`Indeed!' said I. `Has she told you so?'
`No, but I can no longer doubt it. Do you not see how pointedly kind and affectionate she is? And she knows the utmost extent of my poverty, and cares nothing about it! She knows all the folly and all the wickedness of my former life, and is not afraid to trust me--and my rank and title are no allurements to her; for them, she utterly disregards. She is the most generous, high minded being that can be conceived of. She will save me, body and soul, from destruction. Already, she has ennobled me in my own estimation, and made me three times better, wiser, greater than I was, Oh! if I had but known her before, how much degradation and misery I should have been spared! But what have I done to deserve so magnificent a creature?'
`And the cream of the jest,' continued Mr Huntingdon, laughing, `is that the artful minx loves nothing about him, but his title and pedigree, and `that delightful old family seat,'
`How do you know?' said I.
`She told me so herself; she said, `As for the man himself, I thoroughly despise him; but then, I suppose, it is time to be making my choice, and if I waited for someone capable of eliciting my esteem and affection, I should have to pass my life in single blessedness, for I detest you all!' Ha, ha! I suspect she was wrong there;--but however, it is evident she has no love for him, poor fellow,'
`Then you ought to tell him so.'
`What, and spoil all her plans and prospects, poor girl? No, no; that would be a breach of confidence, wouldn't it, Helen? Ha, ha! Besides, it would break his heart.' And he laughed again.
`Well, Mr Huntingdon, I don't know what you see so amazingly diverting in the matter: I see nothing to laugh at.'
`I'm laughing at you, just now, Jove,' said he, redoubling his cachinnations, And leaving him to enjoy his merriment alone, I touched Ruby with the whip, and cantered on to rejoin our companions; for we had been walking our horses all this time, and were consequently along way behind. Arthur was soon at my side again; but not disposed to talk to him, I broke into a gallop. He did the same; and we did not slacken our pace till we came up with Miss Wilmot and Lord Lowborough, which was within half a mile of the park gates. I avoided all further conversation with him, till we came to the end of our ride, when I meant to jump off my horse and vanish into the house, before he could offer his assistance; but while I was disengaging my habit from the crutch, he lifted me off; and held me by both hands, asserting that he would not let me go till I had forgiven him.
`I have nothing to forgive,' said I. You have not injured me .'
`No, darling--God forbid that I should!--but you are angry, because it was to me that Annabella confessed her lack of esteem for her lover.'
`No, Arthur, it is not that that displeases me: it is the whole system of your conduct towards your friend; and if you wish me to forget it, go, now, and tell him what sort of woman it is, that he adores so madly, and on whom he has hung his hopes of future happiness.'
`I tell you, Helen, it would break his heart--it would be the death of him,--besides being a scandalous trick to poor Annabella. There is no help for him now; he is past praying for. Besides, she may keep up the deception to the end of the chapter: and then he will be just as happy in the illusion as if it were reality; or perhaps he will only discover his mistake when he has ceased to love her;--and if not, it is much better that the truth should dawn gradually upon him, So now, my angel, I hope I have made out a clear case, and fully convinced you that I cannot make the atonement you require. What other requisition have you to make? Speak, and I will gladly obey.'