Imatges de pàgina
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Author of "Anne Judge, Spinster," “Grandmother's Money,” “Poor Humanity," "Little Kate Kirby,” &c.

IT

CHAPTER VII.

ANGELO'S WOOING.

BOOK II.

A FALLEN FORTUNE.

T was not a difficult task for Angelo Salmon to discover the new home of Miss Westbrook. There had been but little disguise about it-only one faint effort to keep "herself to herself" for a day or two until she had had time to arrange her plans, and look more closely at the future. Mabel had no wish to hide for ever from the friends who had gathered round her in the days of her prosperity even from the friends whom she had made in Penton; but as she told Dorcas very frankly, she did not desire to be "bothered" with them at present. They would respect her seclusion for a few days, she thought, not reckoning on the pertinacity of Mr. Angelo Salmon, whose reverence for her did not extend to keeping in the background for a minute longer than he could help. She had parted from him in a hasty fashion, and he was entitled to say

"adieu”—if it were to be adieu-in his own way, at all events. He had taken counsel of Brian Halfday, a sober and discreet man, before he had ventured to act upon the impulses of his own soft heart, and he would tell all this plainly to Miss Westbrook, quote his authorities, and make his apologies, and she, he trusted, would forgive him. He was at the door of the house wherein Miss Westbrook had sought shelter from society, at nine in the evening of the day she had been driven from St. Lazarus by the flyman whom Angelo had "interviewed" and given a sovereign for "information received."

Miss Westbrook and Dorcas were not at Penton, but residing in apartments in a rustic little villa between St. Lazarus and the city itself. A bill in the upstairs window, calling attention to furnished lodgings within, had arrested Mabel's notice on her journey from the Hospital, and she had called to the driver to stop, with something more of her old impulse than she had lately exhibited.

Registered in accordance with the Copyright Act of 1875.

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"If we could rest there for a day or two, Dorcas," said Mabel, " I should be glad." But your rooms are at the 'Mitre'?" "Oh! I must give them up, and the maid who is waiting for me there I haven't told you that I am down in the world, Dorcas."

"Down in the world!" said Dorcas, opening her dark eyes to their fullest extent at the announcement, for she had heard not a word of the loss of fortune which had befallen her companion.

"Yes I will tell you when we are settled."

And when they had settled in these quiet country quarters, and Dorcas had heard and been amazed by the news-and had only found time to express a little sympathy, and give way to several showers of tears, at which Mabel Westbrook laughed it was formally announced by the landlady that Mr. Angelo Salmon was waiting below,and would be very glad to be honoured by an interview with Miss Westbrook.

The gentleman in attendance would have been scarcely flattered had he heard the frank expression of Miss Westbrook's opinion upon his advent.

"How very tiresome!" she exclaimed ; "then he has found us out already."

"He is always prying about," said Dorcas, in a more angry tone than her mistress; “ he is——————”

"Hush! child," said Mabel, very quickly now, "this is a dear friend of mine, of whom we cannot afford to think unkindly."

"A dear friend!" said Dorcas, with her eyes widening again, "you don't mean that

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"That he is anything dearer than a friend. Oh! no," she added, with another little laugh. "Ah!" said Dorcas, "but he may be presently. There is no telling what may happen after the first start."

"That's philosophy, Dorcas," answered Mabel, "but we will leave the consideration of it for the present."

The subject was postponed, and Mr. Angelo Salmon sent for instead. He came in softly, as though a noise were likely to disturb the inmates of the room, and blushed and stammered as he said "Good evening,' and bowed low over the extended hand of Mabel Westbrook.

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"You have soon found us," said Mabel. "Yes, I have found you," he replied, "and I am very glad."

"How did you obtain the address ?"

"I met the flyman-accidentally, just now, in the High Street-and it struck me he would know," replied Angelo, blushing more vividly than ever.

"Yes, but how did you know the flyman?"

"The flyman ?-oh! the flyman, I think you said," was the confused reply, "well, Hodsman told me that there was a piebald horse to the fly, and there are only three piebald horses in Penton, and I—but I am very glad to see you again, Miss Westbrook."

"I did not anticipate the honour would arrive so speedily. You might have given me more time to collect my thoughts," said Mabel.

"I was uneasy-I was anxious-I was really miserable, Miss Westbrook, to think you had left us," answered Angelo. "Indeed."

"And I hope you are not angry with me for taking the first opportunity of coming to see you," he said imploringly.

"No," said Mabel thoughtfully, "I am not angry at a kind attention, or a generous. impulse-no true woman should be.'

True woman! He remembered Brian Halfday's words of consolation and encouragement at once: "A woman is only ungrateful to true affection when she is no true woman!" They gave him courage to speak out by degrees all that was in his heart, poor nervous being though he was, at his best. And Angelo Salmon was certainly at his best that night.

"I did not feel I could rest until I had discovered you," he continued, " and I hope you are not in any way vexed because I have arrived so quickly after your departure from my father's house. I have not acted hastily, or entirely on my own judgment in this matter."

Mabel looked surprised.

"I do not understand you, Mr. Angelo," she said.

"I will explain in one minute, Miss Westbrook," he replied.

He took time to recover that amount of composure which he had lost, and whilst absorbed in the process, Dorcas stole from the room, like a considerate young woman as she was on that occasion. Angelo did not notice her departure; but Mabel let her go for purposes of her own. It might be as well that this folly of Angelo Salmon's

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should be ended at once and for ever-it would leave his path of life very clear ahead of him, and there would be no misunderstanding between them from that night. Let him confess all that was in his heart, and thus put an end to the delusion which he had fostered.

Angelo recovered himself somewhat, coughed faintly, and began again

"I have not acted entirely on my own judgment, Miss Westbrook, I was saying," he commenced; " or rather, I submitted my own impressions to one in whom you once desired me to place confidence."

"Who is that?" said Mabel, quickly.
"Mr. Brian Halfday."
"Yes-but-——————”

She did not complete her sentence, and Angelo Salmon, after waiting a few moments, resumed the thread of his argument.

"You told me it was your conviction that I might rely upon Mr. Halfday as a friend; and I went to him when I discovered you had left the Hospital of St Lazarus.”

"I would have preferred your coming straight to me. It would have been more manly," said Mabel thoughtfully.

He

Angelo looked disconsolate at this. had followed her advice, and she did not compliment him on his blind obedience.

"I had quite made up my mind what to do, Miss Westbrook," he said, " before I saw Mr. Halfday, for that matter."

"What was the use of disturbing him, then ?"

"I-I-don't know. I thought I would hear what he had to say."

"And now I will hear what you have to say, Mr. Salmon," said Mabel readily; "and we will set aside this Mr. Halfday from our discussion. Proceed."

She leaned back in her chair, and waited very patiently and coldly for his statement, whilst the red blood deepened more upon his forehead and cherubic cheeks. But with all his confusion, his courage was not lacking to confess the truth. It was the courage of despair, too, he knew already; but he went on, speaking with less embarrassment as he proceeded:

"I am resuming a subject which I began this morning-which I would have finished then if you would have allowed me," he continued;" and which, if I blunder through now, I hope you will forgive. For I am clumsy of speech; I have not the happy

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"I thank you for the compliment, but I know I haven't," he replied. "I know very well I'm not a man quite up to the markthat 'a rock or two more,' as the old women term it, would have completely settled me. But that is neither here nor there; I wish to say, to begin with, that I hope you will not consider me less your friend than formerly, and that in every way in which I can be of service, I hope you will command me."

"I do not see that in any way I can call upon you for assistance," was Mabel's an

swer.

"You cannot tell. The loss of a large fortune may entail upon you, for a short while, at least, pecuniary embarrassments for which you are not prepared at present, and I-I may-I beg your pardon," he added, as Mabel held up her small white hand.

"Do not talk to me of money," she said; "you are very good, and I appreciate your goodness, but please do not talk to me of money. I have a balance still at Penton Bank."

ing.

Angelo remembered Brian Halfday's warn

"I beg pardon," he said again. "I will not mention another word concerning it, only I did not know how you might be situated after the collapse of the bank in the States, and-and it suggested itself to me

"You will spare me, I know," said Mabel, once more interrupting him; "you will understand that I am a proud and independent little woman at present. Mr. Halfday surely did not advise you to talk of money to me?"

"Oh! no."

"I am glad of that," said Mabel.

"It is only fair to Mr. Halfday to remark that he strongly advised me not to mention money to you."

"He and I have quarrelled about money matters before this," said Mabel thoughtfully, "and he knows the danger of the topic. But," she added, with her white forehead knit a little with the "second thoughts behind it, "why did he ask you to be careful in this case with me?"

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"One moment, if you will allow me, and I will explain," he entreated. "I am in no hurry."

Angelo Salmon took a long breath, and then dived into the one great subject of his life, and got over it for good.

"Miss Westbrook, Miss Mabel," he began, "it is useless to dispute the fact that that I have been a different being since I first had the pleasure of your acquaintance. I-I have felt a wiser and better man, if you will not think me conceited in saying so. I have seen before me something to live for --and strive for—and pray for—and that is your affection. Miss Westbrook, upon my word and honour, I love you very much indeed."

It was a simple confession, and soon related. There was no eloquence about it, and a great deal of embarrassment; but it was a genuine utterance, which affected the listener more than a page and a half of the best blank verse would have done under similar circumstances.

Mabel looked down, and changed colour at the young man's earnestness, and the tears for a while swam in her great grey eyes.

Angelo awaited her reply, and presently it came :

"My poor Angelo," she said, in a strange, sad tone which he knew at once presaged his death-warrant, "I am very sorry you should have thought of me. I am not unmindful of the value of the compliment you pay me, or why at such a time you speak out all that is in your heart; but I wish you had not said a word."

"Why not?"

"Because you might have seen the truth for yourself, and spared both of us," she replied; "because your proposal suggests that I have given you encouragement."

"Now, pray don't think that for a moment," Angelo hastened to add. "I am presumptuous, I know-- I should have waited a longer period-addressed you in a different manner said and done a hundred different things in a hundred different ways-but I could only realize the facts that you had met misfortune, were going from Penton, and that in a single moment I might lose you. I was miserable-and I came to you.' "In declining this offer, Angelo," she said, "do I render you less miserable?"

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"I-I don't know," was his reply. "And I must decline it-thankfully, but very firmly and trusting that such a question as this may never rise between us again."

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"You two appear to have been discussing all my merits and demerits," said Mabel.

"You said he was a man to place confidence in."

"Yes. But one man does not go to another to trouble him with such love nonsense as this."

"No-no," cried Angelo, "not nonsense —to love you!

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Mabel coloured again.

"A man like Brian Halfday would consider your confession nonsensical and trivial," said Mabel.

"Oh! no-he didn't," answered Angelo, "because he saw I was in earnest." And needed his advice?" "Well-yes."

"And he gave you a sufficient amount of it to bring you here?"

"Yes," Angelo said again, and this time. very mournfully.

"A sufficient amount of encouragement, I mean?"

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"Yes-exactly."

"It is no secret, I suppose?" "No-but why should I embarrass you further by all this?" he replied.

"Don't mind me, Angelo," she said. "Mr. Halfday, I should have imagined, would have been angry at your intruding on his studies would have laughed at your romance, even if he had finally warned you of the folly of fostering it."

"I have said, Miss Westbrook, that he did nothing of the kind," replied Angelo; "he received me favourably-and listened patiently-after a time."

"And what did he advise you to doand say? This man," she added angrily, "who had no right to advise you concerning myself who knows less of me than you do, and cares a great deal less too. Why will you not tell me what he said?"

"It is no use," said Angelo shaking his head, "it is only prolonging my pain."

"Prolonging your fiddlestick," cried Mabel, with more energy and less sentiment. "I suppose you did not follow his advice, and don't like to confess as much to me. He told you to keep away-you know he did!"

"Upon my honour he did not," said Angelo, lured into the relation of the facts at last; "he told me to persevere-to tell the truth of my love, and win you."

"And win me!" said Mabel, her voice sinking very low, "as if it were an easy task for you."

"No-he did not imply that."

"As if I were an easy conquest to any man with money enough to keep me."

"I have already told you, Miss Westbrook, that he cautioned me against mentioning money in your presence," answered Angelo. "Ah! so you have," was the reply. "He sketched out quite a plan of the campaign for you. I hope you have followed his instructions." "You are vexed with me for going to him," said Angelo.

"It does not matter in the least," replied Mabel. "No, I am not vexed-but you acted foolishly in going to him, that is all. Shall you return and tell him that his advice has been vanity and vexation, and you have not secured me ?"

"I don't know what I shall do now," responded Angelo, helplessly.

"He will be surprised at the result of your mission," said Mabel.

"He may be. I can't tell."

"Women, in his estimation, are easily captured, it is evident," she continued thoughtfully; "although wise men make mistakes at times, when women are in question."

"You are offended with me for not acting on my own judgment," cried Angelo, "and yet I should have come here with the same words on my lips-the same feelings in my breast."

"I am not offended with you," she replied.

"With him, then ?" he said shrewdly. "No, certainly not."

"Not for encouraging me, and wishing me God-speed?"

"In wishing you God-speed," she repeated, "he must have been deeply interested in this case, and I am very much surprised." "He would be naturally interested," said Angelo.

"Why?"

"He is interested in you." "Yes-so it seems!

"You did not doubt that?

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