The youthful suitors, playing each his part, Stirred pleasing tumult in each fair one's heart.

--Adapted--not translated.

Harry Hedgerow had found means on several occasions of delivering farm and forest produce at the Tower, to introduce his six friends to the sisters, giving all the young men in turn to understand that they must not think of Miss Dorothy; an injunction which, in the ordinary perverse course of events, might have led them all to think of no one else, and produced a complication very disagreeable for their introducer. It was not so, however. 'The beauty of it,' as Harry said to the reverend doctor, was that each had found a distinct favourite among the seven vestals. They had not, however, gone beyond giving pretty intelligible hints. They had not decidedly ventured to declare or propose. They left it to Harry to prosecute his suit to Miss Dorothy, purposing to step in on the rear of his success. They had severally the satisfaction of being a.s.sured by various handsome young gipsies, whose hands they had crossed with lucky shillings, that each of them was in love with a fair young woman, who was quite as much in love with him, and whom he would certainly marry before twelve months were over. And they went on their way rejoicing.

Now Harry was indefatigable in his suit, which he had unbounded liberty to plead; for Dorothy always listened to him complacently, though without departing from the answer she had originally given, that she and her sisters would not part with each other and their young master.

The sisters had not attached much importance to Mr. Falconer's absences; for on every occasion of his return the predominant feeling he had seemed to express was that of extreme delight at being once more at home.

One day, while Mr. Falconer was at the Grange, receiving admonition from _Orlando Innamorato_, Harry, having the pleasure to find Dorothy alone, pressed his suit as usual, was listened to as usual, and seemed likely to terminate without being more advanced than usual, except in so far as they both found a progressive pleasure, she in listening, and he in being listened to. There was to both a growing charm in thus 'dallying with the innocence of love,' and though she always said No with her lips, he began to read Yes in her eyes.

_Harry._ Well, but, Miss Dorothy, though you and your sisters will not leave your young master, suppose somebody should take him away from you, what would you say then?

_Dorothy._ What do you mean, Master Harry?

_Harry._ Why, suppose he should get married, Miss Dorothy?

_Dorothy._ Married!

_Harry._ How should you like to see a fine lady in the Tower, looking at you as much as to say, This is mine?

_Dorothy._ I will tell you very candidly, I should not like it at all.

But what makes you think of such a thing?

_Harry._ You know where he is now?

_Dorothy._ At Squire Gryll's, rehearsing a play for Christmas.

_Harry._ And Squire Gryll's niece is a great beauty, and a great fortune.

_Dorothy._ Squire Gryll's niece was here, and my sisters and myself saw a great deal of her. She is a very nice young lady; but he has seen great beauties and great fortunes before; he has always been indifferent to the beauties, and he does not care about fortune. I am sure he would not like to change his mode of life.

_Harry._ Ah, Miss Dorothy! you don't know what it is to fall in love. It tears a man up by the roots, like a gale of wind.

_Dorothy._ Is that your case, Master Harry?

_Harry._ Indeed it is, Miss Dorothy. If you didn't speak kindly to me, I do not know what would become of me. But you always speak kindly to me, though you won't have me.

_Dorothy._ I never said won't, Master _Harry._

_Harry._ No, but you always say can't, and that's the same as won't, so long as you don't.

_Dorothy._ You are a very good young man, Master _Harry._ Everybody speaks well of you. And I am really pleased to think you are so partial to me. And if my young master and my sisters were married, and I were disposed to follow their example, I will tell you very truly, you are the only person I should think of, Master Harry.

Master Harry attempted to speak, but he felt choked in the attempt at utterance; and in default of words, he threw himself on his knees before his beloved, and clasped his hands together with a look of pa.s.sionate imploring, which was rewarded by a benevolent smile. And they did not change their att.i.tude till the entrance of one of the sisters startled them from their sympathetic reverie.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Encouraged his six allies to carry on the siege 243-203]

Harry having thus made a successful impression on one of the Theban gates, encouraged his six allies to carry on the siege of the others; for which they had ample opportunity, as the absences of the young gentleman became longer, and the rumours of an attachment between him and Miss Gryll obtained more ready belief.

CHAPTER XXVI.

DOUBTS AND QUESTIONS

(Greek pa.s.sage) AlCaeUS.

Bacchis! ''Tis vain to brood on care, Since grief no remedy supplies; Be ours the sparkling bowl to share, And drown our sorrows as they rise.

Mr. Falconer saw no more of Miss Gryll till the party a.s.sembled in the drawing-rooms. She necessarily took the arm of Lord Curryfin for dinner, and it fell to the lot of Mr. Falconer to offer his to Miss Niphet, so that they sat at remote ends of the table, each wishing himself in the other's place; but Lord Curryfin paid all possible attention to his fair neighbour. Mr. Falconer could see that Miss Gryll's conversation with Lord Curryfin was very animated and joyous: too merry, perhaps, for love: but cordial to a degree that alarmed him. It was, however, clear by the general mirth at the head of the table, that nothing very confidential or sentimental was pa.s.sing. Still, a young lady who had placed the destiny of her life on a point of brief suspense ought not to be so merry as Miss Gryll evidently was. He said little to Miss Niphet; and she, with her habit of originating nothing, sat in her normal state of statue-like placidity, listening to the conversation near her. She was on the left hand of _Mr. Gryll._ Miss Ilex was on his right, and on her right was the Reverend Doctor Opimian. These three kept up an animated dialogue. Mr. MacBorrowdale was in the middle of the table, and amused his two immediate fair neighbours with remarks appertaining to the matter immediately before them, the preparation and arrangement of a good dinner: remarks that would have done honour to Francatelli.

After a while, Mr. Falconer bethought him that he would try to draw out _Miss Niphet._'s opinion on the subject nearest his heart. He said to her: 'They are very merry at the head of the table.'

_Miss Niphet._. I suppose Lord Curryfin is in the vein for amusing his company, and he generally succeeds in his social purposes.

_Mr. Falconer._ You lay stress on social, as if you thought him not successful in all his purposes.

_Miss Niphet._ Not in all his inventions, for example. But in the promotion of social enjoyment he has few equals. Of course, it must be in congenial society. There is a power of being pleased, as well as a power of pleasing. With Miss Gryll and Lord Curryfin, both meet in both.

No wonder that they amuse those around them.

_Mr. Falconer._ In whom there must also be a power of being pleased.

_Miss Niphet._. Most of the guests here have it. If they had not they would scarcely be here. I have seen some dismal persons, any one of whom would be a kill-joy to a whole company. There are none such in this party. I have also seen a whole company all willing to be pleased, but all mute from not knowing what to say to each other: not knowing how to begin. Lord Curryfin would be a blessing to such a party. He would be the steel to their flint.

_Mr. Falconer._ Have you known him long?

_Miss Niphet._. Only since I met him here.

_Mr. Falconer._ Have you heard that he is a suitor to Miss Gryll?

_Miss Niphet._. I have heard so.

_Mr. Falconer._ Should you include the probability of his being accepted in your estimate of his social successes?

_Miss Niphet._. Love affairs are under influences too capricious for the calculation of probabilities.

_Mr. Falconer._ Yet I should be very glad to hear your opinion. You know them both so well.

_Miss Niphet._ I am disposed to indulge you, because I think it is not mere curiosity that makes you ask the question, Otherwise I should not be inclined to answer it, I do not think he will ever be the affianced lover of _Morgana._ Perhaps he might have been if he had persevered as he began. But he has been used to smiling audiences. He did not find the exact reciprocity he looked for. He fancied that it was, or would be, for another, I believe he was right.

_Mr. Falconer._ Yet you think he might have succeeded if he had persevered.

_Miss Niphet._ I can scarcely think otherwise, seeing how much he has to recommend him.

_Mr. Falconer._ But he has not withdrawn.

Miss Nipket. No, and will not. But she is too high-minded to hold him to a proposal not followed up as it commenced even if she had not turned her thoughts elsewhere.