CHAPTER XXIV
Thus equipped, and decided, the following week opened upon Ellis, with afair prospect of fulfilling the injunctions of her correspondent, bylearning to suffice to herself. This idea animated her with a couragewhich, in some measure, divested her of the painful timidity, that, tothe inexperienced and modest, is often subversive of the use of the verytalents which it is their business and interest to display. Courage, notonly upon such occasions, but upon others of infinitely higherimportance, is more frequently than the looker on suspects, the effectof secret reasoning, and cool calculation of consequences, than offearless temperament, or inborn bravery.
Her first essay exceeded her best expectations in its success; a successthe more important, as failure, there, might have fastened discreditupon her whole enterprize, since her first pupil was Lady BarbaraFrankland.
Lady Kendover, the aunt of that young lady, to whom Miss Arbe, for thehonour of her own patronage, had adroitly dwelt upon the fortnightpassed at Mrs Howel's, and, in the society of Lady Aurora Granville, byher _protegee_; received and treated her with distinguishedcondescension, and even flattering kindness. For though her ladyship wastoo high in rank, to share in the anxious tenaciousness of Mrs Howel,for manifesting the superiour judgment with which she knew how toselect, and how to reject, persons qualified for her society; and thoughyet less liable to be controlled by the futile fears of the opinion of aneighbourhood, which awed Mrs Maple; still she was more a woman ofquality than a woman of the world; and the circle in which she moved,was bounded by the hereditary habits, and imitative customs, which hadalways limited the proceedings of her ladyship's, in common with thoseof almost every other noble family, of patronizing those who hadalready been elevated by patronage; and of lifting higher, by peculiarfavour, those who were already mounting by the favour of others. To gofurther,--to draw forth talents from obscurity, to honour indigentvirtue, were exertions that demanded a character of a superiour species;a character that had learnt to act for himself, by thinking for himselfand feeling for others.
The joy of Lady Barbara, a lively and lovely young creature, justblooming into womanhood, in becoming the pupil of Ellis, was nearlyextatic. Lady Aurora Granville, with whom she was particularlyconnected, had written to her in such rapture of the private play, thatshe was wild to see the celebrated Lady Townly. And though she was notquite simple, nor quite young enough, to believe that she shouldliterally behold that personage, her ideas were, unconsciously, sobewildered, between the representation of nature and life, or nature andlife themselves, that she had a certain undefined pleasure in themeeting which perplexed, yet bewitched her imagination. She regarded itas the happiest possible event, to be brought into such closeintercourse, with a person whom she delighted herself with consideringas the first actress of the age. She looked at her; watched her;listened to her; and prevailed upon Lady Kendover to engage that sheshould every day take a lesson; during which her whole mind was directedto imitating Miss Ellis in her manner of holding the harp; in the air ofher head as she turned from it to look at the musical notes; in her wayof curving, straightening, or elegantly spreading her fingers upon thestrings; and in the general bend of her person, upon which depended thegraceful effect of the whole. Not very singular, indeed, was LadyBarbara, in regarding these as the principal points to be attained, inacquiring the accomplishment of playing upon the harp; which, because itshews beauty and grace to advantage, is often erroneously chosen forexhibiting those who have neither; as if its powers extended to bestowthe charms which it only displays.
The admiration of Lady Barbara for her instructress, lost some boundaryof moderation every day; and Ellis, though ashamed of such excess ofpartiality, felt fostered by its warmth, and returned it with sincerity.Lady Barbara, who was gaily artless, and as full of kindness as ofvivacity, had the strong recommendation of being wholly natural; arecommendation as rare in itself, as success is in its deviations.
Miss Arbe was all happy exultation, at a prosperity for which she repaidherself, without scruple, by perpetual, though private lessons; andEllis, whose merit, while viewed with rivalry, she had sought todepreciate, she was now foremost to praise. The swellings of envy andjealousy gave way to triumph in her own discernment; and all severitiesof hypercriticism subsided into the gentler vanity, and more humaneparade, of patronage.
Another happy circumstance signalized, also, this professionalcommencement of Ellis; Miss Arbe secured to her the popular favour ofSir Marmaduke Crawley, a travelled fine gentleman, just summoned fromItaly, to take possession of his title and estate; and to theguardianship of two hoyden sisters, many years younger than himself. Hischaracter of a connoisseur, and admirer of _les beaux arts_; a person ofso refined a conformation, as to desire to be thought rather to vegetatethan to live, when removed from the genial clime of the sole region ofthe muses, and of taste, Italy; made his approbation as useful to herfame, as the active influence of Miss Arbe was to her fortune. Thisgentleman, upon hearing her perform to Lady Kendover, declared, with alook of melancholy recollection, that The Ellis was more divine than anything that he had yet met with on this side the Alps. He requested MissArbe, therefore, to place his sisters under her elegant tuition, if hemight hope that The Ellis could be prevailed upon to undertake two suchVandals.
Born to a considerable fortune, though with a narrow capacity, SirMarmaduke had persuaded himself, that to make the tour of Europe, and tobecome a connoisseur in all the arts, was the same thing; and, as he wasrich, and, therefore, able to make himself friends, civil, and thereforenever addicted to make enemies, no one felt tempted, either by sincerityor severity, to undeceive him; and, as all he essentially wanted, forthe character to which he thought himself elevated, was 'spirit, taste,and sense,' he uttered his opinions upon whatever he saw, or heard,without the smallest suspicion, that the assiduity with which hevisited, or the wealth with which he purchased, works of art, includednot every requisite for their appreciation. Yet though, from neverprovoking, he never encountered, that foe to the happy feelings ofinborn presumption, truth, he felt sometimes embarrassed, when suddenlycalled upon to pronounce an opinion on any abtruse point of taste. Hewas always, therefore, watchful to catch hints from the dashing MissArbe, since to whatever she gave her fearless sanction, he saw fashionattached.
Nothing could be more different than the reception given to Ellis byLady Kendover, and that which she experienced from the Miss Crawleys.Without any superiority to their brother in understanding, they had adecided inferiority in education and manners. They had been brought upby a fond uncle, in the country, with every false indulgence which canlead to idle ease and pleasure, for the passing moment; but which teemswith that weariness, that a dearth of all rational employment nurses upfor the listless and uncultured, when folly and ignorance out-live merethoughtless merriment. Accustomed to follow, in every thing, theuncontrolled bent of their own humours, they felt fatigued by the veryword decorum; and thought themselves oppressed by any representation ofwhat was due to propriety. Their brother, on the contrary, taking theopposite extreme, had neither care nor wish but what related to theopinion of the _virtuosi_: because, though possessed of whatever couldgive pecuniary, he was destitute of all that could inspire mentalindependence.
'Oh ho! The Ellis!' cried Miss Crawley, mimicking her brother: 'you arecome to be our school-mistress, are you? Quick, quick, Di; put on yourdumpish face, and begin your task.'
'Be quiet, be quiet!' cried Miss Di; 'I shall like to learn of allthings. The Ellis shall make me The Crawley. Come, what's to be done,The Ellis? Begin, begin!'
'And finish, finish!' cried the eldest: 'I can't bear to be long aboutany thing: there's nothing so fogrum.'
Their brother, now, ventured, gently, to caution them not to make use ofthe word fogrum, which, he assured them, was by no means received ingood company.
'O, I hate good company!' cried the eldest: 'It always makes me fallasleep.'
'So do I,' cried the youngest; 'except when I take upon myself to wakeit.
O! that's the delight of my life! to run wild upon a set of formals,who think one brainless, only because one is not drowsy. Do you know anyfogrums of that sort, brother?'
The merriment that this question, which they meant to be personal,occasioned, extremely confused Sir Marmaduke; and his evidentconsciousness flung them into such immoderate laughter, that the newmistress was forced to desist from all attempt at instruction, till itsubsided; which was not till their brother, shrugging his shoulders,with shame and mortification, left the room.
Yawning, then, with exhausted spirits, they desired to be set to work.
Proficiency they had no chance, for they had no wish to make; but Ellis,from this time, attended them twice a-week; and Sir Marmaduke wasgratified by the assurances of Miss Arbe, that all the world praised histaste, for choosing them so accomplished an instructress.
The fourth scholar that the same patronage procured for Ellis, was alittle girl of eleven years of age, whose mother, Lady Arramede, thenearly ruined widow of a gamester peer, sacrificed every comfort toretain the equipage, and the establishment, that she had enjoyed duringthe life of her luxurious lord. Her table, except when she had company,was never quite sufficient for her family; her dress, except when shevisited, was always old, mended, and out of fashion; and the educationof her daughter, though destined to be of the first order, wasextracted, in common with her gala dinners, and gala ornaments, fromthese daily savings. Ellis, therefore, from the very moderate price atwhich Miss Arbe, for the purpose of obliging her own various friends,had fixed her instructions, was a treasure to Lady Arramede; who hadnever before so completely found, what she was always indefatigablyseeking, a professor not more cheap than fashionable.
On the part of the professor, the satisfaction was not quite mutual.Lady Arramede, reduced by her great expences in public, to the mostmiserable parsimony in private, joined, to a lofty desire of highconsideration in the world, a constant alarm lest her pecuniarydifficulties should be perceived. The low terms, therefore, upon whichEllis taught, though the real inducement for her being employed, urgedthe most arrogant reception of the young instructress, in theapprehension that she might, else, suspect the motive to her admission;and the instant that she entered the room, her little pupil was hurriedto the instrument, that she might not presume to imagine it possible,that she could remain in the presence of her ladyship, even for amoment, except to be professionally occupied.
Yet was she by no means more niggardly in bestowing favour, thanrapacious in seeking advantage. Her thoughts were constantly employed informing interrogatories for obtaining musical information, by which herdaughter might profit in the absence of the mistress; though she madethem without troubling herself to raise her eyes, except when she didnot comprehend the answer; and then, her look was of so haughty acharacter, that she seemed rather to be demanding satisfaction thanexplication.
The same address, also, accompanied her desire to hear the pieces, whichher daughter began learning, performed by the mistress: she never madethis request till the given hour was more than passed; and made it thenrather as if she were issuing a command, for the execution of someacknowledged duty, than calling forth talents, or occupying time, uponwhich she could only from courtesy have any claim.
Miss Brinville, the fifth pupil of Ellis, was a celebrated beauty, whohad wasted her bloom in a perpetual search of admiration; and lost herprime, without suspecting that it was gone, in vain and ambitiousdifficulties of choice. Yet her charms, however faded and changed,still, by candle-light, or when adroitly shaded, through a becomingskill in the arrangement of her head-dress, appeared nearly in theirfirst lustre; and in this view it was that they were always present toherself; though, by the world, the altered complexion, sunk eyes, andenlarged features, exhibited by day-light, or by common attire, wereall, except through impertinent retrospection, that were any morenoticed.
She was just arrived at Brighthelmstone, with her mother, upon a visitto an acquaintance, whom that lady had engaged to invite them, with adesign of meeting Sir Lyell Sycamore, a splendid young baronet, withwhom Miss Brinville had lately danced at a private ball; where, as hesaw her for the first time, and saw her to every advantage which wellchosen attire, animated vanity, and propitious wax-light could give, hehad fallen desperately enamoured of her beauty; and had so vehementlylamented having promised to join a party to Brighthelmstone, that boththe mother and the daughter concluded, that they had only to find adecent pretence for following him, to secure the prostration of histitle and fortune at their feet. And though similar expectations, fromgentlemen of similar birth and estate, had already, at least fiftytimes, been disappointed, they were just as sanguine, in the presentinstance, as if, new to the world, and inexperienced in its ways, theywere now receiving their first lessons, upon the fallaciousness ofself-appreciation: so slight is the impression made, even where ourfalse judgment is self-detected, by wounds to our vanity! and so elasticis the re-bound of that hope, which originates in our personal estimationof our deserts!
The young Baronet, indeed, no sooner heard of the arrival atBrighthelmstone of the fair one who had enchanted him, than, wild withrapture, he devoted all his soul to expected extacies. But when, thenext morning, fine and frosty, though severely cold, he met her upon theSteyn, her complexion and her features were so different to those yetresting, in full beauty, upon his memory, that he looked at her with asurprise mingled with a species of indignation, as at a caricature ofherself.
Miss Brinville, though too unconscious of her own double appearance todevelope what passed in his mind, was struck and mortified by his changeof manner. The bleak winds which blew sharply from the sea, givingnearly its own blue-green hue to her skin, while all that it bestowed ofthe carnation's more vivid glow, visited the feature which they leastbecome, but which seems always the favourite wintry hot-bed of the ruddytints; in completing what to the young Baronet seemed an entiremetamorphosis, drove him fairly from the field. The wondering heroinewas left in a consternation that usefully, however disagreeably, mighthave whispered to her some of those cruel truths which are alwaysbuzzing around faded beauties,--missing no ears but their own!--had shenot been hurried, by her mother, into a milliner's shop, to make somepreparations for a ball to which she was invited for the evening. There,again, she saw the Baronet, to whose astonished sight she appeared withall her first allurements. Again he danced with her, again wascaptivated; and again the next morning recovered his liberty. Yet MissBrinville made no progress in self-perception: his changes wereattributed to caprice or fickleness; and her desire grew but more urgentto fix her wavering conquest.
At the dinner at Lady Kendover's, where Miss Arbe brought forward thetalents and the plan of Ellis, such a spirit was raised, to procurescholars amongst the young ladies of fashion then at Brighthelmstone;and it seemed so youthful to become a pupil, that Miss Brinville feared,if left out, she might be considered as too old to enter such lists. Yether total ignorance of music, and a native dull distaste to all thearts, save the millinery, damped her wishes with want of resolution;till an exclamation of Sir Lyell Sycamore's, that nothing added so muchgrace to beauty as playing upon the harp, gave her sudden strength andenergy, to beg to be set down, by Miss Arbe, as one of the firstscholars for her _protegee_.
Ellis was received by her with civility, but treated with the utmostcoldness. The sight of beauty at its height, forced a self-comparison ofno exhilarating nature; and, much as she built upon informing Sir Lyellof her lessons, she desired nothing less than shewing him from whom theywere received. To sit at the harp so as to justify the assertion of theBaronet, became her principal study; and the glass before which shetried her attitudes and motions, told her such flattering tales, thatshe soon began to think the harp the sweetest instrument in the world,and that to practise it was the most delicious of occupations.
Ellis was too sincere to aid this delusion. Of all her pupils, no onewas so utterly hopeless as Miss Brinville, whom she found equallydestitute of ear, taste, intelligence, and application
. The samedirection twenty times repeated, was not better understood than thefirst moment that it was uttered. Naturally dull, she comprehendednothing that was not familiar to her; and habitually indolent, becausebrought up to believe that beauty would supply every accomplishment, shehad no conception of energy, and not an idea of diligence.
Ellis, whose mind was ardent, and whose integrity was incorrupt, felt anhonourable anxiety to fulfil the duties of her new profession, thoughshe had entered upon them merely from motives of distress. She wasearnest, therefore, for the improvement of her pupils; and conceived thelaudable ambition, to merit what she might earn, by their advancement.And though one amongst them, alone, manifested any genius; in all ofthem, except Miss Brinville, she saw more of carelessness, or idleness,than of positive, incapacity. But here, the darkness of all musicalapprehension was so impenetrable, that not a ray of instruction couldmake way through it; and Ellis who, though she saw that to study herlooks at the instrument was her principal object, had still imaginedthat to learn music came in for some share in taking lessons upon theharp, finding it utterly vain to try to make her distinguish one notefrom another, held her own probity called upon to avow her opinion;since she saw herself the only one who could profit from itsconcealment.
Gently, therefore, and in terms the most delicate that she could select,she communicated her fears to Mrs Brinville, that the talents of MissBrinville were not of a musical cast.
Mrs Brinville, with a look that said, What infinite impertinence!declared herself extremely obliged by this sincerity; and summoned herdaughter to the conference.
Miss Brinville, colouring with the deepest resentment, protested thatshe was never so well pleased as in hearing plain truth; but each madean inclination of her head, that intimated to Ellis that she mighthasten her departure: and the first news that reached her the nextmorning was, that Miss Brinville had sent for a celebrated and expensiveprofessor, then accidentally at Brighthelmstone, to give her lessonsupon the harp.
Miss Arbe, from whom Ellis received this intelligence, was extremelyangry with her for the strange, and what she called unheard-of measurethat she had taken. 'What had you,' she cried, 'to do with their mannerof wasting their money? Every one chooses to throw it away according tohis own taste. If rich people have not that privilege, I don't see howthey are the better for not being poor.'
The sixth scholar whom Ellis undertook, was sister to Sir LyellSycamore. She possessed a real genius for music, though it was so littleseconded by industry, that whatever she could not perform without labouror time, she relinquished. Thus, though all she played was executed in atruly fine style, nothing being practised, nothing was finished; andthough she could amuse herself, and charm her auditors, with almostevery favourite passage that she heard, she could not go through asingle piece; could play nothing by book; and hardly knew her notes.
Nevertheless, Ellis found her so far superiour, in musical capacity, toevery other pupil that had fallen to her charge, that she conceived astrong desire to make her the fine player that her talents fitted herfor becoming.
Her utmost exertions, however, and warmest wishes, were insufficient forthis purpose. The genius with which Miss Sycamore was endowed for music,was unallied to any soft harmonies of temper, or of character: she waspresumptuous, conceited, and gaily unfeeling. If Ellis pressed her tomore attention, she hummed an air, without looking at her; if sheremonstrated against her neglect, she suddenly stared at her, thoughwithout speaking. She had a haughty indifference about learning; but itwas not from an indifference to excel; 'twas from a firm self-opinion,that she excelled already. If she could not deny, that Ellis executedwhole pieces, in as masterly a manner as she could herself play onlychosen passages, she deemed that a mere mechanical part of the art,which, as a professor, Ellis had been forced to study; and which sheherself, therefore, rather held cheap than respected.
Ellis, at first, seriously lamented this wayward spirit, which wastedreal talents; but all interest for her pupil soon subsided; and allregret concentrated in having such a scholar to attend; for the mannersof Miss Sycamore had an excess of insolence, that rather demanded apathythan philosophy to be supported, by those who were in any degree withinher power. Ellis was treated by her with a sort of sprightly defiance,that sometimes seemed to arise from gay derision; at others, fromcareless haughtiness. Miss Sycamore, who gave little attention to therumours of her history, saw her but either as a Wanderer, of blightedfortune, and as such looked down upon her with contempt; or as anindigent young woman of singular beauty, and as such, with far lesswillingness, looked up to her with envy.
Twice a-week, also, Selina, with the connivance, though not with theavowed consent of Mrs Maple, came from Lewes, to continue her musicallessons, at the house of Lady Kendover, or of Miss Arramede.
Such was the set which the powerful influence of Miss Arbe procured forthe opening campaign of Ellis; and to this set its own celebrity soonadded another name. It was not, indeed, one which Miss Arbe would havedeigned to put upon her list; but Ellis, who had no pride to support inher present undertaking, save the virtuous and right pride of owingindependence to her own industry, as readily accepted a preferredscholar from the daughter of a common tradesman, as she had accepted thedaughter of an Earl, whom she taught at Lady Kendover's.
Mr Tedman, a grocer, who had raised a very large fortune, was now atBrighthelmstone, with his only daughter and heiress, at whose desire hecalled at Miss Matson's, to enquire for the famous music-teacher.
Ellis, hearing that he was an elderly man, conceived what might be hisbusiness, and admitted him. Much surprised by her youthful appearance,'Good now, my dear,' he cried, 'why to be sure it can't be you aspretends to learn young misses music? and even misses of quality, as Iam told? It's more likely it's your mamma; put in case you've got one.'
When Ellis had set him right, he took five guineas from his purse, andsaid, 'Well, then, my dear, come to my darter, and give her as much ofyour tudeling as will come to this. And I think, by then, she'll be ableto twiddle over them wires by herself.'
The hours of attendance being then settled, he looked smirkingly in herface, and added, 'Which of us two is to hold the stakes, you or I?'shaking the five guineas between his hands. But when she assured himthat she had not the most distant desire to anticipate such anappropriation, he assumed an air of generous affluence, and assuringher, in return, that he was not afraid to trust her, counted two guineasand a half a guinea, upon the table, and said, 'So if you please, mydear, we'll split the difference.'
Ellis found the daughter yet more innately, though less obviously,vulgar; and far more unpleasant, because uncivil, than the father. In aconstant struggle to hide the disproportion of her origin, and earlyhabits, with her present pretensions to fashion, she was tormented by anincessant fear of betraying, that she was as little bred as born to theriches which she now possessed. This made her always authoritative withher domestics, or inferiours, to keep them in awe; pert with gentlemen,by way of being genteel; and rude with ladies, to shew herself theirequal.
Mr Tedman conceived, immediately, a warm partiality for Ellis, whoseelegant manners, which, had he met with her in high life, would havedistanced him by their superiority, now attracted him irresistibly, inviewing them but as good-nature. He called her his pretty tudeler, andbid her make haste to earn her five guineas; significantly adding, that,if his daughter were not finished before they were gone, he was richenough to make them ten.