Part 15 (2/2)
”Then why----?” the Professor began.
”He is about as near as she will get,” Valeria interrupted. ”I will never stand in the way of a girl's marrying a good, honest man. There is not one chance in ten thousand that Hadria will happen to meet exactly the right person. I have made a mistake in my life. I shall do all in my power to urge her to avoid following in my footsteps.”
It was useless for the Professor to remonstrate.
”I pity Mr. Temperley, though I am so fond of Hadria,” said Miss Du Prel. ”If he shatters _her_ illusions, she will certainly shatter _his_.”
The event that they had been expecting, took place. During one of the afternoon practices, when, for a few minutes, Mrs. Fullerton had left the room, Temperley startled Hadria by an extremely elegant proposal of marriage. He did not seem surprised at her refusal, though he pleaded his cause with no little eloquence. Hadria found it a painful ordeal.
She shrank from the ungracious necessity to disappoint what appeared to be a very ardent hope. Happily, the interview was cut short by the entrance of Mr. Fullerton. The old man was not remarkable for _finesse_.
He gave a dismayed ”Oh!” He coughed, suppressed a smile, and murmuring some lame enquiry as to the progress of the music, turned and marched out of the room. The sound of laughter was presently heard from the dining-room below.
”Father is really too absurd!” cried Hadria, ”there is _no_ tragedy that he is incapable of roaring at!”
”I fear his daughter takes after him,” said Temperley with a tragi-comic smile.
When Hadria next met her father, he asked, with perfect but suspicious gravity, about the music that they had been practising that afternoon.
He could not speak too highly of music as a pastime. He regretted having rushed in as he did--it must have been so disturbing to the music. Why not have a notice put up outside the door on these occasions: ”Engaged”?
Then the meanest intelligence would understand, and the meanest intelligence was really a thing one had to count with, in this blundering world!
CHAPTER X.
Hubert Temperley left Drumgarren suddenly. He said that he had business to attend to in town.
”That foolish girl has refused him!” exclaimed Valeria, when she heard of it.
”Thank heaven!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Professor Fortescue.
Valeria's brow clouded. ”Why are you so anxious about the matter?”
”Because I know that a marriage between those two would end in misery.”
Valeria spoke very seriously to Hadria on the subject of marriage, urging the importance of it, and the wretchedness of growing old in solitude.
”Better even that, than to grow old in uncongenial company,” said Hadria.
Valeria shrugged her shoulders. ”One could go away when it became oppressive,” she suggested, at which Hadria laughed.
”What an ideal existence!”
”Are you still dreaming of an ideal existence?”
”Why not?”
”Well, dream while you may,” said Miss Du Prel. ”My time of dreaming was the happiest of all.”
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