第32章

Lady Clonbrony tried persuasion and argument--such argument as she could use--but all in vain--Lord Colambre was firm in his resolution; at last, she came to tears; and her son, in much agitation, said--'I cannot bear this, mother! I would do anything you ask, that Icould do with honour; but this is impossible.'

'Why impossible? I will take all blame upon myself; and you are sure that Miss Broadhurst does not misunderstand you, and you esteem her, and admire her, and all that; and all I ask is, that you'll go on as you are, and see more of her; and how do you know but you may fall in love with her, as you call it, to-morrow?'

'Because, madam, since you press me so far, my affections are engaged to another person.Do not look so dreadfully shocked, my dear mother--I have told you truly, that I think myself too young, much too young, yet to marry.In the circumstances in which I know my family are, it is probable that I shall not for some years be able to marry as I wish.You may depend upon it that I shall not take any step, I shall not even declare my attachment to the object of my affection, without your knowledge;and, far from being inclined to follow headlong my own passions--strong as they are--be assured that the honour of my family, your happiness, my mother, my father's, are my first objects: I shall never think of my own till these are secured.'

Of the conclusion of this speech, Lady Clonbrony heard only the sound of the words; from the moment her son had pronounced that his affections were engaged, she had been running over in her head every probable and improbable person she could think of; at last, suddenly starting up, she opened one of the folding-doors into the next apartment, and called--'Grace!--Grace Nugent!--put down your pencil, Grace, this minute, and come here!'

Miss Nugent obeyed with her usual alacrity; and the moment she entered the room, Lady Clonbrony, fixing her eyes full upon her, said--'There's your cousin Colambre tells me his affections are engaged.'

'Yes, to Miss Broadhurst, no doubt,' said Miss Nugent, smiling, with a simplicity and openness of countenance which assured Lady Clonbrony that all was safe in that quarter: a suspicion which had darted into her mind was dispelled.

'No doubt.Ay, do you hear that NO DOUBT, Colambre?-- Grace, you see, has no doubt; nobody has any doubt but yourself, Colambre.'

'And are your affections engaged, and not to Miss Broadhurst?'

said Miss Nugent, approaching Lord Colambre.

'There now! you see how you surprise and disappoint everybody, Colambre.'

'I am sorry that Miss Nugent should be disappointed,' said Lord Colambre.

'But because I am disappointed, pray do not call me Miss Nugent, or turn away from me, as if you were displeased.'

'It must, then, be some Cambridgeshire lady,' said Lady Clonbrony.'I am sure I am very sorry he ever went to Cambridge,--Oxford I advised: one of the Miss Berryls, Ipresume, who have nothing.I'll have nothing more to do with those Berryls--there was the reason of the son's vast intimacy.

Grace, you may give up all thoughts of Sir Arthur.'

'I have no thoughts to give up, ma'am,' said Miss Nugent, smiling.'Miss Broadhurst,' continued she, going on eagerly with what she was saying to Lord Colambre--'Miss Broadhurst is my friend, a friend I love and admire; but you will allow that Istrictly kept my promise, never to praise her to you, till you should begin to praise her to me.Now recollect, last night, you did praise her to me, so justly, that I thought you liked her, Iconfess; so that it is natural I should feel a little disappointed.Now you know the whole of my mind; I have no intention to encroach on your confidence; therefore, there is no occasion to look so embarrassed.I give you my word, I will never speak to you again upon the subject,' said she, holding out her hand to him, 'provided you will never again call me Miss Nugent.Am I not your own cousin Grace--Do not be displeased with her.'

'You are my own dear cousin Grace; and nothing can be farther from my mind than any thought of being displeased with her;especially just at this moment, when I am going away, probably for a considerable time.'

'Away!--when?--where?'

'To-morrow morning, for Ireland.'

'Ireland! of all places,' cried Lady Clonbrony.'What upon earth puts it into your head to go to Ireland? You do very well to go out of the way of falling in love ridiculously, since that is the reason of your going; but what put Ireland into your head, child?'

'I will not presume to ask my mother what put Ireland out of her head,' said Lord Colambre, smiling; 'but she will recollect that it is my native country.'

'That was your father's fault, not mine,' said Lady Clonbrony;'for I wished to have been confined in England; but he would have it to say that his son and heir was born at Clonbrony Castle--and there was a great argument between him and my uncle, and something about the Prince of Wales and Caernarvon Castle was thrown in, and that turned the scale, much against my will; for it was my wish that my son should be an Englishman born--like myself.But, after all, I don't see that having the misfortune to be born in a country should tie one to it in any sort of way;and I should have hoped your English EDICATION, Colambre, would have given you too liberal IDEARS for that--so I REELLY don't see why you should go to Ireland merely because it's your native country.'

'Not merely because it is my native country; but I wish to go thither--I desire to become acquainted with it--because it is the country in which my father's property lies, and from which we draw our subsistence.'

'Subsistence! Lord bless me, what a word! fitter for a pauper than a nobleman-subsistence! Then, if you are going to look after your father's property, I hope you will make the agents do their duty, and send us remittances.And pray how long do you mean to stay?'