tales for fifteen-第24节

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make　her　the　confidant　of　what　she　already　knew；
though　only　by　conjecture　and　inference。　Delafield
at　this　time　was　so　urgent；　and　secretly　so
determined　to　prevail；　in　order　that　his　pride　if　not
his　affections　might　be　soothed；　that　in　an
unguarded　moment　he　induced　the　inconsiderate
Maria　to　betray；　we　will　not　say　the　confidence　of
her　friend；　but　such　facts　as　could　only　have　come
to　her　knowledge　by　the　intimacy　of　unaffected
association。　If　there　were　any　thing　to　extenuate
this　breach　of　decorum　by　Maria；　it　was　the　manner
in　which　it　was　effected。　Miss　Osgood　had　just
returned　from　one　of　her　frequent　visits　to　the　villa
of　Mr。　Henley；　when　Delafield　made　his　customary
morning　call：　the　absence　of　Maria；　and　the　object
of　her　visit；　had　been　well　known　to　him；　and　as　it
was　a　time　when　he　began　to　speak　of　Miss　Henley
without　much　emotion；　and　but　little　love；　he　could
not　avoid　yielding　so　far　to　his　pique　as　to　express
himself　as　follows：

〃So；　Miss　Maria；　you　have　just　returned　from　paying
another　visit　to　your　beautiful　little　friend　without
any　heart。〃

〃My　little　friend　without　any　heart！　Of　whom　do　you
speak？　and　what　do　you　mean！〃

〃I　speak　of　Miss　Charlotte　Henley；　the　nun；she
who　has　all　of　heaven　about　her　but　its　lovethat
brilliant　casket　without　its　jewelsthat　woman
yes；　that　YOUNG　woman　without　any　heart。〃

〃Upon　my　word；　sir；　this　is　a　very　pretty　poem　you
have　been　reciting！　but　in　my　opinion；　your
conclusion　is　wrong。　As　she　refused　to　give　you　her
heart；　it　is　the　more　probable　that　she　has　it　yet　in
that　brilliant　casket　you　speak　of〃

〃Noshe　never　had　one。　She　wants　the　greatest
charm　that　nature　can　give　to　a　womana　warm；
grateful；　and　affectionate　heart。〃

〃And　pray；　sir；〃　said　Maria；　bending　her　eyes
inquisitively　toward　the　youth；　〃if　she　want　it；　what
has　she　done　with　it！〃

〃She　never　had　one；　Miss　Osgood。　I　will　grant　you
that　she　is　lovely；　exquisitely　lovely！　pure；　gentle；
amiable；　every　epithet　you　may　wish　to　apply；　that
indicates　nothing　but　acquired　excellence：　but　as　to
natural　feelings；　she　is　as　cold　as　an　iciclein　short
she　is　destitute　of　HEARTthe　thing　of　all　others　I
most　prize　in　a　woman；　and　for　which　I　admire　you
so　much。〃

Maria　laughed；　but　she　coloured　also。　It　had　long
been　obvious　to　herself；　and　to　the　world　too；　that
Delafield　sought　her　society；　now　that　he　was　not
admitted　at　Mr。　Henley's；　much　more　than　that　of
my　other　young　woman　in　the　city；　but　she　thought
that　she　well　understood　the　secret　reason　for　this
preference；　though　the　world　might　not。　How
gratifying　this　speech　was　to　the　feelings　of　the
gay　girl；　the　sequel　of　our　tale　must　show。　The
young　man　however　did　not　judge　her　too
favourably；　when　he　supposed　her　to　possess　those
kindred　sensations　that　unite　us　with　our　fellow…
beings；　and　he　might　have　added　a　good　deal　of
generosity　to　the　catalogue　of　her　virtues。　After　a
pause　of　a　moment　she　replied

〃I　suppose　I　must　thank　you；　Delafield；　for　the
pretty　compliment　you　have　just　paid　me；　but　I　am
so　unused　to　this　sort　of　thing；　that　I　really　feel　as
bashful　as　sweet　fifteen；　though　I　am　at　mature
twenty。〃

〃That　is　because　you　DO　feel；　Miss　Osgood；　I　might
have　said　as　much　to　Charlotte　Henley　without
exciting　the　least　emotion　in　her；　or　of　even
bringing　one　tinge　of　that　bright　blush　over　her
features　which　makes　you　look　so　handsome。〃

〃Mercy！　mercy！　have　mercy；　I　entreat　you；〃　cried
Maria；　averting　her　face；　〃or　I　shall　soon　be　as　red
as　the　cook。　But　I　cannot；　I　will　not　consent　to　hear
my　friend　traduced　in　such　a　manner；　so　far　from
wanting　feeling；　Charlotte　Henley　is　all　heart。　To
use　your　own　language；〃　she　added；　turning　her
eyes　towards　him　archly；　〃it　is　for　her　heart　that　I
most　love　her。〃

〃You　deceive　yourself。　Early　attachment；　and　long
association；　and　your　own　generous；　warm　feelings
deceive　you。　She　is　accustomed　to　show　gentle　and
kind　civilities　to　all　around　her；　and　you　mistake
habit　for　affection。〃

〃She　is　accustomed　to　do　all　that；　I　own；　but　to　do
it　in　a　manner　that　adds　to　its　value　by　her　simple
unaffected　feelings。　She　is　not；　I　must
acknowledge；　like　certain　people　of　my
acquaintance；　a　bundle　of　tinder　to　take　fire　at
every　spark　that　approaches；　but　she　loves　all　she
should　love；　and　I　fear　she　loves　one　too　well　that
she　should　not　love。〃

〃Love　one　that　she　should　not　love？〃　cried
Delafield：　〃what；　is　her　heart　then　engaged　to
another！　Is　it　possible　that　Miss　Henley；　the　cold；
prudish　Miss　Henley；　can　indulge　an　improper
attachment　after　all？〃

〃Mr。　Delafield；〃　said　Miss　Osgood；　gravely；　〃I　am
not　apt　to　betray　what　I　ought　to　conceal；　although
I　am　the　giddy　creature　that　I　seem。　But　I　have
spoken　unguardedly；　and　must　explain：　in　the　first
place；　I　would　not　have　you　suppose　that　Charlotte
Henley　and　I　talk　of　our　hearts　and　our　lovers　to
each　other；　like　two　girls　at　a　boarding　school。　If　I
know　that　she　has　such　a　thing　as　a　heart　at　all；　it
is　not　from　herself　but　from　my　own　observation；
and　as　for　lovers；　though　she　may　have　had　dozens
for　any　thing　I　know；　to　ME　they　are　absolutely
strangers。Don't　interrupt　me；　I　am　not　begging
one。　After　this　explanation　I　will　say；　trusting；
Delafield　entirely　in　your　honour；　which　I　do　believe
you　to　possess　in　a　high〃

〃You　mayyou　may；〃　interrupted　the　young　man
eagerly：　〃I　will　never　betray　your　confidenceyou
might　trust　yourself　to　my　honour　and　good　faith〃

〃I　wish　you　would　not　be　bringing　yourself　and
myself　constantly　into　the　conversation；〃　said　the
lady；　compressing　her　lips　to　conceal　a　smile；　〃we
are　talking　of　Charlotte　Henley；　and　of　her　only。　She
was　brought　up　in　the　daily　habit　of　seeing　much　of
George　Morton；　who；　I　believe；　even　you　will　own
has　a　heart；　for　it　will　cost　him　his　life。〃

〃His　life！〃

〃I　fear　so；　nay；　it　is　without　hope。　The　cold　he　took
in　carrying　the　poor　sufferer　to　the　hospital　last
winter　has　thrown　him　into　a　decline。　I　do　believe
that　Charlotte　Henley　is　fond　of　him；　but　mind；　I　do
not　say　that　she　is　in　loveif　appears　to　be　less　of
passion　than　of　intense　affection。〃

〃Yes；　such　as　she　would　feel　for　a　brother。〃

〃She　has　no　brother。　I　do　not　intend　to　define　the
passions：　but　I　do　believe　that　if　he　were　to　live
and　offer　himself；　she　would　marry　him；　and　make
him　such　a　wife　as　any　man　might　envy。〃

〃What！　do　you　think　she　loves　him　unasked；　and
yet　refuse　me　who　begged　her　hand　like　her　slave。〃

〃It　is　not　unasked；　he　has　known　her　all　her　life
has　ever　shown　a　preference　for　herhas　been　kind
to　her　and　to　all　others　in　her　presencehe　has
long　anticipated　her　wishes；　in　trifles；　andandin
short；　he　has　done　just　what　he　ought　to　do；　to
gain　her　love。〃

〃Then　you　think　I　erred　in　the　manner　in　which　I
made　my　advances？〃

〃Your　advances；　as　you　call　them；　would　have
succeeded　with　nine　girls　in　ten；　though　not　with
Miss　Henleybesides；　you　are　too　late。〃

〃Certainly　not　too　late　when　no　declaration　had
been　made　by　any　other。〃

〃I　am　not　about　to　discuss　the　proprieties　of
courtship　with　you；　Mr。　Delafield；〃　cried　Maria；
laughing　and　rising　from　her　chair。　〃Come；　let　us
walk；　it　is　a　sin　to　shut　ourselves　up　on　such　a
morning。　The　subject　must　now　he　changed　and　the
scene　too。〃

He　accepted　her　challenge；　and　they　proceeded
through　the　streets　together；　but　she　evaded　every
subsequent　attempt　he　made　to　renew　the
discourse。　Perhaps　she　felt　that　she　had　gone　too
farperhaps　there　was　something　in　it　that　was
painful　to　her　own　feelings。

The　explanation；　however；　had　a　great　tendency　to
destroy　the　remains　of　what　Delafield　mistook　for
love。　Instead　of　having　his　affections　seriously
engaged　in　a　short　intercourse　with　Miss　Henley；
our　readers　may　easily　perceive　that　it　was　nothing
but　his　imagination　that　was　excited；　and　which
had　kept　his　brain　filled　with　images　still　more
lovely　than　the　original：　but　now　that　the　wan
features　of　George　Morton　were　constantly　brought
into　the　picture　by　the　side　of　the　deity　he　had
worshipped；　the　contemplation　of　these　fancied
beauties　become　hourly　less　pleasant；　and　in　a
short　time　he　ceased　to　dwell　on　the　subject
altogether。

A　consequence；　however；　grew　out　of　his　short…lived
inclination；　that　was　as　unlooked　for　by　himself　as
by　the　others　interested　in　the　result。　He　became
so　much　accustomed　to　the　society　of　Maria
Osgood；　that　at　length　he　fell　it　was　necessary　to
his　comfort。　To　the　surprise　of　the　whole　city；　the
handsome；　rich；　witty；　and　accomplished　Mr。
Seymour　Delafield　declared　himself　in　form　before
the　spring　had　expired　to　one　of　the　plain
daughters　of　Mr。　Osgood；　a　man　with　a　large　family；
and　but　little　money。　Maria　had　a　difficult　task　to
conceal　the　pleasure　she　felt；　as　she　listened　to；
not　the　passionate　declaration　of　her　admirer；　but
to　his　warm　solicitation　that　she　would　unite　her
destinies　to　his　own。　She　did　conceal　it；　however；
and　would　only　consent　to　receive　his　visits　for　a
time；　on　the　condition　that　he　was　not　to　consider
her　as　at　all　engaged　by　the　permission。



CHAPTER　V。

WHILE　such　happy　prospects　were　opening　on　the
future　life　o