Volume Ii Part 5 (1/2)

SHAKESPEARE.

Thus men go wrong with an ingenious skill, Bend the straight rule to their own crooked will.

COWPER.

That same night, Arthur Seaham called on Eugene Trevor at the hotel, in which he had easily ascertained the latter to be established.

He did not entertain much hope of finding him at home at that hour, but purposed proceeding there to demand an interview the following day. He was more fortunate than he expected.

He was told that Mr. Trevor was in the house, and it was not a little in Eugene's favour (in the brother's eyes) that he found him seated in a private room in the hotel, plunged in melancholy meditation, over the remains of a solitary dinner.

He looked up a little startled and surprised, when the name of his visitor was announced; but immediately arose, and shook hands cordially with the young man, expressing his pleasure at seeing him again. Then when the waiter, who staid to clear the table, had withdrawn and closed the door, and Arthur, who had replied to his greeting with somewhat of distant gravity, had seated himself silently on an opposite chair, Trevor at once, with eyes a little averted, said:

”Seaham, I can well guess what business has brought you here to-night.

You come, of course, to speak upon the subject of your sister.”

”I have come _to-night, from_ my sister,” was the calm, but somewhat emphasized reply.

”Indeed!” with a nervous uncertainty in his tone, which had not been perceptible in his former utterance. ”She, Mary, told you, I suppose, of that most wretched meeting this afternoon.”

”She did,” Arthur Seaham again coldly replied; ”and it was the nature of that meeting which made her desirous to communicate with you, through me, feeling herself unequal to treat the subject, as fully and satisfactorily as she had wished, by letter.”

He again paused; and Trevor fixed his eyes upon the young man's face in anxious, agitated inquiry.

”You cannot suppose,” Arthur continued, with an effort at calm moderation in his tone, ”that the interview to which you allude was calculated much to raise my sister's spirits, or throw much light on her present clouded and uncertain prospects.”

Trevor bowed his head in moody a.s.sent.

”You are quite right,” he muttered gloomily, a darkness gathering over his brow; ”and it is but natural that you, her brother, should require, and demand, further explanation and satisfaction.”

”_That_, I again repeat, is not the point which brought me here on _this occasion_,” Arthur rejoined. ”I come, bound by a promise to my sister, to speak and act this night, as in her name and person, therefore, you can rest well a.s.sured,” with a mingling of bitterness and tender feeling in his tone, ”that in her case no explanation or satisfaction is required. No, rather, I have to a.s.sure you, that her trust and confidence still remain unmoved, and only for your own sake does she now desire and propose, that matters should be put on a more defined and certain footing; either that she should not be suffered to stand any longer in the way of your happiness or advantage, by the continuance of your now vague and uncertain engagement, or----”

But Trevor, with much eager agitation, at this point interrupted him.

”Mary--your sister,” he exclaimed, ”she surely cannot, does not wish to give me up?”

The brother looked steadily into the speaker's face, as if to ascertain that the emotion, which by his tone and manner bespoke the excitement this suggestion had caused, was truthfully imaged there; and on the whole he was not dissatisfied by the inspection; at least, if the deep glow first overspreading his brow, and then the ashy paleness succeeding, could be interpreted as corresponding signs of feeling; and he replied, though with something of suppressed bitterness:

”Her unselfish, womanly nature does not carry her so far. She is willing to make any sacrifice of her own feelings, her happiness, her affections if a.s.sured that it would tend to the removal of those--of course unforeseen, difficulties and annoyances”--with some severe stress upon the latter words, ”which your engagement to her seems suddenly to have been the means of scattering on your path. Or if not this,” he hastily added, as Trevor again made an effort to interrupt him, ”or if not this, at least she proposes that some definite period be a.s.signed, during which full opportunity and leisure be accorded you for the arrangement or removal of the present obstacles to your marriage.”

Trevor rose abruptly, and for, several minutes paced the apartment in agitated silence. Then he returned to his seat, and with more calm determination addressed his companion.

”Seaham!” he said, bending low his head as he spoke, with his downcast eyes only at intervals raised from the ground, ”Seaham, let me explain to you a little the circ.u.mstances of my present position, and then you will be better able to comprehend the embarra.s.sing perplexity of my affairs.”

Arthur looked up hopefully--now at least some light was to be thrown on the impenetrable mystery of the few last months.

”It is a painful subject,” continued Trevor, speaking indeed as if with difficulty; ”but I must not shrink from breaking it now to you. You are aware of the situation of my unfortunate brother?”

Seaham murmured a.s.sent.