'Perish wealth and power and pride, Mortal boons by mortals given; But let constancy abide-- Constancy's the gift of Heaven.--SCOTT.
Lancelot and Gerald did not obtain much by their journey to London.Gerald wanted to begin with Mr. Bast, van proprietor, but Lance insistedon having the lawyer's counsel first, and the advice amounted toexhortations not to commit themselves, or to make offers such as toexcite cupidity, especially in the matter of Ludmilla, but to dwellon the fact of her being so close to the age of emancipation, and theillegality of tyrannical training.
This, however, proved to be wasted advice. Mr. Bast was impervious. Heundertook to forward a letter to Mr. O'Leary, but would not tell where,nor whether wife and daughter were with him. The letter was written, andin due time was answered, but with an intimation that the informationdesired could only be given upon the terms already mentioned; andrefusing all transactions respecting the young lady mentioned, who waswith her natural guardians and in no need of intervention.
They were baffled at all points, and the lawyer did not encourageany idea of holding out a lure for information, which might easily betrumped up. Since Lancelot had discovered so much as that the firstmarriage had taken place at Messina, and the desertion at Trieste, aswell as that the husband was said to have been a native of Piedmont, hemuch recommended personal investigation at all these points, especiallyas Mr. Underwood could obtain the assistance and interest of consuls. Itwas likely that if neither uncle nor nephew made further demonstration,the O'Learys would attempt further communication, which he and Lancecould follow up. This might be a clue to finding "the young lady"--tohim a secondary matter, to Gerald a vital one, but for the presentnothing could be done for her, poor child.
So they could only return to Rockquay to make immediate preparations forthe journey. Matters were simplified by Miss Mohun, who, hearing thatClement's doctors ordered him abroad for the winter, came to the rescue,saying that she should miss Fergus and his lessons greatly, and shethought it would be a pity for Mrs. Edgar to lose their little baronet,just after having given offence to certain inhabitants by a modifiedexpulsion of Campbell and Horner, and therefore volunteering to takeAdrian for a few terms, look after his health, his morals, and hislessons, and treat him in fact like a nephew, "to keep her hand in," shesaid, "till the infants began to appear from India."
This was gratefully accepted, and Alda liked the plan better thanplacing him at Bexley, which she continued to regard as an unwholesomeplace. The proposal to take Franceska was likewise welcome, and thedamsel herself was in transports of delight. Various arrangements had tobe made, and it was far on in August that the farewells were exchangedwith Clipstone and Beechcroft Cottage, where each member of the partyfelt that a real friend had been acquired. The elders, ladies who hadgrown up in an enthusiastic age, were even more devoted to one anotherthan were Anna and Mysie. Gillian stood a little aloof, resolved against"foolish" confidences, and devoting herself to studies for college life,in which she tried to swallow up all the feelings excited by those shipletters.
Dolores had her secret, which was to be no longer a secret when shehad heard from her father, and in the meantime, with Gerald's fullconcurrence, she was about to work hard to qualify herself for lecturingor giving lessons on physical science. She could not enter the collegethat she wished for till the winter term, and meant to spend the autumnin severe study.
"We will work," was the substance of those last words between them, andtheir parting tokens were characteristic, each giving the other a littlecase of mathematical instruments, "We will work, and we will hope."
"And what for?" said Dolores.
"I should say for toil, if it could be with untarnished name," saidGerald.
"Name and fame are our own to make," said Dolores, with sparkling eyes.
This was their parting. Indeed they expected to meet at Christmas orbefore it, so soon as Mr. Maurice Mohun should have written. Geraldwas, by the unanimous wish of his uncles, to finish his terms at Oxford.Whatever might be his fate, a degree would help him in life.
He had accepted the decision, though he had rather have employed thetime in a restless search for his mother and sister; but after vainlypursuing two or three entertainments at fairs, he became amenable to theconviction that they were more likely to hear something if they gave upthe search and kept quiet, and both Dolores and Mrs. Henderson promisedto be on the watch.
The state of suspense proved an admirable tonic to the whole being ofthe young man. His listlessness had departed, and he did everything withan energy he had never shown before. Only nothing would induce him togo near Vale Leston, and he made it understood that his twenty-firstbirthday was to be unnoticed. Not a word passed between Gerald and hisaunt as to the cause of the journey, and the doubt that hung over him,but nothing could be more assiduous and tender than his whole conduct toher and his uncle throughout the journey, as though he had no object inlife but to save them trouble and make them comfortable.
The party started in August, travelled very slowly, and he was thekindest squire to the two girls, taking them to see everything, andbeing altogether, as Geraldine said, the most admirable courier in theworld, with a wonderful intuition as to what she individually wouldlike to see, and how she could see it without fatigue. Moreover, on theSunday that occurred at a little German town, it was the greatest joy toher that he sought no outside gaiety, but rather seemed to cling to hisuncle's home ministrations, and even to her readings of hymns. Theyhad a quiet walk together, and it was a day of peace when his gentlekindness put her in mind of his father, yet with a regretful depth shehad always missed in Edgar.
Nor was there any of that old dreary, half-contemptuous tone and mannerwhich had often made her think he was only conforming to please her, andshrinking from coming to close quarters, where he might confess opinionsthat would grieve her. He was manifestly in earnest, listening andjoining in the services as if they had a new force to him. Perhaps theyhad the more from the very absence of the ordinary externals, and withnothing to disturb the individual personality of Clement's low, earnest,and reverent tones. There were tears on his eyelashes as he rose up,bent over, and kissed his Cherie. And that evening, while Clement andthe two nieces walked farther, and listened to the Benediction in thelittle Austrian church, Gerald sat under a linden-tree with his aunt,and in the fullness of his heart told her how things stood between himand Dolores.
Geraldine had never been as much attracted by Dolores as by Gillianand Mysie, but she was greatly touched by hearing that the meeting andopening of affection had been on the discovery that Gerald was probablynameless and landless, and that the maiden was bent on casting in herlot with him whatever his fate might be.
He murmured to himself the old lines, with a slight alteration--
"I could not love thee, dear, so much, Loved I not justice more."
"Yes, indeed, Cherie, our affection is a very different and betterthing than it would be if I were only the rich young squire sure of myposition."
"I am sure it is, my dear. I honour and love her for being my boy'sbrave comforter--comforter in the true sense. I see now what has helpedyou to be so brave and cheery. But what will her father say?"
"He will probably be startled, and--and will object, but it would be amatter of waiting anyway, the patience that the Vicar preaches, and wehave made up our minds. I'll fight my own way; she to prepare by herCambridge course to come and work with me, as we can do so much betteramong the people--among them in reality, and by no pretence."
"Ah! don't speak as if you gave up your cause."
"Well, I won't, if you don't like to hear it, Cherie," he said, smiling;"but anyway you will be good to Dolores."
"Indeed I will do my best, my dear. I am sure you and she, whateverhappens, have the earnest purpose and soul to do all the good you can,whether from above or on the same level, and that makes the oneness oflove."
"Thank you, Cherie carissima. You see the secret of our true bond
."
"One bond to make it deeper must be there. The love of God beneath thelove of man."
CHAPTER XXVI. -- THE SILENT STAR