Heir of Redclyffe — 35 - Chapter 29, Part 1

Hark, how the birds do sing, And woods do ring!

All creatures have their joy, and man hath his;

Yet if we rightly measure, Man’s joy and pleasure Rather hereafter than in present is: Not that he may not here Taste of the cheer, But as birds drink and straight lift up the head, So must he sip and think Of better drink He may attain to after he is dead.

--HERBERT

Guy returned to Hollywell on the Friday, there to spend a quiet week with them all, for it was a special delight to Amy that Hollywell and her family were as precious to him for their own sakes as for hers.

It was said that it was to be a quiet week--but with all the best efforts of Mrs. Edmonstone and Laura to preserve quiet, there was an amount, of confusion that would have been very disturbing, but for Amy’s propensity never to be ruffled or fluttered.

What was to be done in the honeymoon was the question for consideration.

Guy and Amy would have liked to make a tour among the English cathedrals, pay a visit at Hollywell, and then go home and live in a corner of the house till the rest was ready; for Amy could not see why she should take up so much more room than old Sir Guy, and Guy declared he could not see that happiness was a reason for going pleasure-hunting;

but Charles pronounced this very stupid, and Mr. Edmonstone thought a journey on the Continent was the only proper thing for them to do.

Mrs. Edmonstone wished Amy to see a little of the world.

Amy was known to have always desired to see Switzerland; it occurred to Guy that it would be a capital opportunity of taking Arnaud to see the relations he had been talking for the last twenty years of visiting, and so they acquiesced; for as Guy said, when they talked it over together, it did not seem to him to come under the denomination of pleasure-hunting, since they had not devised it for themselves; they had no house to go to; they should do Arnaud a service, and perhaps they should meet Philip.

‘That will not be pleasure-hunting, certainly,’ said Amy; then, remembering that he could not bear to hear Philip under-rated, she added, ‘I mean, unless you could convince him, and then it would be more than pleasure.

’ ‘It would be my first of unattained wishes,’ said Guy.

‘Then we will enjoy the journey.

’ ‘No fear on that score,’ ‘And for fear we should get too much into the stream of enjoyment, as people abroad forget home-duties, let us stick to some fixed time for coming back.

’ ‘You said Redclyffe would be ready by Michaelmas.

’ ‘I have told the builder it must be.

So, Amy, as far as it depends on ourselves, we are determined to be at home by Michaelmas.

’ All seemed surprised to find the time for the wedding so near at hand.

Charles’s spirits began to flag, Amy was a greater loss to him than to anybody else; she could never again be to him what she had been, and unable as he was to take part in the general bustle and occupation, he had more time for feeling this, much more than his mother and Laura, who were employed all day.

He and Guy were exemplary in their civilities to each other in not engrossing Amy, and one who had only known him three years ago, when he was all exaction and selfishness, could have hardly believed him to be the same person who was now only striving to avoid giving pain, by showing how much it cost him to yield up his sister.

He could contrive to be merry, but the difficulty was to be cheerful; he could make them all laugh in spite of themselves, but when alone with Amy, or when hearing her devolve on her sisters the services she had been wont to perform for him, it was almost more than he could endure;

but then he dreaded setting Amy off into one of her silent crying-fits, for which the only remedy was the planning a grand visit to Redclyffe, and talking overall the facilities of railroads and carriages.

The last day had come, and a long strange one it was; not exactly joyful to any, and very sad to some, though Amy, with her sweet pensive face, seemed to have a serenity of her own that soothed them whenever they looked at her.

Charlotte, though inclined to be wild and flighty, was checked and subdued in her presence; Laura could not be entirely wretched about her; Charles lay and looked at her without speaking; her father never met her without kissing her on each side of her face, and calling her his little jewel; her mother--but who could describe Mrs. Edmonstone on that day, so full of the present pain, contending with the unselfish gladness.

Guy kept out of the way, thinking Amy ought to be left to them.

He sat in his own room a good while, afterwards rode to Broadstone, in coming home made a long visit to Mr. Ross; and when he returned, he found Charles in his wheeled chair on the lawn, with Amy sitting on the grass by his side.

He sat down by her and there followed a long silence,--one of those pauses full of meaning.

‘When shall we three meet again?

’ at length said Charles, in a would-be lively tone.

‘And where?

’ said Amy.

‘Here,’ said Charles; ‘you will come here to tell your adventures, and take up Bustle.

’ ‘I hope so,’ said Guy.

‘We could not help it.

The telling you about it will be a treat to look forward to all the time.

’ ‘Yes; your sight-seeing is a public benefit.

You have seen many a thing for me.

’ ‘That is the pleasure of seeing and hearing, the thing that is not fleeting,’ said Guy.

‘The unselfish part, you mean,’ said Charles; and mused again, till Guy, starting up, exclaimed-- ‘There are the people!

’ as a carriage came in view in the lane.

‘Shall I wheel you home, Charlie?

’ ‘Yes, do.

’ Guy leant over the back, and pushed him along; and as he did so murmured in a low tremulous tone, ‘Wherever or whenever we may be destined to meet, Charlie, or if never again, I must thank you for a great part of my happiness here--for a great deal of kindness and sympathy.

’ Charles looked straight before him, and answered--‘The kindness was all on your part.

I had nothing to give in return but ill-temper and exactions.

But, Guy, you must not think I have not felt all you have done for me.

You have made a new man of me, instead of a wretched stick, laughing at my misery, to persuade myself and others that I did not feel it.

I hope you are proud of it.

’ ‘As if I had anything to do with it!

’ ‘Hadn’t, you, that’s all!

I know what you won’t deny, at any rate--what a capital man-of-all-work you have been to me, when I had no right to ask it, as now we have,’ he added, smiling, because Amy was looking at him, but not making a very successful matter of the smile.

‘When you come back, you’ll see me treat you as indeed “a man and a brother.

”’ This talk retarded them a little, and they did not reach the house till the guests were arriving.

The first sight that met the eyes of Aunt Charlotte and Lady Eveleen as they entered, was, in the frame of the open window, Guy’s light agile figure, assisting Charles up the step, his brilliant hazel eyes and glowing healthy complexion contrasting with Charles’s pale, fair, delicate face, and features sharpened and refined by suffering.

Amy, her deep blushes and downcast eyes almost hidden by her glossy curls, stood just behind, carrying her brother’s crutch.

‘There they are,’ cried Miss Edmonstone, springing forward from her brother and his wife, and throwing her arms round Amy in a warm embrace.

‘My dear, dear little niece, I congratulate you with all my heart, and that I do.

’ ‘I’ll spare your hot cheeks, Amy dearest!

’ whispered Eveleen, as Amy passed to her embrace, while Aunt Charlotte hastily kissed Charles, and proceeded--‘I don’t wait for an introduction;’ and vehemently shook hands with Guy.

‘Ay, did I say a word too much in his praise?

’ said Mr. Edmonstone.

‘Isn’t he all out as fine a fellow as I told you?

’ Guy was glad to turn away to shake hands with Lord Kilcoran, and the next moment he drew Amy out of the group eagerly talking round Charles’s sofa, and holding her hand, led her up to a sturdy, ruddy-brown, elderly man, who had come in at the same time, but after the first reception had no share in the family greetings.

‘You know him, already,’ said Guy; and Amy held out her hand, saying-- ‘Yes, I am sure I do.

’ Markham was taken by surprise, he gave a most satisfied grunt, and shook hands as heartily as if she had been his favourite niece.

‘And the little girl?

’ said Amy.

‘O yes.

--I picked her up at St. Mildred’s: one of the servants took charge of her in the hall.

’ ‘I’ll fetch her,’ cried Charlotte, as Amy was turning to the door, and the next moment she led in little Marianne Dixon, clinging to her hand.

Amy kissed her, and held her fast in her arms, and Marianne looked up, consoled in her bewilderment, by the greeting of her dear old friend, Sir Guy.

Mr. Edmonstone patted her head; and when the others had spoken kindly to her, Charlotte, under whose especial charge Guy and Amy had placed her, carried her off to the regions up-stairs.

The rest of the evening was hurry and confusion.

Mrs. Edmonstone was very busy, and glad to be so, as she must otherwise have given way; and there was Aunt Charlotte to be talked to, whom they had not seen since Charles’s illness.

She was a short, bustling, active person, with a joyous face, inexhaustible good-humour, a considerable touch of Irish, and referring everything to her mother,--her one thought.

Everything was to be told to her, and the only drawback to her complete pleasure was the anxiety lest she should be missed at home.

Mrs. Edmonstone was occupied with her, telling her the history of the engagement, and praising Guy; Amy went up as soon as dinner was over, to take leave of old nurse, and to see little Marianne; and Eveleen sat between Laura and Charlotte, asking many eager questions, which were not all convenient to answer.

Why Sir Guy had not been at home at Christmas was a query to which it seemed as if she should never gain a reply; for that Charles had been ill, and Guy at Redclyffe, was no real answer; and finding she should not be told, she wisely held her tongue.

Again she made an awkward inquiry-- ‘Now tell me, is Captain Morville pleased about this or not?

’ Laura would have been silent, trusting to Eveleen’s propensity for talking, for bringing her to some speech that it might be easier to answer, but Charlotte exclaimed, ‘What has he been saying about it?

’ ‘Saying?

O nothing.

But why does not he come?

’ ‘You have seen him more lately than we have,’ said Laura.

‘That is an evasion,’ said Eveleen; ‘as if you did not know more of his mind than I could ever get at, if I saw him every day of my life.

’ ‘He is provoking, that is all,’ answered Charlotte.

‘I am sure we don’t want him; but Laura and Guy will both of them take his part.

’ A call came at that moment,--the box of white gloves was come, and Laura must come and count them.

She would fain have taken Charlotte with her;

but neither Charlotte nor Eveleen appeared disposed to move, and she was obliged to leave them.

Eva had already guessed that there was more chance of hearing the facts from Charlotte, and presently she knew a good deal.

Charlotte had some prudence, but she thought she might tell her own cousin what half the neighbourhood knew--that Philip had suspected Guy falsely, and had made papa very angry with him, that the engagement had been broken off, and Guy had been banished, while all the time he was behaving most gloriously.

Now it was all explained; but in spite of the fullest certainty, Philip would not be convinced, and wanted them to have waited five years.

Eveleen agreed with Charlotte that this was a great deal too bad, admired Guy, and pitied Amy to her heart’s content.

‘So, he was banished, regularly banished!

’ said she.

‘However of course Amy never gave him up.

’ ‘Oh, she never mistrusted him one minute.

’ ‘And while he had her fast, it was little he would care for the rest.

’ ‘Yes, if he had known it, but she could not tell him.

’ Eveleen looked arch.

‘But I am sure she did not,’ said Charlotte, rather angrily.

‘You know nothing about it, my dear.

’ ‘Yes, but I do; for mamma said to Charlie how beautifully she did behave, and he too,--never attempting any intercourse.

’ ‘Very good of you to believe it.

’ ‘I am sure of it, certain sure,’ said Charlotte.

‘How could you venture to think they would either of them do anything wrong?

’ ‘I did not say they would.

’ ‘What, not to write to each other when papa had forbidden it, and do it in secret, too?

’ ‘My dear, don’t look so innocently irate.

Goodness has nothing to do with it, it would be only a moderate constancy.

You know nothing at all of lovers.

’ ‘If I know nothing of lovers, I know a great deal of Amy and Guy, and I am quite sure that nothing on earth would tempt them to do anything in secret that they were forbidden.

’ ‘Wait till you are in love, and you’ll change your mind.

’ ‘I never mean to be in love,’ said Charlotte indignantly.

Eveleen laughed the more, Charlotte grew more angry and uncomfortable at the tone of the conversation, and was heartily glad that it was broken off by the entrance of the gentlemen.

Guy helped Charles to the sofa, and then turned away to continue his endless talk on Redclyffe business with Markham.

Charlotte flew up to the sofa, seized an interval when no one was in hearing, and kneeling down to bring her face on a level with her brother’s whispered--‘Charlie, Eva won’t believe but that Guy and Amy kept up some intercourse last winter.

’ ‘I can’t help it, Charlotte.

’ ‘When I tell her they did not, she only laughs at me.

Do tell her they did not.

’ ‘I have too much self-respect to lay myself open to ridicule.

’ ‘Charlie, you don’t think it possible yourself?

’ exclaimed Charlotte, in consternation.

‘Possible--no indeed.

’ ‘She _will_ say it is not wrong, and that I know nothing of lovers.

’ ‘You should have told her that ours are not commonplace lovers, but far beyond her small experience.

’ ‘I wish I had!

Tell her so, Charlie; she will believe you.

’ ‘I sha’n’t say one word about it.

’ ‘Why not?

’ ‘Because she is not worthy.

If she can’t appreciate them, I would let her alone.

I once thought better of Eva, but it is very bad company she keeps when she is not here.

’ Charles, however, was not sorry when Eveleen came to sit by him, for a bantering conversation with her was the occupation of which he was moat capable.

Amy, returning, came and sat in her old place beside him, with her hand in his, and her quiet eyes fixed on the ground.

The last evening for many weeks that she would thus sit with him,--the last that she would ever be a part of his home.

She had already ceased to belong entirely to him; she who had always been the most precious to him, except his mother.

Only his mother could have been a greater loss,--he could not dwell on the anticipation; and still holding her hand, he roused himself to listen, and answer gaily to Eveleen’s description of the tutor, Mr. Fielder, ‘a thorough gentleman, very clever and agreeable, who had read all the books in the world; the ugliest, yes, without exaggeration, the most quaintly ugly man living,--little, and looking just as if he was made of gutta percha, Eveleen said, ‘always moving by jerks,--so Maurice advised the boys not to put him near the fire, lest he should melt.

’ ‘Only when he gives them some formidable lesson, and they want to melt his heart,’ said Charles, talking at random, in hopes of saying something laughable.

‘Then his eyes--‘tis not exactly a squint, but a cast there is, and one set of eyelashes are black and the other light, and that gives him just the air of a little frightful terrier of Maurice’s named Venus, with a black spot over one eye.

The boys never call him anything but Venus.

’ ‘And you encourage them in respect for their tutor?

’ ‘Oh, he holds his own at lessons, I trow; but he pretends to have such a horror of us wild Irish, and to wonder not to find us eating potatoes with our fingers, and that I don’t wear a petticoat over my head instead of a bonnet, in what he calls the classical Carthaginian Celto-Hibernian fashion.

’ ‘Dear me,’ said Charlotte, ‘no wonder Philip recommended him.

’ ‘O, I assure you he has the gift, no one else but Captain Morville talks near as well.

’ So talked on Eveleen, and Charles answered her as much in her own fashion as he could, and when at last the evening came to an end, every one felt relieved.

Laura lingered long in Amy’s room, perceiving that hitherto she had known only half the value of her sister her sweet sister.

It would be worse than ever now, when left with the others, all so much less sympathizing, all saying sharp things of Philip, none to cling to her with those winsome ways that had been unnoted till the time when they were no more to console her, and she felt them to have been the only charm that had softened her late dreary desolation.

So full was her heart, that she must have told Amy all her grief but for the part that Philip had acted towards Guy, and her doubts of Guy would not allow her the consolation of dwelling on Amy’s happiness, which cheered the rest.

She could only hang about her in speechless grief, and caress her fondly, while Amy cried, and tried to comfort her, till her mother came to wish her good night.

Mrs. Edmonstone did not stay long, because she wished Amy, if possible to rest.

‘Mamma’ said Amy, as she received her last kiss, ‘I can’t think why I am not more unhappy.

’