tales for fifteen-第22部分

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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　of　her　friend；　the　time　of　Charlotte
Henley　was　very　differently　occupied　in　the　country。
There　is；　however；　a　tendency　in　youth　to　rise　with
events　that　does　not　readily　admit　of　depression；
and　the　disorder　of　George　Morton　was　one　of　all
others　the　most　flattering　when　near　its　close。　Even
the　more　mature　experience　of　his　parents　was
misled　by　the　deceptive　symptoms　that　his
complaint　assumed　in　the　commencement　of
summer。　They　who　so　fondly　hoped　the　result；
began　to　believe　that　youth　and　the　bland　airs　of
June　were　overcoming　the　inexorable　enemy。　That
the　strength　of　the　young　man　lessened　with　every
succeeding　day；　was　an　event　to　be　expected　from
his　low　diet　and　protracted　confinement；　but　his
brightening　eyes；　and　the　flitting　colour　that　would
at　times　add　to　their　fiery　radiance；　brought　to　the
youthful　Charlotte　the　most　heartfelt；　though
secret；　rapture。　This　state　between　reviving　hope
and　momentary　despondency　had　prevailed　for
several　weeks；　when　the　affectionate　girl　entered
an　apartment　that　communicated　with　George's　own
room；　where　she　found　the　invalid　reclining　on　a
settee　apparently　deeply　communing　with　himself。
He　was　alone；　and　his　appearance；　as　well　as　the
heavens　and　the　earth；　united　to　encourage　the
sanguine　expectation　of　the　pure　heart　that
throbbed　so　ardently　when　its　owner　witnessed　any
favourable　change　in　the　countenance　of　the　young
man。　The　windows　were　raised；　and　the　balmy　air
of　a　June　morning　played　through　the　apartment；
lending　in　reality　an　elastic　vigour　to　the　decaying
organs　of　the　sick　youth。　The　tinge　in　his　cheeks
was　heightened　by　the　mellow　glow　of　the　sun's
rays　as　they　shone　through　the　medium　of　the　rose…
coloured　curtains　of　the　window；　and　Charlotte
thought　she　once　more　beheld　the　returning　colour
of　health　where　it　had　been　so　long　absent。

〃How　much　better　you　appear　this　morning；
George；〃　she　cried；　in　a　voice　whose　melody　was
even　heightened　by　its　gaiety。　〃We　shall　soon　have
you　among　us　once　more；　and　then；　heedless　one；
beware　how　you　trifle　again　with　that　best　of
heaven's　gifts；　your　health。　Oh；　this　is　a　blessed
climate！　our　summer　atones　with　its　mildness　for
the　dreariness　and　perils　of　our　winter；　it　has　even
given　me　a　colour；　pale…face　as　I　amI　can　feel　it
burn　on　my　cheek。〃

He　raised　his　head　from　its　musing　position　at　the
first　sounds　of　her　voice；　and　smiled　faintly；　and
with　an　expression　of　anguish；　as　she　proceeded；
but　when　she　had　ended；　and　taken　her　seat　near
him；　still　keeping　her　eyes　on　his　varying
countenance；　he　took　her　hand　into　his　own　before
he　replied。　A　good　deal　surprised　at　his　manner；
and　at　this　act；　which　exceeded　the　usual
familiarity　of　even　their　affectionate　intercourse；
the　colour；　of　which　Miss　Henley　had　been　so
playfully　boasting；　changed　once　or　twice　with　rapid
transitions。

〃Seem　I　so　well；　dear　Charlotte？〃　he　at　length　said
in　a　low；　tremulous；　and　hollow　voice；　〃seem　I　so
well？　I　believe　you　are　right；　and　that　I　shall
shortly　be　bettermuch　better。〃

〃What　mean　you；　George？　feel　you　any　worse？　have
I　disturbed　you　with　my　presence　and　my
thoughtless　gaiety？〃

The　young　man　smiled　again；　but　the　expression　of
his　face　was　no　longer　mingled　with　a　look　of
anguish；　it　was　a　kind　benevolent　gleam　of
gratitude　and　affection　which　crossed　his　ghastly
features；　like　a　ray　of　sunshine　enlivening　the
gloom　of　a　day　in　winter。

〃You　disturb　me；　Charlotte！〃　he　answered；　his　very
voice　trembling　as　if　in　sympathy　with　his　frame：　〃I
do　believe　but　for　you　I　should　have　been　long
since　in　my　grave。〃

〃No；　no；　George；　this　is　too　melancholy　a　theme　for
us　both　just　now；　let　us　talk　of　your　returning
health。〃

He　pressed　her　hand　to　his　heart　before　he　replied
〃My　health　will　never　return；　I　am　lost　to　this　world；
and　in　fact　at　this　moment　I　properly　belong　to
another　in　my　body：　would　to　God　that　I　was　purely
so　in　feelings　also。〃

〃Surely；　George；　you　are　alarming　yourself
unnecessarily。〃

〃I　am　not　a