CHAPTER III.
Except returning to sleep at the abbey, Lord Cadurcis was now as muchan habitual inmate of Cherbury Hall as in the days of his childhood.He was there almost with the lark, and never quitted its roof untilits inmates were about to retire for the night. His guns and dogs,which had been sent down from London with so much pomp of preparation,were unused and unnoticed; and he passed his days in readingRichardson's novels, which he had brought with him from town, to theladies, and then in riding with them about the country, for he lovedto visit all his old haunts, and trace even the very green swardwhere he first met the gipsies, and fancied that he had achieved hisemancipation from all the coming cares and annoyances of the world.In this pleasant life several weeks had glided away: Cadurcis hadentirely resumed his old footing in the family, nor did he attempt toconceal the homage he was paying to the charms of Venetia. She indeedseemed utterly unconscious that such projects had entered, or indeedcould enter, the brain of her old playfellow, with whom, now thatshe was habituated to his presence, and revived by his inspiritingsociety, she had resumed all her old familiar intimacy, addressing himby his Christian name, as if he had never ceased to be her brother.But Lady Annabel was not so blind as her daughter, and had indeed hervision been as clouded, her faithful minister, Mistress Pauncefort,would have taken care quickly to couch it; for a very short time hadelapsed before that vigilant gentlewoman, resolved to convince hermistress that nothing could escape her sleepless scrutiny, and that itwas equally in vain for her mistress to hope to possess any secretswithout her participation, seized a convenient opportunity before shebid her lady good night, just to inquire 'when it might be expected totake place?' and in reply to the very evident astonishment which LadyAnnabel testified at this question, and the expression of her extremedispleasure at any conversation on a circumstance for which therewas not the slightest foundation, Mistress Pauncefort, after dulyflouncing about with every possible symbol of pettish agitation andmortified curiosity, her cheek pale with hesitating impertinence, andher nose quivering with inquisitiveness, condescended to admit with asceptical sneer, that, of course, no doubt her ladyship knew more ofsuch a subject than she could; it was not her place to know anythingof such business; for her part she said nothing; it was not herplace, but if it were, she certainly must say that she could not helpbelieving that my lord was looking remarkably sweet on Miss Venetia,and what was more, everybody in the house thought the same, though forher part, whenever they mentioned the circumstance to her, she saidnothing, or bid them hold their tongues, for what was it to them; itwas not their business, and they could know nothing; and that nothingwould displease her ladyship more than chattering on such subjects,and many's the match as good as finished, that's gone off by no worsemeans than the chitter-chatter of those who should hold their tongues.Therefore she should say no more; but if her ladyship wished her tocontradict it, why she could, and the sooner, perhaps, the better.
Lady Annabel observed to her that she wished no such thing, butshe desired that Pauncefort would make no more observations on thesubject, either to her or to any one else. And then Pauncefort badeher ladyship good night in a huff, catching up her candle with arather impertinent jerk, and gently slamming the door, as if she hadmeant to close it quietly, only it had escaped out of her fingers.
Whatever might be the tone, whether of surprise or displeasure, whichLady Annabel thought fit to assume to her attendant on her noticingLord Cadurcis' attentions to her daughter, there is no doubt thathis conduct had early and long engaged her ladyship's remark, herconsideration, and her approval. Without meditating indeed animmediate union between Cadurcis and Venetia, Lady Annabel pleasedherself with the prospect of her daughter's eventual marriage with onewhom she had known so early and so intimately; who was by nature of agentle, sincere, and affectionate disposition, and in whom educationhad carefully instilled the most sound and laudable principles andopinions; one apparently with simple tastes, moderate desires, fairtalents, a mind intelligent, if not brilliant, and passions which atthe worst had been rather ill-regulated than violent; attached alsoto Venetia from her childhood, and always visibly affected by herinfluence. All these moral considerations seemed to offer a fairsecurity for happiness; and the material ones were neither lesspromising, nor altogether disregarded by the mother. It was an unionwhich would join broad lands and fair estates; which would place onthe brow of her daughter one of the most ancient coronets in England;and, which indeed was the chief of these considerations, would,without exposing Venetia to that contaminating contact with theworld from which Lady Annabel recoiled, establish her, without thisinitiatory and sorrowful experience, in a position superior to whicheven the blood of the Herberts, though it might flow in so fair andgifted a form as that of Venetia, need not aspire.
Lord Cadurcis had not returned to Cherbury a week before this schemeentered into the head of Lady Annabel. She had always liked him; hadalways given him credit for good qualities; had always believed thathis early defects were the consequence of his mother's injudicioustreatment; and that at heart he was an amiable, generous, andtrustworthy being, one who might be depended on, with a naturally goodjudgment, and substantial and sufficient talents, which only requiredcultivation. When she met him again after so long an interval, andfound her early prognostics so fairly, so completely fulfilled, andwatched his conduct and conversation, exhibiting alike a well-informedmind, an obliging temper, and, what Lady Annabel valued even above allgifts and blessings, a profound conviction of the truth of all her ownopinions, moral, political, and religious, she was quite charmed; shewas moved to unusual animation; she grew excited in his praise; hispresence delighted her; she entertained for him the warmest affection,and reposed in him unbounded confidence. All her hopes becameconcentred in the wish of seeing him her son-in-law; and she detectedwith lively satisfaction the immediate impression which Venetia hadmade upon his heart; for indeed it should not be forgotten, thatalthough Lady Annabel was still young, and although her frame andtemperament were alike promising of a long life, it was natural, whenshe reflected upon the otherwise lone condition of her daughter, thatshe should tremble at the thought of quitting this world withoutleaving her child a protector. To Doctor Masham, from whom LadyAnnabel had no secrets, she confided in time these happy but coverthopes, and he was not less anxious than herself for their fulfilment.Since the return of Cadurcis the Doctor contrived to be a morefrequent visitor at the hall than usual, and he lost no opportunity ofsilently advancing the object of his friend.
As for Cadurcis himself, it was impossible for him not quickly todiscover that no obstacle to his heart's dearest wish would arise onthe part of the parent. The demeanour of the daughter somewhat moreperplexed him. Venetia indeed had entirely fallen into her old habitsof intimacy and frankness with Plantagenet; she was as affectionateand as unembarrassed as in former days, and almost as gay; for hispresence and companionship had in a great degree insensibly removedthat stillness and gravity which had gradually influenced her mind andconduct. But in that conduct there was, and he observed it with somedegree of mortification, a total absence of the consciousness of beingthe object of the passionate admiration of another. She treated LordCadurcis as a brother she much loved, who had returned to his homeafter a long absence. She liked to listen to his conversation, to hearof his adventures, to consult over his plans. His arrival calleda smile to her face, and his departure for the night was alwaysalleviated by some allusion to their meeting on the morrow. But manyan ardent gaze on the part of Cadurcis, and many a phrase of emotion,passed unnoticed and unappreciated. His gallantry was entirelythrown away, or, if observed, only occasioned a pretty stare at theunnecessary trouble he gave himself, or the strange ceremony whichshe supposed an acquaintance with society had taught him. Cadurcisattributed this reception of his veiled and delicate overtures toher ignorance of the world; and though he sighed for as passionatea return to his strong feelings as the sentiments which animatedhimself, he was on the whole not displeased, but rather interested,
bythese indications of a pure and unsophisticated spirit.