CHAPTER III.
'Well, my little daughter,' said the good Masham, advancing as Venetiaentered the room, and tenderly embracing her. The kind-hearted old manmaintained a conversation on indifferent subjects with animation forsome minutes; and thus a meeting, the anticipation of which would havecost Venetia hours of pain and anxiety, occurred with less uneasyfeelings.
Masham had hastened to Cherbury the moment he heard of the return ofthe Herberts to England. He did not come to console, but to enliven.He was well aware that even his eloquence, and all the influence ofhis piety, could not soften the irreparable past; and knowing, fromexperience, how in solitude the unhappy brood over sorrow, he fanciedthat his arrival, and perhaps his arrival only, might tend in somedegree at this moment to their alleviation and comfort. He broughtLady Annabel and Venetia letters from their relations, with whom hehad been staying at their country residence, and who were anxious thattheir unhappy kinsfolk should find change of scene under their roof.
'They are very affectionate,' said Lady Annabel, 'but I rather thinkthat neither Venetia nor myself feel inclined to quit Cherbury atpresent.'
'Indeed not, mamma,' said Venetia. 'I hope we shall never leave homeagain.'
'You must come and see me some day,' said the Bishop; then turning toGeorge, whom he was glad to find here, he addressed him in a heartytone, and expressed his delight at again meeting him.
Insensibly to all parties this arrival of the good Masham exercised abeneficial influence on their spirits. They could sympathise with hischeerfulness, because they were convinced that he sympathised withtheir sorrow. His interesting conversation withdrew their minds fromthe painful subject on which they were always musing. It seemedprofanation to either of the three mourners when they were togetheralone, to indulge in any topic but the absorbing one, and their utmosteffort was to speak of the past with composure; but they all feltrelieved, though at first unconsciously, when one, whose interest intheir feelings could not be doubted, gave the signal of withdrawingtheir reflections from vicissitudes which it was useless to deplore.Even the social forms which the presence of a guest renderedindispensable, and the exercise of the courtesies of hospitality,contributed to this result. They withdrew their minds from the past.And the worthy Bishop, whose tact was as eminent as his good humourand benevolence, evincing as much delicacy of feeling as cheerfulnessof temper, a very few days had elapsed before each of his companionswas aware that his presence had contributed to their increasedcontent.
'You have not been to the abbey yet, Lord Cadurcis,' said Masham tohim one day, as they were sitting together after dinner, the ladieshaving retired. 'You should go.'
'I have been unwilling to leave them,' said George, 'and I couldscarcely expect them to accompany me. It is a visit that must revivepainful recollections.'
'We must not dwell on the past,' said Masham; 'we must think only ofthe future.'
'Venetia has no future, I fear,' said Lord Cadurcis.
'Why not?' said Masham; 'she is yet a girl, and with a prospect of along life. She must have a future, and I hope, and I believe, it willyet be a happy one.'
'Alas!' said Lord Cadurcis, 'no one can form an idea of the attachmentthat subsisted between Plantagenet and Venetia. They were not commonfeelings, or the feelings of common minds, my dear lord.'
'No one knew them both better than I did,' said Masham, 'not evenyourself: they were my children.'
'I feel that,' said George, 'and therefore it is a pleasure to us allto see you, and to speak with you.'
'But we must look for consolation,' said Masham; 'to deplore isfruitless. If we live, we must struggle to live happily. To tell youthe truth, though their immediate return to Cherbury was inevitable,and their residence here for a time is scarcely to be deprecated, Istill hope they will not bury themselves here. For my part, after thenecessary interval, I wish to see Venetia once more in the world.'
Lord Cadurcis looked very mournful, and shook his head.
'As for her dear mother, she is habituated to sorrow anddisappointment,' said Masham. 'As long as Venetia lives Lady Annabelwill be content. Besides, deplorable as may be the past, there must besolace to her in the reflection that she was reconciled to her husbandbefore his death, and contributed to his happiness. Venetia is thestricken lamb, but Venetia is formed for happiness, and it is in thenature of things that she will be happy. We must not, however, yieldunnecessarily to our feelings. A violent exertion would be unwise, butwe should habituate ourselves gradually to the exercise of our duties,and to our accustomed pursuits. It would be well for you to go toCadurcis. If I were you I would go to-morrow. Take advantage of mypresence, and return and give a report of your visit. HabituateVenetia to talk of a spot with which ultimately she must renew herintimacy.'
Influenced by this advice, Lord Cadurcis rose early on the nextmorning and repaired to the seat of his fathers, where hitherto hisfoot had never trod. When the circle at Cherbury assembled at theirbreakfast table he was missing, and Masham had undertaken the officeof apprising his friends of the cause of his absence. He returned todinner, and the conversation fell naturally upon the abbey, and theimpressions he had received. It was maintained at first by LadyAnnabel and the Bishop, but Venetia ultimately joined in it, and withcheerfulness. Many a trait and incident of former days was alluded to;they talked of Mrs. Cadurcis, whom George had never seen; they settledthe chambers he should inhabit; they mentioned the improvementswhich Plantagenet had once contemplated, and which George must nowaccomplish.
'You must go to London first,' said the Bishop; 'you have a great dealto do, and you should not delay such business. I think you had betterreturn with me. At this time of the year you need not be long absent;you will not be detained; and when you return, you will find yourselfmuch more at ease; for, after all, nothing is more harassing than thefeeling, that there is business which must be attended to, and which,nevertheless, is neglected.'
Both Lady Annabel and Venetia enforced this advice of their friend;and so it happened that, ere a week had elapsed, Lord Cadurcis,accompanying Masham, found himself once more in London.