charlotte　and　their
parents；　removed　all　superfluous　forms；　and　the
latter　passed　a　great　deal　of　her　time　with　Mrs。
Morton；　or　by　the　side　of　the　invalid。　Her　presence
gave　him　such　manifest　and　lively　pleasure；　that　it
would　have　been　cruel　to　have　denied　him　what　the
other　appeared　to　grant　spontaneously。　Charlotte
had　gradually　withdrawn　herself　from　society　as　the
illness　of　George　increased；　and　his　danger　became
more　apparent；　and　at　the　expiration　of　the　month
of　April；　she　was　seldom　visible　to　those　who　are
called　the　world；　with　the　exception　of　the
immediate　connexions　of　her　family；　and　her　friend
Maria　0sgood。　In　the　beginning　of　May　both　Mr。
Morton　and　his　neighbour　withdrew　to　their　country
houses；　and　thus　the　retirement　from　the　world　and
the　intercourse　between　the　two　families　became
more　complete。

Delafield　had　made　one　or　two　efforts　to　renew　his
addresses　to　Charlotte；　but　finding　them　in　every
instance　firmly；　though　mildly　rejected；　he
endeavoured　to　discover　such　imperfections　in　the
object　of　his　regard　as　might　justify　him　in　disliking
her。　The　more　he　reflected　on　her　conduct；　however；
the　more　he　became　sensible　of　the　propriety　and
simplicity　of　her　deportment；　and　had　not　the
impression　she　had　made　on　the　young　man
proceeded　rather　from　the　effect　on　his　fancy；　than
from　having　touched　his　heart；　the　consequences　of
his　conviction　of　her　purity　and　truth　might　have
been　more　lasting　and　deplorable。　As　it　was；　his
heated　imagination　gradually　ceased　to　glow　with
the　beauties　of　an　image　that　was；　however　perfect
in　itself；　extravagantly　coloured　by　his　own　youthful
imagination；　and　in　time；　if　he　thought　at　all　of
Charlotte　Henley；　he　thought　of　her　as　a　beautiful
object；　it　is　true；　but　as　of　one　that　brought
somewhat　mortifying　reflections　along　with　it。　This
might　not　have　been　manly　or　generous；　perhaps；
but　we　believe　it　is　the　manner　in　nine　cases　out　of
ten　in　which　such　sudden　emotions　expire；
especially　if　the　ardour　of　the　youth　has
precipitated　a　declaration　that　the　more　chastened
feelings　of　the　damsel　are　not　yet　prepared　to
reciprocate。　While　the　image　of　Charlotte　was　still
lingering　in　his　mind；　he　was　in　the　habit　of　visiting
Maria　Osgood　almost　daily；　to　ask　questions　about
her；　and　perhaps　with　a　secret　expectation　of　their
meeting　her　at　the　house　of　her　friend。　The　gay
trifling　of　Miss　Osgood　aided　greatly　both　in　cooling
his　spleen　and　removing　his　melancholy；　till　in　the
course　of　a　month　he　even　proceeded　so　far　as　to
make　her　the　confidant　of　what　she　already　knew；
though　only　by　conjecture　and　inference。　Delafield
at　this　time　was　so　urgent；　and　secretly　so
determined　to　prevail；　in　order　that　his　pride　if　not
his　affections　might　be　soothed；　that　in　an
unguarded　moment　he　induced　the　inconsiderate
Maria　to　betray；　we　will　not　say　the　confidence　of
her　friend；　but　such　facts　as　could　only　have　come
to　her　knowledge　by　the　intimacy　of　unaffected
association。　If　there　were　any　thing　to　extenuate
this　breach　of　decorum　by　Maria；　it　was　the　manner
in　which　it　was　effected。　Miss　Osgood　had　just
returned　from　one　of　her　frequent　visits　to　the　villa
of　Mr。　Henley；　when　Delafield　made　his　customary
morning　call：　the　absence　of　Maria；　and　the　object
of　her　visit；　had　been　well　known　to　him；　and　as　it
was　a　time　when　he　began　to　speak　of　Miss　Henley
without　much　emotion；　and　but　little　love；　he　could
not　avoid　yielding　so　far　to　his　pique　as　to　express
himself　as　follows：

〃So；　Miss　Maria；　you　have　just　returned　from　paying
another　visit　to　your　beautiful　little　friend　without
any