Disraeli_Lothair.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
and-forty hours. understand his affairs are
vast."
" have always heard a considerable person; quite the head of the
community in this country -- indeed, in generally."
" see by the morning papers that has taken the veil."
" missed my papers to-day," said , a little agitated, "but
have long been aware of her intention of doing so."
" . will miss her very much. was quite the soul of the
house."
" must be a great and painful sacrifice," said ; "but,
believe, long meditated. remember when was at , nearly two
years ago, that was told this was to be her fate. was quite
determined on it."
" saw the beautiful crucifix you gave her, at . 's."
" was an homage to her for her great goodness to me when was ill at
-- and it was difficult to find any thing that would please or suit
her. fixed on the crucifix, because it permitted me to transfer to it
the earth of the holy places, which were included in the crucifix, that
was given to me by the monks of the , when made my
pilgrimage to ."
the evening . insisted on their dancing, and he engaged
himself to . and seemed never
separated; was successful in inducing to be his
partner.
" you remember your first ball at ?" asked . "
are not nervous now?"
" would hardly say that," said , "though try not to
show it."
" was the first ball for both of us," said . " have not
danced so much in the interval as you have. you know, was
thinking, just now, have danced oftener with you than with any one
else?"
" not you glad about 's affair ending so well?"
"; he will be a happy man. body is happy, think, except
myself."
the course of the evening, . , on the arm of
, stopped for a moment as she passed , and said: " you
remember our conversation at 's breakfast? was right
about mamma?"
passed their long summer days in rambling and riding, and in
wondrous new games which they played in the hall. striking feature,
however, were the matches at battledore and shuttlecock between
and . , in which the skill and energy displayed
were supernatural, and led to betting. evenings were always gay;
sometimes they danced; more or less they always had some delicious
singing. . arranged some tableaux most successfully.
this time, hung much about ; he was by her
side in the riding-parties, always very near her when they walked, and
sometimes he managed unconsciously to detach her from the main party,
and they almost walked alone. he could not sit by her at dinner, he
joined her immediately afterward, and whether it were a dance, a
tableau, or a new game, somehow or other he seemed always to be her
companion.
was about a week after the arrival of , and they were at
breakfast at , in that bright room full of little round tables
which always admired, looking, as it did, upon a garden of many
colors.
" hate modern gardens!" said . . " a horrid thing
this is! might as well have a mosaic pavement there. me
cabbage-roses, sweet-peas, and wall-flowers. is my idea of a
garden. 's garden is the only sensible thing of the sort."
" likes a mosaic pavement to look like a garden," said ,
"but not a garden like a mosaic pavement."
" worst of these mosaic beds," said , "is, you can never
get a nosegay, and if it were not for the kitchen-garden, we should be
destitute of that gayest and sweetest of creations."
"'s garden is, since your first visit to ," said the
duchess to . " flowers are admitted that have not perfume.
is very old-fashioned. must get her to show it you."
was agreed that after breakfast they should go and see 's
garden. a party did go -- all the family, and and
. , and , and , and .
the pleasure-grounds of were the remains of an ancient
garden of the ancient house that had long ago been pulled down.
the modern pleasure-grounds were planned and created, notwithstanding
the protests of the artists in landscape, the father of the present duke
would not allow this ancient garden to be entirely destroyed, and you
came upon its quaint appearance in the dissimilar world in which it was
placed, as you might in some festival of romantic costume upon a person
habited in the courtly dress of the last century. was formed upon a
gentle southern slope, with turfen terraces walled in on three sides,
the fourth consisting of arches of golden yew. duke had given this
garden to , in order that she might practise her theory,
that flower-gardens should be sweet and luxuriant, and not hard and
scentless imitations of works of art. , in their season, flourished
abundantly all those productions of which are now banished from
our once delighted senses; huge bushes of honey-suckle, and bowers of
sweet-pea and sweet-brier, and jessamine clustering over the walls, and
gillyflowers scenting with their sweet breath the ancient bricks from
which they seemed to spring. were banks of violets which the
southern breeze always stirred, and mignonette filled every vacant nook.
they entered now, it seemed a blaze of roses and carnations, though
one recognized in a moment the presence of the lily, the heliotrope, and
the stock. white peacocks were basking on the southern wall, and
one of them, as their visitors entered, moved and displayed its plumage
with scornful pride. bees were busy in the air, but their homes
were near, and you might watch them laboring in their glassy hives.
", is not quite right?" said . , as he
presented with a garland of woodbine, with which she said
she would dress her head at dinner. agreed with him, and
and adorned each other with carnations, and . placed
a flower on the uncovered head of . , according to the
principles of high art, and they sauntered and rambled in the sweet and
sunny air amid a blaze of butterflies and the ceaseless hum of bees.
and had disappeared; and the rest were lingering
about the hives while . gave them a lecture on the apiary and
its marvellous life. bees understood . , at least he said
so, and thus his friends had considerable advantage in this lesson in
entomology. and were in a distant comer of the
garden, and she was explaining to him her plans; what she had done and
what she meant to do.
" wish had a garden like this at ," said .
" could easily make one."
" you helped me."
" have told you all my plans," said .
"; but was thinking of something else when you spoke," said
.
" was not very complimentary."
" do not wish to be complimentary," said , "if compliments mean
less than they declare. was not thinking of your garden, but of you."
" can they have all gone?" said , looking round. "
must find them."
" leave this garden?" said . " without a flower, the
only one without a flower? am afraid that is significant of my lot."
" shall choose a rose," said .
"; the charm is, that it should be your choice."
choosing the rose lost more times and, when and
reached the arches of golden yew, there were no friends in sight.
" think hear sounds this way," said , and he led his companion
farther from home.
" see no one," said , distressed, and when they had
advanced a little way.
" are sure to find them in good time," said . ",
wanted to speak to you about the garden at . wanted to induce
you to go there and help me to make it. ," he added, after some
hesitation, "on this spot -- believe on this very spot -- asked the
permission of your mother two years ago to express to you my love.
thought me a boy, and she treated me as a boy. said knew nothing
of the world, and both our characters were unformed. know the world
now. have committed many mistakes, doubtless many follies -- have
formed many opinions, and have changed many opinions; but to one have
been constant, in one am unchanged -- and that is my adoring love to
you."
turned pale, she stopped, then, gently taking his arm, she hid her
face in his breast.
soothed and sustained her agitated frame, and sealed with an embrace
her speechless form. , with soft thoughts and softer words,
clinging to him, he induced her to resume their stroll, which both of
them now wished might assuredly be undisturbed. had arrived at the
limit of the pleasure-grounds, and they wandered into the park and its
most sequestered parts. this time spoke much, and gave her
the history of his life since he first visited her home.
said little, but, when she was more composed, she told him that from the
first her heart had been his, but every thing seemed to go against her
hopes. at last, to please her parents, she would have married
the of , had not returned; and what he had said to
her that morning at had decided her resolution, whatever
might be her lot; to unite it to no one else but him. then came the
adventure of the crucifix, and she thought all was over for her, and she
quitted town in despair.
" us rest here for a while;" said , "under the shade of this
oak;" and reclined against its mighty trunk, and
threw himself at her feet. had a great deal still to tell her, and,
among other things, the story of the pearls, which he had wished to give
to .
" was, after all, your good genius," said . " always
liked her."
", now," said , "that case has never been opened. year
has elapsed, but would not open it, for had always a wild wish that
the person who opened it should be yourself. , here it is."
he gave her the case.
" will not break the seal," said . " us respect it for
her sake -- !" she said, examining it; and then they opened the
case. was the slip of paper which , at the time, had
placed upon the pearls, and on which she had written some unseen words.
were read now, and ran thus:
" ' ."
" me place them on you now," said .
" will wear them as your chains," said .
sun began to tell them that some hours had elapsed since they
quitted . last a soft hand, which retained,
gave him a slight pressure, and a sweet voice whispered: ",
think we ought to return."
they returned almost in silence. rather calculated that,
taking advantage of the luncheon-hour, might escape to her
room, but they were a little too late. was over, and they met
the duchess and a large party on the terrace.
" has become of you, my good people?" said her grace; "bells have
been ringing for you in every direction. can you have been?"
" have been in 's garden," said , "and she has given me
a rose."