‘Why, Jane, what would you have? I fear you will compel me to go through a private marriage ceremony, besides that performed at the altar. You will stipulate, I see, for peculiar terms—what will they be?’
‘I only want an easy mind, sir; not crushed by crowded obligations. Do you remember what you said of Celine Varens?—of the diamonds, the cashmeres you gave her? I will not be your English Celine Varens. I shall continue to act as Adele’s governess; by that I shall earn my board and lodging, and thirty pounds a year besides. I’ll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money, and you shall give me nothing but—‘
‘Well, but what?’
‘Your regard; and if I give you mine in return, that debt will be quit.’
‘Well, for cool native impudence and pure innate pride, you haven’t your equal,’ said he. We were now approaching T hornfield. ‘Will it please you to dine with me to-day?’ he asked, as we re-entered the gates.
‘No, thank you, sir.’
‘And what for, ‘no, thank you?’ if one may inquire.’
‘I never have dined with you, sir: and I see no reason why I should now: till—‘
‘Till what? You delight in half-phrases.’
‘Till I can’t help it.’
‘Do you suppose I eat like an ogre or a ghoul, that you dread being the companion of my repast?’
‘I have formed no supposition on the subject, sir; but I want to go on as usual for another month.’
‘You will give up your governessing slavery at once.
‘Indeed, begging your pardon, sir, I shall not. I shall just go on with it as usual. I shall keep out of your way all day, as I have been accustomed to do: you may send for me in the evening, when you feel disposed to see me, and I’ll come then; but at no other time.’
‘I want a smoke, Jane, or a pinch of snuff, to comfort me under all this, ‘pour me donner une contenance,’ as Adele would say; and unfortunately I have neither my cigar-case, nor my snuff-box. But listen—whisper. It is your time now, little tyrant, but it will be mine presently; and when once I have fairly seized you, to have and to hold, I’ll just—figuratively speaking—attach you to a chain like this’ (touching his watch-guard). ‘Yes, bonny wee thing, I’ll wear you in my bosom, lest my jewel I should tyne.’
He said this as he helped me to alight from the carriage, and while he afterwards lifted out Adele, I entered the house, and made good my retreat upstairs.
He duly summoned me to his presence in the evening. I had prepared an occupation for him; for I was determined not to spend the whole time in a tete-e-tete conversation. I remembered his fine voice; I knew he liked to sing—good singers generally do. I was no vocalist myself, and, in his fastidious judgment, no musician, either; but I delighted in listening when the performance was good. No sooner had twilight, that hour of romance, began to lower her blue and starry banner over the lattice, than I rose, opened the piano,and entreated him, for the love of heaven, to give me a song. He said I was a capricious witch, and that he would rather sing another time; but I averred that no time was like the present.
