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〃To　plant　you　like　the　flag　on　the　conquered　peak！〃

〃You　have　indeed　been　talking　to　papa；　Mr。　Whitford。〃

Vernon　changed　his　tone。

〃Shall　I　tell　you　what　he　said？〃

〃I　know　his　language　so　well。〃

〃He　said〃

〃But　you　have　acted　on　it？〃

〃Only　partly。　He　said〃

〃You　will　teach　me　nothing。〃

〃He　said　。　。　。〃

〃Vernon；　no！　oh！　not　in　this　house！〃

That　supplication　coupled　with　his　name　confessed　the　end　to　which
her　quick　vision　perceived　she　was　being　led；　where　she　would
succumb。

She　revived　the　same　shrinking　in　him　from　a　breath　of　their　great
word　yet：　not　here；　somewhere　in　the　shadow　of　the　mountains。

But　he　was　sure　of　her。　And　their　hands　might　join。　The　two　hands
thought　so；　or　did　not　think；　behaved　like　innocents。　

The　spirit　of　Dr。　Middleton；　as　Clara　felt；　had　been　blown　into
Vernon；　rewarding　him　for　forthright　outspeaking。　Over　their
books；　Vernon　had　abruptly　shut　up　a　volume　and　related　the　tale
of　the　house。　〃Has　this　man　a　spice　of　religion　in　him？〃　the　Rev。
Doctor　asked　midway。　Vernon　made　out　a　fair　general　case　for　his
cousin　in　that　respect。　〃The　complemental　dot　on　his　i　of　a
commonly　civilized　human　creature！〃　said　Dr。　Middleton；　looking　at
his　watch　and　finding　it　too　late　to　leave　the　house　before
morning。　The　risky　communication　was　to　come。　Vernon　was
proceeding　with　the　narrative　of　Willoughby's　generous　plan　when
Dr。　Middleton　electrified　him　by　calling　out：　〃He　whom　of　all　men
living　I　should　desire　my　daughter　to　espouse！〃　and　Willoughby
rose　in　the　Rev。　Doctor's　esteem：　he　praised　that　sensibly　minded
gentleman；　who　could　acquiesce　in　the　turn　of　mood　of　a　little
maid；　albeit　Fortune　had　withheld　from　him　a　taste　of　the　switch
at　school。　The　father　of　the　little　maid's　appreciation　of　her
volatility　was　exhibited　in　his　exhortation　to　Vernon　to　be　off　to
her　at　once　with　his　authority　to　finish　her　moods　and　assure　him
of　peace　in　the　morning。　Vernon　hesitated。　Dr。　Middleton　remarked
upon　being　not　so　sure　that　it　was　not　he　who　had　done　the
mischief。　Thereupon　Vernon；　to　prove　his　honesty；　made　his　own
story　bare。　〃Go　to　her；〃　said　Dr。　Middleton。　Vernon　proposed　a
meeting　in　Switzerland；　to　which　Dr。　Middleton　assented；　adding：
〃Go　to　her〃：　and　as　he　appeared　a　total　stranger　to　the　decorum　of
the　situation；　Vernon　put　his　delicacy　aside；　and　taking　his　heart
up；　obeyed。　He　too　had　pondered　on　Clara's　consent　to　meet　him
after　she　knew　of　Willoughby's　terms；　and　her　grave　sweet　manner
during　the　ramble　over　the　park。　Her　father's　breath　had　been
blown　into　him；　so　now；　with　nothing　but　the　faith　lying　in
sensation　to　convince　him　of　his　happy　fortune　（and　how
unconvincing　that　may　be　until　the　mind　has　grasped　and　stamped
it；　we　experience　even　then　when　we　acknowledge　that　we　are　most
blessed）；　he　held　her　hand。　And　if　it　was　hard　for　him；　for　both；
but　harder　for　the　man；　to　restrain　their　particular　word　from　a
flight　to　heaven　when　the　cage　stood　open　and　nature　beckoned；　he
was　practised　in　self…mastery；　and　she　loved　him　the　more。

Laetitia　was　a　witness　of　their　union　of　hands　on　her　coming　back
to　the　room。

They　promised　to　visit　her　very　early　in　the　morning；　neither　of
them　conceiving　that　they　left　her　to　a　night　of　storm　and　tears。

She　sat　meditating　on　Clara's　present　appreciation　of　Sir
Willoughby's　generosity。




CHAPTER　XLIX

Laetitia　and　Sir　Willoughby

We　cannot　be　abettors　of　the　tribes　of　imps　whose　revelry　is　in
the　frailties　of　our　poor　human　constitution。　They　have　their
place　and　their　service；　and　so　long　as　we　continue　to　be　what　we
are　now；　they　will　hang　on　to　us；　restlessly　plucking　at　the
garments　which　cover　our　nakedness；　nor　ever　ceasing　to　twitch
them　and　strain　at　them　until　they　have　stripped　us　for　one　of
their　horrible　Walpurgis　nights：　when　the　laughter　heard　is　of　a
character　to　render　laughter　frightful　to　the　ears　of　men
throughout　the　remainder　of　their　days。　But　if　in　these　festival
hours　under　the　beam　of　Hecate　they　are　uncontrollable　by　the
Comic　Muse；　she　will　not　flatter　them　with　her　presence　during　the
course　of　their　insane　and　impious　hilarities；　whereof　a
description　would　out…Brocken　Brockens　and　make　Graymalkin　and
Paddock　too　intimately　our　familiars。

It　shall　suffice　to　say　that　from　hour　to　hour　of　the　midnight　to
the　grey…eyed　morn；　assisted　at　intervals　by　the　ladies　Eleanor
and　Isabel；　and　by　Mr。　Dale　awakened　and　re…awakenedhearing　the
vehemence　of　his　petitioning　outcry　to　soften　her　obduracySir
Willoughby　pursued　Laetitia　with　solicitations　to　espouse　him；
until　the　inveteracy　of　his　wooing　wore　the　aspect　of　the
life…long　love　he　raved　of　aroused　to　a　state　of　mania。　He
appeared；　he　departed；　he　returned；　and　all　the　while　his　imps
were　about　him　and　upon　him；　riding　him；　prompting；　driving；
inspiring　him　with　outrageous　pathos；　an　eloquence　to　move　any　one
but　the　dead；　which　its　object　seemed　to　be　in　her　torpid
attention。　He　heard　them；　he　talked　to　them；　caressed　them；　he
flung　them　off；　and　ran　from　them；　and　stood　vanquished　for　them
to　mount　him　again　and　swarm　on　him。　There　are　men　thus
imp…haunted。　Men　who；　setting　their　minds　upon　an　object；　must
have　it；　breed　imps。　They　are　noted　for　their　singularities；　as
their　converse　with　the　invisible　and　amazing　distractions　are
called。　Willoughby　became　aware　of　them　that　night。　He　said　to
himself；　upon　one　of　his　dashes　into　solitude：　I　believe　I　am
possessed！　And　if　he　did　not　actually　believe　it；　but　only
suspected　it；　or　framed　speech　to　account　for　the　transformation
he　had　undergone　into　a　desperately　beseeching　creature；　having
lost　acquaintance　with　his　habitual　personality；　the　operations　of
an　impish　host　had　undoubtedly　smitten　his　consciousness。

He　had　them　in　his　brain：　for　while　burning　with　an　ardour　for
Laetitia；　that　incited　him　to　frantic　excesses　of　language　and
comportment；　he　was　aware　of　shouts　of　the　names　of　Lady　Busshe
and　Mrs。　Mountstuart　Jenkinson；　the　which；　freezing　him　as　they
did；　were　directly　the　cause　of　his　hurrying　to　a　wilder
extravagance　and　more　headlong　determination　to　subdue　before
break　of　day　the　woman　he　almost　dreaded　to　behold　by　daylight；
though　he　had　now　passionately　persuaded　himself　of　his　love　of
her。　He　could　not；　he　felt；　stand　in　the　daylight　without　her。　She
was　his　morning。　She　was；　he　raved；　his　predestinated　wife。　He
cried；　〃Darling！〃　both　to　her　and　to　solitude。　Every　prescription
of　his　ideal　of　demeanour　as　an　example　to　his　class　and　country；
was　abandoned　by　the　enamoured　gentleman。　He　had　lost　command　of
his　countenance。　He　stooped　so　far　as　to　kneel；　and　not　gracefully。
Nay；　it　is　in　the　chronicles　of　the　invisible　host　around　him；
that　in　a　fit　of　supplication；　upon　a　cry　of　〃Laetitia！〃　twice
repeated；　he　whimpered。

Let　so　much　suffice。　And　indeed　not　without　reason　do　the
multitudes　of　the　servants　of　the　Muse　in　this　land　of　social
policy　avoid　scenes　of　an　inordinate　wantonness；　which　detract　
from　the　dignity　of　our　leaders　and　menace　human　nature　with
confusion。　Sagacious　are　they　who　conduct　the　individual　on　broad
lines；　over　familiar　tracks；　under　well…known　characteristics。
What　men　will　do；　and　amorously　minded　men　will　do；　is　less　the
question　than　what　it　is　politic　they　should　be　shown　to　do。

The　night　wore　through。　Laetitia　was　bent；　but　had　not　yielded。
She　had　been　obliged　to　sayand　how　many　times　she　could　not
bear　to　recollect：　〃I　do　not　love　you；　I　have　no　love　to　give〃；
and　issuing　from　such　a　night　to　look　again　upon　the　face　of　day；
she　scarcely　felt　that　she　was　alive。

The　contest　was　renewed　by　her　father　with　the　singing　of　the
birds。　Mr。　Dale　then　produced　the　first　serious　impression　she　had
received。　He　spoke　of　their　circumstances；　of　his　being　taken　from
her　and　leaving　her　to　poverty；　in　weak　health；　of　the　injury　done
to　her　health　by　writing　for　bread；　and　of　the　oppressive　weight
he　would　be　relieved　of　by　her　consenting。

He　no　longer　implored　her；　he　put　the　case　on　common　ground。

And　he　wound　up：　〃Pray　do　not　be　ruthless；　my　girl。〃

The　practical　statement；　and　this　adjuration　incongruously　to
conclude　it；　harmonized　with　her　disordered　understanding；　her
loss　of　all　sentiment　and　her　desire　to　be　kind。　She　sighed　to
herself。　〃Happily；　it　is　over！〃

Her　father　was　too　weak　to　rise。　He　fell　asleep。　She　was　bound
down　to　the　house　for　hours；　and　she　walked　through　her　suite；
here　at　the　doors；　there　at　the　windows；　thinking　of　Clara's
remark　〃of　a　century　passing〃。　She　had　not　wished　it；　but　a　light
had　come　on　her　to　show　her　what　she　would　have　supposed　a　century
could　not　have　effected：　she　saw　the　impossible　of　overnight　a
possible　thing：　not　desireable；　yet　possible；　wearing　the　features
of　the　possible。　Happily；　she　had　resisted　too　firmly　to　be　again
besought。

Those　features　of　the　possible　once　beheld　allured　the　mind　to
reconsider　them。　Wealth　gives　us　the　power　to　do　good　on　earth。
Wealth　enables　us　to　see　the　world；　the　beautiful　scenes　of　the
earth。　Laetitia　had　long　thirsted　both　for　a　dowering　money…bag
at　her　girdle；　and　the　wings　to　fly　abroad　over　lands　which　had
begun　to　seem　fabulous　in　her　starved　imagination。　Then；　moreover；
if　her　sentiment　for　this　gentleman　was　gone；　it　was　only　a
delusion　gone；　accurate　sight　and　knowledge　of　him　would　not　make
a　woman　the　less　helpful　mate。　That　was　the　mate　he　required：　and
he　could　be　led。　A　sentimental　attachment　would　have　been
serviceless　to　him。　Not　so　the　woman　allied　by　a　purely　rational
bond：　and　he　wanted　guiding。　Happily；　she　had　told　him　too　much　of
her　feeble　health　and　her　lovelessness　to　be　reduced　to　submit　to
another　attack。

She　busied　herself　in　her　room；　arranging　for　her　departure；　so
that　no　minutes　might　be　lost　after　her　father　had　breakfasted　and
dressed。

Clara　was　her　earliest　visitor；　and　each　asked　the　other　whether
she　had　slept；　and　took　the　answer　from　the　face　presented　to　her。
The　rings　of　Laetitia's　eyes　were　very　dark。　Clara　was　her　mirror；
and　she　said：　〃A　singular　object　to　be　persecuted　through　a　night
for　her　hand！　I　know　these　two　damp　dead　leaves　I　wear　on　my
cheeks　to