Chapter XI.

Ten days or a fortnight now flew swiftly by, during which, Mrs.

Wilson suffered Emily to give Clara a week, having first ascertained that Denbigh was a settled resident at the rectory, and thereby not likely to be oftener at the house of Francis than at the hall, where he was a frequent and welcome guest, both on his own account, and as a friend of Doctor Ives---

Emily had returned, and brought the bride and groom with her; when, one evening as they were pleasantly seated at their various amusements, with the ease of old acquaintances, Mr. Haughton entered, at an hour rather unusual for his visits; throwing down his hat, after making the usual inquiries, he began,

"I know, good people, you are all wondering what has brought me out this time of night, but the truth is, Lucy has coaxed her mother to persuade me into a ball, in honour of the times; so, my lady, I have consented, and my wife and daughter have been buying up all the finery in B--, by the way, I suppose, of anticipating their friends. There is a regiment of foot come into the barracks, within fifteen miles of us, and to-morrow I must beat up for recruits among the officers ---girls are never wanting on such occasions."

"Why," cried the baronet, "you are growing young again, my friend."

"No, Sir Edward, but my daughter is young, and life has so many cares, that I am willing she should get rid of as many as she can now, at my expense."

"Surely, you would not wish her to dance them away," said Mrs.

Wilson; "such relief, I am afraid, will prove temporary."

"Do you disapprove of dancing, ma'am?" said Mr. Haughton, who held her opinions in great respect, and some little dread.

"I neither approve or disapprove of it--- jumping up and down, is innocent enough in itself, and if it must be done, it is well it were done gracefully; as for the accompaniments of dancing I say nothing---what do you say, Doctor Ives?"

"To what, my dear madam?"

"To dancing."

"Oh! let the girls dance, if they enjoy it."

"I am glad you think so, doctor," cried Mr. Haughton; "I had thought I recollected your advising your son, never to dance or play at games of chance."

"You thought right, my friend," said the doctor, laying down his newspaper; "I gave that advice to Frank---I do not object to dancing as innocent in itself, and as elegant exercise, but it is like drinking, generally carried to excess; and as a Christian, I am opposed to all excesses; the music and companylead to intemperance in the recreation, and it often induces neglect of duties---but so may any thing else."

"I like a game of whist, doctor, greatly," said Mr. Haughton, "but observing you never play, and recollecting your advice to Mr. Francis, I have forbidden cards when you are my guest."

"I thank you for the compliment, good sir," replied the doctor, with a smile; "but I would much rather see you play cards, than hear you talk scandal, as you sometimes do."

"Scandal," echoed Mr. Haughton.

"Ay, scandal," said the doctor, coolly, "such as your own remark, the last time, which was yesterday, I called to see you--- that Sir Edward was wrong in letting that poacher off so easily as he did; the baronet, you said, did not shoot himself, and did not know how to prize game as he ought."

"Scandal, doctor--do you call that scandal; why, I told Sir Edward so himself, two or three times."

"I know you have, and that was rude."

"Rude! I hope, sincerely, Sir Edward has put no such construction on it;" and the baronet smiled kindly, and shook his head.

"Because the baronet chooses to forgive your offences, it does not alter their nature," said the doctor, gravely; "no, you must repent and amend; you impeached his motivesfor doing a benevolent act, and that I call scandal."

"Why, doctor, I was angry the fellow should be let loose; he is a pest to all the game in the county, and every sportsman will tell you so---here, Mr.

Moseley, you know Jackson, the poacher."

"Oh! a poacher is an intolerable wretch," cried Captain Jarvis.

"Oh! a poacher," cried John, with a droll look at Emily, "hang all poachers."

"Poacher, or no poacher, does not alter the scandal," said the doctor;

"now let me tell you, good sir, I would rather play at fifty games of whist, than make one such speech, unless, indeed, it interfered with my duties---

now, sir, with your leave, I'll explain myself, as to my son---There is an artificial levity about dancing, that adds to the dignity of no man; from some it may detract: a clergyman, for instance, is supposed to have other things to do, and it would hurt him in the opinions of those his influence is necessary with, and impair his usefulness; therefore clergymen should never dance---In the same way with cards; they are the common instruments of gambling, and an odium attached to them, on that account; women and clergymen must respect the prejudices of mankind, in some cases, or hurt their influence in society."

"I did hope to have the pleasure of your company, doctor," said Mr.

Haughton, hesitatingly.

"And if it will give you pleasure," cried the rector, "you shall have it, my good friend; it would be a greater evil to wound the feelings of such a neighbour as Mr. Haughton, than to show my face once at a ball---as innocent as your's will be;" and rising, he laid his hand on his shoulder kindly. "Both your scandal and rudeness are easily forgiven; but I wished to show you the common error of the world---that has attached odium to certain things, while it charitably overlooks others of a more heinous nature."

Mr. Haughton, who had at first been a little staggered with the attack of the doctor, recovered himself, with the view of his object, and laying a handful of notes on the table, hoped he should have the pleasure of seeing them all; the invitation was generally accepted, and the worthy man departed, happy if his friends did but come, and were pleased.

"Do you dance, Miss Moseley," inquired Denbigh of Emily, as he sat watching her graceful movements in netting a purse for her father.

"Oh yes! the doctor said nothing of us girls, you know; I suppose he thinks we have no dignity to lose," replied Emily, with a playful smile, and stealing a look at the rector.

"Admonitions are generally thrown away on young ladies, when pleasure is in thequestion," said the doctor, overhearing her as she intended, and with a look of almost paternal affection.

"I hope you do not seriously disapprove of it, in moderation," said Mrs. Wilson.

"That depends, madam, upon circumstances greatly; if it is to be made subsidiary to envy, malice, coquetry, vanity, or any other such little, lady-like accomplishment," replied the doctor, good-homouredly, "it certainly

had better be let alone---but in moderation, and with the feelings of my little pet here, I should be cynical, indeed, to object."

Denbigh appeared lost in his own ruminations during this little dialogue; and as the doctor ended, he turned to the captain, who was overlooking a game of chess, between the colonel and Jane, of which the latter had become remarkably fond of late, and played with her hands and eyes, instead of her feet, and inquired the name of the corps, in barracks at F--; "the--th foot, sir," replied the captain, haughtily, who neither respected him, owing to his want of consequence, or loved him, from the manner Emily listened to his conversation.

"Will Miss Moseley forgive a bold request I have to urge," said Denbigh, with some hesitation.

Emily looked up from her work in silence, but with some little flutterings at the heart, occasioned by his peculiar manner--"the honourof her hand for the first dance," said Denbigh, observing her in expectation he would proceed.

Emily laughingly said, "certainly, Mr. Denbigh, if you can submit to the degradation."

The London papers now came in, and most of the gentlemen sat down to their perusal. The colonel, however, replaced the men for a second game, and Denbigh still kept his place beside Mrs. Wilson and her niece. The manners, the sentiments, the whole exterior of this gentleman, were such as both the taste and judgment approved of--his qualities were those which insensibly gained on the heart, and Mrs. Wilson noticed, with a slight uneasiness, the very evident satisfaction her niece took in his society---In Dr. Ives she had great confidence, yet Dr. Ives was a friend, and probably judged him favourably; and again, Dr. Ives was not to suppose, he was introducing a candidate for the hand of Emily, in every gentleman he brought to the hall; Mrs. Wilson had seen too often the ill consequences of trusting to impressions received from inferences of companionship, not to know, the only safe way was to judge for ourselves; the opinions of others might be partial--might be prejudiced--and many an improper connexion had been formed, by listening to the sentiments of those who spoke without interest, and consequently without examination; not a few matchesare made by this idle commendation of others, uttered by lips that command respect from a reputation for intelligence, and which are probably suggested by a desire to please the very listener who hears them. In short, Mrs. Wilson

knew, that as our happiness chiefly interested ourselves, so it was to ourselves, or to those few whose interest was equal to our own, we could only trust those important inquiries, necessary to establish a permanent opinion of good or evil in a character. With Doctor Ives her communications on subjects of duty were frequent and confiding, and although she sometimes thought his benevolence disposed him to be rather too lenient to the faults of mankind, she entertained a profound respect for his judgment; it was very influential with her, if it were not always conclusive; she determined, therefore, to have an early conversation with him on the subject so near her heart, and be in a great measure regulated by his answers, in the immediate steps to be taken. Every day gave her, what she thought, melancholy proof of the ill consequences of neglecting our duty--in the increasing intimacy of Colonel Egerton and Jane.

"Here, aunt," cried John, as he ran over a paper, "is a paragraph relating to your favourite youth, our trusty and well beloved cousin, the Earl of Pendennyss."

"Read it," said Mrs. Wilson, with an interest his name never failed to excite.

"We noticed to day the equipage of the gallant Lord Pendennyss before the gates of Annandale-house, and understand the noble Earl is last from Bolton castle, Northamptonshire."

"A very important fact," said Captain Jarvis sarcastically; "Colonel Egerton and myself got as far as the village, to pay our respects to him, when we heard he had gone on to town."

"The earl's character, both as a man and a soldier," observed the colonel, "gives him a claim to our attentions, that his rank would not; it was on that account we would have called."

"Brother," said Mrs. Wilson, "you would oblige me greatly, by asking his lordship to waive ceremony; his visits to Bolton castle will probably be frequent, now we have peace; and the owner is so much from home, that we may never see him without some such invitation."

"Do you want him as a husband for Emily?" cried John, as he gaily seated himself by the side of his sister.

Mrs. Wilson smiled at an observation, which reminded her of one of her romantic wishes; and, as she raised her head to reply, in the same tone, met the eye of Denbigh fixed on her, with an expression that kept her silent: this is really an incomprehensibleyoung man in some respects, thought the

cautious widow, his startling looks on the introduction to the colonel, crossing her mind at the same time; and observing the doctor opening the door that led to the baronet's library, Mrs. Wilson, who acted generally as soon as she had decided, followed him in silence. As their conversations were known often to relate to little offices of charity they both delighted in, the movement excited no surprise, and she entered the library with the doctor, uninterrupted by any one else.

"Doctor," said Mrs. Wilson, impatient to proceed to the point, "you know my maxim, prevention is better than cure: this young friend of yours is very interesting."

"Do you feel yourself in danger?" said the rector, smiling.

"Not very imminent," replied the lady, laughing good naturedly; and seating herself, she continued, "who is he? and who was his father, if I may ask?"

"George Denbigh, Madam, both father and son," said the doctor gravely.

"Ah, doctor, I am almost tempted to wish Frank had been a girl; you know what I wish to learn."

"Put your questions in order, dear Madam," said the doctor, in a kind manner, "and they shall be answered."

"His principles?"

"So far as I can learn, they are good--his acts, as they have come to my notice, are highly meritorious, and I hope originated in proper motives; I have seen but little of him of late years, however, and on this head, you are nearly as good a judge as myself; his filial piety," said the doctor, dashing a tear from his eye, and speaking with fervour, "was lovely."

"His temper--his disposition."

"His temper is under great command, although naturally ardent; his disposition eminently benevolent towards his fellow-creatures."

"His connexions."

"Suitable," said the doctor with a smile.

His fortune was of but little moment; Emily would be amply provided, for all the customary necessaries of her station; and Mrs. Wilson thanking the divine, returned to the parlour, easy in her mind, and determined to let things take their own course for a time, but in no degree to relax the vigilance of her observation.

On her return to the room, Mrs. Wilson observed Denbigh approach Egerton, and enter into conversation of a general nature; it was the first time any thing more than unavoidable courtesies had passed between them, and the colonel appeared slightly uneasy under his situation; while, on the other hand, his companion showed an anxiety to be on a more friendly footing than heretofore--there was something mysteriousin the feelings manifested by both these gentlemen, that greatly puzzled the good lady to account for; and from its complexion, she feared one or the other was not entirely free from censure; it could not have been a quarrel, or their names would have been familiar to each other; they had both served in Spain she knew, and excesses were often committed by gentlemen at a distance from home, their pride would have prevented where they were anxious to maintain a character. Gambling, and a few other prominent vices, floated through her imagination, until wearied of conjectures where she had no data from which to discover the truth, and supposing after all it might be her imagination only, she turned to more pleasant reflections.