CHAPTER XLVII
The gentle tap that Mrs Hart, fearing to disturb her, gave at the doorof Flora, deceived the expecting girl into a belief that Sir Lyell wasat length arrived; and crying, in a low voice, as she opened it, 'O Sir!how long you have been coming!' she stared at sight of Mrs Hart, with anamazement equal to her disappointment.
Presently, however, with a dejected look and tone, 'Well, now!' shecried, 'is it only you, Mrs Hart?--I thought it had been somebody quitedifferent!'
Mrs Hart, entering, enquired, with surprize, why Miss Ellis had saidthat Miss Pierson was ill, when, on the contrary, she had never seen herlook better.
'Well, now, Miss Ellis,' cried Flora, whispering Juliet, 'did not I tellyou, as plain as could be, 'twas nothing but make believe?'
Juliet, without offering any apology, answered, that she had invited MrsHart to make her a visit.
'Why, now, what can you be thinking of?' cried Flora, angrily: 'Why, youknow, as well as can be, that I want to see nobody! Why, have you forgotall I told you, already, about you know who? Why I never knew the like!Why he'll be fit to kill himself! I'll never tell you any thing again,if you beg me on your knees! so there's the end to your knowing any moreof my secrets! and you've nobody but yourself to thank, if it vexes younever so!'
Mrs Hart interrupted this murmuring, by enquiring who was the Sir thatMiss Pierson expected; adding that, if it were the shop-man, it would bemore proper Miss Pierson should go down stairs, than that she should lethim come up to her room.
'The shop-man?' repeated Flora, simpering, and winking at Juliet; 'no,indeed, Mrs Hart; you have not made a very good guess there! Has she,Miss Ellis? I don't think a man of quality, and a baronet, is very likea shop-man! Do you, Miss Ellis?'
This blundering simplicity of vanity was not lost upon Mrs Hart. 'O ho!'she cried, 'you expect a baronet, do you, then, Miss Pierson? Why therewere no less than two Baronets in the shop as I came through, just now;and there's one of them this minute crossing the way, and turning thecorner.'
'O Me! is he gone, then?' cried Flora, looking out of the window. 'O Me!what shall I do? O Miss Ellis! this is all your fault! And now, perhaps,he'll be so angry he'll never speak to me again! And if he don't, ten toone but it may break my heart! for that often happens when one's crossedin love. And if it does, I sha'n't thank you for it, I assure you! Andit's just as likely as not!'
Juliet, though she sought to appease both her grief and her wrath, couldnot but rejoice that their unguarded redundance informed Mrs Hart of thewhole history: and Mrs Hart, who, though a plain, appeared to be a veryworthy woman, immediately endeavoured to save the poor young creature,from the snares into which she was rather wilfully jumping, thandeludedly falling, by giving her a pressing invitation to her own housefor the rest of the day. But to this, neither entreaty nor reproof couldobtain consent. Flora, like many who seem gentle, was only simple; andhad neither docility nor comprehension for being turned aside from theprosecution of her wishes. To be thwarted in any desire, she consideredas cruelty, and resented as ill treatment. She refused, therefore, toleave the house, while hoping for the return of Sir Lyell; and continuedher childish wailing and fretting, till accident led her eyes to afavourite little box; when, her tears suddenly stopping, and her facebrightening, she started up, seized, opened it, and, displaying a verypretty pair of ear-rings, exclaimed, 'Oh, I have never shewn you mypresents, Miss Ellis! And now Mrs Hart may have a peep at them, too. Soshe's in pretty good luck, I think!'
And then, with exulting pleasure, she produced all the costly trinketsthat she had received from Sir Lyell; with some few, less valuable,which had been presented to her by Sir Jaspar; and all the baubles,however insignificant or babyish, that had been bestowed upon her by herfriends and relatives, from her earliest youth. And these, with theimportant and separate history of each, occupied, unawares, her time,till the return of Miss Matson.
Mrs Hart then descended, and, urged by Juliet, briefly and plainlycommunicated the situation and the danger of the young apprentice.
Miss Matson, affrighted for the credit of her shop, determined to sendfor the mother of Flora, who resided at Lewes, the next day.
Relieved now from her troublesome and untoward charge, Juliet had herdoor opened, and re-took possession of her room.
And there, a new view of her own helpless and distressed condition,filled and dejected her with new alarm. The licentiously declaredpurpose of Sir Lyell had been shocking to her ears; and theconsciousness that he knew that she was informed of his intention addedto its horrour, from her inability to shew her resentment, in the onlyway that suited her character or her disposition, that of positivelyseeing him no more. But how avoid him while she had no other means ofsubsistence than working in an open shop?
The following morning but too clearly justified her apprehensiveprognostics, of the improprieties to which her defenceless state madeher liable. At an early hour, Sir Lyell, gay, courteous, gallant,entered the shop, under pretence of enquiring for Sir Jaspar; whom heknew to be invisible, from his infirmities, to all but his own nursesand servants, till noon. Miss Matson was taciturn and watchful, thoughstill, from the fear of making an enemy, respectful; while Flora,simpering and blushing, was ready to jump into his arms, in hereagerness to apologize for not having waited alone for him, according tohis directions: but he did not look at Miss Matson, though he addressedher; nor address Flora, though, by a side glance, he saw herexpectations; his attention, from the moment that he had asked, withoutlistening to any answer, whether he could see Sir Jaspar, was all, andeven publicly devoted to Juliet; whom he approached with an air ofhomage, and accosted with the most flattering compliments upon her goodlooks and her beauty.
Juliet turned aside from him, with an indignant disgust, in which shehoped he would read her resentment of his scheme, and her abhorrence ofhis principles. But those who are deep in vice are commonly incredulousof virtue. Sir Lyell took her apparent displeasure, either for atimidity which flattery would banish, or an hypocrisy which boldnesswould conquer. He continued, therefore, his florid adulation to hercharms; regarding the heightened colour of offended purity, but as anaugmented attraction.
Juliet perceived her failure to repress his assurance, with adisturbance that was soon encreased, by the visible jealousy manifestedin the pouting lips and frowning brow of Flora; who, the moment thatSir Lyell, saying that he would call upon Sir Jaspar again, thought itprudent to retire, began a convulsive sobbing; averring that she saw whyshe had been betrayed; for that it was only to inveigle away hersweetheart.
Pity for the ignorant accuser, might have subdued the disdain due to theaccusation, and have induced Juliet to comfort her by a self-defence;but for a look, strongly expressing a suspicion to the same effect, fromMiss Matson; which was succeeded by a general tossing up of the chins ofthe young work-women, and a murmur of, 'I wonder how she would like tobe served so herself!'
This was too offensive to be supported, and she retired to her chamber.
If, already, the mingled frivolity and publicity of the business intowhich she had entered, had proved fatiguing to her spirits, and ungenialto her disposition; surmises, such as she now saw raised, of a petty andbase rivality, urged by a pursuit the most licentious, rendered allattempt at its continuance intolerable. Without, therefore, a moment'shesitation, she determined to relinquish her present enterprise.
The only, as well as immediate notion that occurred to her, in this newdifficulty, was to apply to Mrs Hart, who seemed kind as well as civil,for employment.
When she was summoned, therefore, by Miss Matson, with surprize andauthority, back to the shop, she returned equipped for going abroad;and, after thanking her for the essay which she had permitted to be madein the millinery-business, declared that she found herself utterly unfitfor so active and so public a line of life.
Leaving then Miss Matson, Flora, and the young journey-women to theirastonishment, she bent her course to the house of Mrs Hart; where herapplication was happily successful
. Mrs Hart had work of importance justordered for a great wedding in the neighbourhood, and was glad to engageso expert a hand for the occasion; agreeing to allow, in return, bed,board, and a small stipend per day.
With infinite relief, Juliet went back to make her little preparations,and take leave of Miss Matson; by whom she was now followed to her room,with many earnest instances that she would relinquish her design. MissMatson, in unison with the very common character to which she belonged,had appreciated Juliet not by her worth, her talents, or her labours,but by her avowed distress, and acknowledged poverty. Notwithstanding,therefore, her abilities and her industry, she had been uniformlyconsidered as a dead weight to the business, and to the house. But now,when it appeared that the pennyless young woman had some other resource,the eyes of Miss Matson were suddenly opened to merits to which she hadhitherto been blind. She felt all the advantages which the shop wouldlose by the departure of such an assistant; and recollected the manyuseful hints, in fashion and in elegance, which had been derived fromher taste and fancy: her exemplary diligence in work; her gentlequietness of behaviour; and the numberless customers, which the variousreports that were spread of her history, had drawn to the shop. All,now, however, was unavailing; the remembrance of what was over occurredtoo late to change the plan of Juliet; though a kinder appreciation ofher character and services, while she was employed, might have engagedher to try some other method of getting rid of the libertine Baronet.
Miss Matson then admonished her not to lose, at least, the benefit ofher premium.
'What premium?' cried Juliet.
'Why that Sir Jaspar paid down for you.'
Juliet, astonished, now learnt, that her admission as an inmate of theshop, which she had imagined due to the gossipping verbal influence ofMiss Bydel, was the result of the far more substantial money-mediationof Sir Jaspar.
She felt warmly grateful for his benevolence; yet wounded, in reflectingupon his doubts whether she deserved it; and confounded to owe another,and so heavy an obligation, to an utter stranger.
She was finishing her little package, when the loud sobbings of Flora,while mounting the stairs for a similar, though by no means as voluntarya purpose, induced her to go forth, with a view to offer someconsolation; but Flora, not less resentful than disconsolate, said thather mother was arrived to take her from all her fine prospects; andloaded Juliet with the unqualified accusation, of having betrayed hersecrets, and ruined her fortune.
Juliet had too strong a mind to suffer weak and unjust censure to breedany repentance that she had acted right. She could take one view only ofthe affair; and that brought only self-approvance of what she had done:if Sir Lyell meant honourably, Flora was easily followed; if not, shewas happily rescued from earthly perdition.
Nevertheless, she had too much sweetness of disposition, and too muchbenevolence of character, to be indifferent to reproach; though hervain efforts, either to clear her own conduct, or to appease the angrysorrows of Flora, all ended by the indignantly blubbering damsel'sturning from her in sulky silence.
Juliet then took a quick leave of Miss Matson, and of the youngjourney-women; and repaired to her new habitation.