|
|
|
Prev
| Next
| Contents
CHAPTER XVIII: LORD LIFTORE
The chief cause of Malcolm's anxiety had been, and perhaps still
was, Lord Liftore. In his ignorance of Mr Lenorme there might
lie equal cause with him, but he knew such evil of the other that
his whole nature revolted against the thought of his marrying his
sister. At Lossie he had made himself agreeable to her, and now,
if not actually living in the same house, he was there at all hours
of the day.
It took nothing from his anxiety to see that his lordship was
greatly improved. Not only had the lanky youth passed into a well
formed man, but in countenance, whether as regarded expression,
complexion, or feature, he was not merely a handsomer but looked
in every way a healthier and better man. Whether it was from some
reviving sense of duty, or that, in his attachment to Florimel,
he had begun to cherish a desire of being worthy of her, I cannot
tell; but he looked altogether more of a man than the time that had
elapsed would have given ground to expect, even had he then seemed
on the mend, and indeed promised to become a really fine looking
fellow. His features were far more regular if less informed than
those of the painter and his carriage prouder if less graceful and
energetic. His admiration of and consequent attachment to Florimel
had been growing ever since his visit to Lossie House the preceding
summer, and if he had said nothing quite definite, it was only
because his aunt represented the impolicy of declaring himself just
yet: she was too young. She judged thus, attributing her evident
indifference to an incapacity as yet for falling in love. Hence,
beyond paying her all sorts of attentions and what compliments he
was capable of constructing, Lord Liftore had not gone far towards
making himself understood--at least, not until just before
Malcolm's arrival, when his behaviour had certainly grown warmer
and more confidential.
All the time she had been under his aunt's care he had had abundant
opportunity for recommending himself, and he had made use of the
privilege. For one thing, credibly assured that he looked well in
the saddle, he had constantly encouraged Florimel's love of riding
and desire to become a thorough horse woman, and they had ridden a
good deal together in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh. This practice
they continued as much as possible after they came to London early
in the spring; but the weather of late had not been favourable,
and Florimel had been very little out with him.
For a long time Lady Bellair had had her mind set on a match between
the daughter of her old friend the Marquis of Lossie and her nephew,
and it was with this in view that, when invited to Lossie House,
she had begged leave to bring Lord Meikleham with her. The young
man was from the first sufficiently taken with the beautiful girl
to satisfy his aunt, and would even then have shown greater fervour
in his attentions, had he not met Lizzy Findlay at the wedding
of Joseph Mair's sister, and found her more than pleasing. I will
not say that from the first he purposed wrong to her: he was too
inexperienced in the ways of evil for that; but even when he saw
plainly enough to what their mutual attraction was tending, he gave
himself no trouble to resist it; and through the whole unhappy affair
had not had one smallest struggle with himself for the girl's sake.
To himself he was all in all as yet, and such was his opinion of
his own precious being, that, had he thought about it, he would have
considered the honour of his attentions far more than sufficient
to make up to any girl in such a position for whatever mishap his
acquaintance might bring upon her. What were the grief and mortification
of parents to put in the balance against his condescension? what
the shame and the humiliation of the girl herself compared with
the honour of having been shone upon for a period, however brief,
by his enamoured countenance? Must not even the sorrow attendant upon
her loss be rendered more than endurable--be radiantly consoled
by the memory that she had held such a demigod in her arms? When
he left her at last, with many promises, not one of which he ever
had the intention of fulfilling, he did purpose sending her a present.
But at that time he was poor--dependent, indeed, for his pocket
money upon his aunt; and, up to this hour, he had never since his
departure from Lossie House taken the least notice of her either
by gift or letter. He had taken care also that it should not be
in her power to write to him, and now he did not even know that he
was a father. Once or twice the possibility of such being the case
occurred to him, and he thought within himself that if he were,
and it should come to be talked of, it might, in respect of his
present hopes, be awkward and disagreeable; for, although such a
predicament was nowise unusual, in this instance the circumstances
were. More than one of his bachelor friends had a small family
even, but then it was in the regular way of an open and understood
secret: the fox had his nest in some pleasant nook, adroitly masked,
where lay his vixen and her brood; one day he would abandon them
for ever, and, with such gathered store of experience, set up for
a respectable family man. A few tears, a neat legal arrangement,
and all would be as it had never been, only that the blood of the
Montmorencies or Cliffords would meander unclaimed in this or that
obscure channel, beautifying the race, and rousing England to noble
deeds! But in his case it would be unpleasant--a little--that
every one of his future tenantry should know the relation in which
he stood to a woman of the fisher people. He did not fear any
resentment--not that he would have cared a straw for it, on such
trifling grounds, but people in their low condition never thought
anything of such slips on the part of their women especially where
a great man was concerned. What he did fear was that the immediate
relations of the woman--that was how he spoke of Lizzy to himself
--might presume upon the honour he had done them. Lizzy, however,
was a good girl, and had promised to keep the matter secret until
she heard from him, whatever might be the consequences; and surely
there was fascination enough in the holding of a secret with such
as he to enable her to keep her promise. She must be perfectly
aware, however appearances might be against him, that he was not
one to fail in appreciation of her conduct, however easy and natural
all that he required of her might be. He would requite her royally
when he was Lord of Lossie. Meantime, although it was even now in
his power to make her rich amends, he would prudently leave things as
they were, and not run the risk that must lie in opening communications.
And so the young earl held his head high, looked as innocent as
may be desirable for a gentleman, had many a fair clean hand laid
in his, and many a maiden waist yielded to his arm, while "the
woman" flitted about half an alien amongst her own, with his child
wound in her old shawl of Lossie tartan; wandering not seldom in
the gloaming when her little one slept, along the top of the dune,
with the wind blowing keen upon her from the regions of eternal
ice, sometimes the snow settling softly on her hair, sometimes the
hailstones nestling in its meshes; the skies growing blacker about
her, and the sea stormier, while hope retreated so far into the
heavenly regions, that hope and heaven both were lost to her view.
Thus, alas! the things in which he was superior to her, most of
all that he was a gentleman, while she was but a peasant girl--
the things whose witchery drew her to his will, he made the means
of casting her down from the place of her excellency into the mire
of shame and loss. The only love worthy of the name ever and always
uplifts.
Of the people belonging to the upper town of Portlossie, which
raised itself high above the sea town in other respects besides the
topical, there were none who did not make poor Lizzy feel they were
aware of her disgrace, and but one man who made her feel it by being
kinder than before. That man, strange to say, was the factor. With
all his faults he had some chivalry, and he showed it to the fisher
girl. Nor did he alter his manner to her because of the rudeness
with which her mother had taken Malcolm's part.
It was a sore proof to Mr Crathie that his discharged servant was
in favour with the marchioness when the order came from Mr Soutar
to send up Kelpie. She had written to himself when she wanted her
own horse; now she sent for this brute through her lawyer. It was
plain that Malcolm had been speaking against him; and he was the
more embittered therefore against his friends.
Since his departure he had been twice on the point of poisoning
the mare.
It was with difficulty he found two men to take her to Aberdeen.
There they had an arduous job to get her on board and secure her.
But it had been done, and all the Monday night Malcolm was waiting
her arrival at the wharf--alone, for after what had passed between
them, he would not ask Peter to go with him, and besides he was no
use with horses. At length, in the grey of a gurly dawn, the smack
came alongside. They had had a rough passage, and the mare was
considerably subdued by sickness, so that there was less difficulty
in getting her ashore, and she paced for a little while in tolerable
quietness. But with every step on dry land, the evil spirit in her
awoke, and soon Malcolm had to dismount and lead her. The morning
was little advanced, and few vehicles were about, otherwise he could
hardly have got her home uninjured, notwithstanding the sugar with
which he had filled a pocket Before he reached the mews he was
very near wishing he had never seen her. But when he led her into
the stable, he was a little encouraged as well as surprised to
find that she had not forgotten Florimel's horse. They had always
been a little friendly, and now they greeted each other with an
affectionate neigh; after which, with the help of all she could
devour, the demoness was quieter.
Prev
| Next
| Contents
|
|
|