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Show 72 RICHARD H URDTS. other persons. To this nrrnngemcnt we olUrctcd in vain. Tl1o chambers were too few and the crowd too g-rcnt to permit a t:n·. ern-keeper to tolcrntc ;my unnecessary fastidiousness on tl1c pnrt of his guests. Here let me pause in the n:nrntivc of my own progrcsfl, nnd retrace for a. brief period my steps. I.ct me unfold the doings of otl1crs, ncccFi:-arily conucctcd with my own, which nrc proper to Lc mndc known to the rcaUcr in this j)I:tcc, though only known to me long Hftcr tltcir occulTCncc. The parting with my Lrothcr will be remcmLcrcd. It will be recollected, that, when Mary Enstcrby en me between us nftcr I l1ad dragged J1im from l1is IJ OI'SC, nnd prm'cnted strife, and possibly bloodshed, thnt l1c left us together, and proceeded to tiLe ha.bitntion of her parents. 'l'hcrc, with a !Jen.rt full of bitterness toward me, and a mind crowded with conflicting aud angry emotion:::, he yet contriYed effectually to conceal from obserYntion bot!, the struggle aud the bitterness. His words were free, cnsy, well arranged, and good-naturcr1, ns usunl, to nll around; and, when :Mary Eastcrby returned to the cottage nftcr I had left her, siLo started with SUI1lrisc to sec how dfectunlly he could hide the tr:tcC's of that flcrcc and unnatural strife in which, but a little w!Jilc before, IJC had been so earnestly CJJgagcd. The unlooked-for case with which tl1is was done, eflCctually startled nncl pained lu:or. By wklt mastery of his emotions had this been done, and what was the nnture of that spirit which could so hcnn ctically senT its nnger, its hate, its llllmnn mill perbnps holiest passions? She s.1-w him in a new light. llcrctofore she l1:td regarded !Jim but in one aSJJCct-ns a mnn more so licitous of his ease than of his reputation, good-natured in tltc extreme, too slotltful to be in·itaLle, too fond of repose and good living to harbor secret lJOstilitics. If her O}Jinion 011 this subject did not suffer change, it at least called for prompt revision and reexamination under the ucw light in which it appet'lred, and wlliclt now served only to dazzle and confound her. 'l'hc wonder increused as the evening adv:mced. lie was even humorous and witty in his easy Yolubility; and, but for the annoyance which she naturaJJy felt at what seemed to her his unnatural flow of spirits, sLe would ha.ve been constrained to confess that never before hnd he seemed so positively agreeable. All his GOOD A~D F.VIL SPIRITS. 73 resolll"('CS of rcadi~tg m1d oLser\'ation were brought into requisition, nnd he placed them before tho com puny with s~ mn~h order, dearness, and facility, that site was disposed to g1ve hun credit for m 11~.:h more c:.tpacity of nature nnd acquisition _than she !tad eYer esteemed him to posscss before. H e was actmg _a. pnrt, nnd, lwd site not been troubled with misgivingR to th~s effect, he might ltnve acted it successfully. But he overshot _Ins marie lfc had not the art, the result only of frequent practice, to coHccn l tlte art which lte employed. His purpose wns to !":COm amiable-to be above the pn.ssions whic1t governed me: md to possess the forbcar:tnce which couh: fm~gi~'O them, even where he himself lwd been in a measure tlJeJr v1ctnn. llc erred in seeming, not only above their control, bt~t free from t_heir annoyance. Had lto been slightly grave durmg th? evcnmg, ltnd ]1e seemed to strive at cheerfulness, and at a forgetfulness of that which could 110t but be unpleasant to any brotlt_er, he hacl been f:u 1110re successful with 1\Iary EasterLy. Her natural good se11sc revolted nt the perfect n~astery wltich he possessed over Ilis emotions. Such a man m1ght well become an Iago, haviug a power, such ns he certainly exhibited, ":o smi~e aucl smile, and be," if not a villain, one at least wholly msens1~lc :o those proper sentiments and sorrows which belonged to Ius Sltun. tion under existi11g circumstances. ]~ittle did my brother conjecture tl1e thouglJts passing through her mi11d as he thus played l1is pnrt. \Vlwt would l have giYcn to know them! }10w many ]Jangs, doubts, and sonows, ·would. l1~ve been spared me! wl1at tinw had I not saved-what afiect10ns had I not spared m1d sheltered! l3ut this is idle. . . John llnrdis lingered late that night for an opportumty whtch was at length given !tim. Mary and himself were left alone together; and JJe proceeded to do that which, with tl1e precipitate appre11ensions of a jealous lover, I had lo11g be:orc supposed to have been over. Either emboldened by the belJCf that my rash conduct had sufficiently offended the maiden, and that he had IJroperly prepurcd the way for his declaration-or, possibly, somewlmt anxious lest, iu my parting interview, I bad poured out desperately those emotions which I l1ad with undue timidity hopelessly and long locked up, and anxious to know the result, he resolved to close a. pursuit which he had hitherto conducted 4 |
