Volume Iii Part 4 (1/2)
opposition which would stand in the way, until Eugene is able to settle something satisfactory as to his future prospects. Were I you, Mary, if it were only for Eugene's sake, I should not be so scrupulous about securing each other's happiness and his welfare, as he tells me you are.”
But Mary turned away almost indignantly. If the proposal had even revolted her spirit when coming from Eugene's own lips, much more so, did it grate upon her feelings, when thus insinuated by those of another.
But whatever might here have ensued, was interrupted by the entrance of Mr. de Burgh. It seemed that he had only arrived in London that day, unexpectedly to Mrs. de Burgh, who otherwise would not have planned the meeting of Mary and Eugene.
He came evidently in one of his London humours, as his wife called it; and though he greeted Mary kindly, she fancied there was a certain alteration in his manner towards her, which she instinctively felt to originate in his disapprovement of the present circ.u.mstances of her engagement; she remembered that he never was friendly to the affair, though the direct subject was now avoided by each of the party.
He sat and made captious and cutting allusions to the races, and every one concerned therein, which, whether really intended at Eugene, Mary interpreted as such--and they touched the poor girl to the quick.
Probably she was not far wrong in her supposition as to the pointedness of his remarks, for suddenly glancing on his listener's downcast anxious countenance he exclaimed, addressing his wife:
”Bye the bye, Olivia, I mean to be off abroad in a day or two.”
”Good Heavens, Louis! what new fancy is this?”
”Why, I have heard something to-day which has really put me quite into a fever.”
”Well, what is it? Some nonsense, I dare say.”
”_I_ at least do not think it so. Dawson, who I saw to-day, declares that Trevor, Eustace Trevor I mean, was seen by some one not long ago in Switzerland. Yes,” he continued, encouraged by Mary's glance of intense and startled interest, ”he was seen with another person--the _keeper_ I suppose they talk about--somewhere on the Alps.”
”The Alps!--poor fellow! gone there to cool his brain, I suppose,” said Mrs. de Burgh, whose countenance nevertheless had bespoke her not a little moved by this communication.
”Cool his brain!--nonsense! cool enough by this time, depend upon it.”
”But does Eugene know of this?” faltered Mary.
”I suppose so,” replied Mr. de Burgh, coldly.
”Impossible, Louis!” Mary exclaimed with eagerness.
”Well, perhaps so. I don't know at all,” Mr. de Burgh continued. ”I shouldn't be so much surprised if he did; there are a great many things which surprise me more than that, Mary; for instance you yourself--yes, you, Mary,” as she lifted up her eyes to her cousin's handsome face, with quiet surprise, ”that you should see things in a light so different to what I should have expected from you.”
”Ridiculous!” interposed Mrs. de Burgh--”that is to say that you should have expected her to have seen everything with your own jaundiced, prejudiced perception; but about Eustace Trevor.”
”Yes, about Eustace Trevor; he is a subject certainly worth a little of your interest and inquiry. Mary, you should have known _him_,” exclaimed Mr. de Burgh, with rising enthusiasm.
”You were very much attached to him then?” demanded Mary, with deep interest.
”Attached to him!--yes, indeed I was; that _was_ a man whom one might well glory in calling friend; or,” he murmured to himself, ”a woman might be proud to wors.h.i.+p as a lover.”
”Yes,” interposed Mrs. de Burgh, ”I suppose he was a very superior, delightful person; but I own he always appeared to me, even as a boy, a little _tete monte_, so that it did not surprise me so very much when I heard of the calamity which had befallen him. He was just the sort of person upon whose mind any strong excitement, or sudden shock would have had the like effect.”
”Olivia, you are talking nonsense,” Mr. de Burgh petulantly exclaimed.
”It was his mother's death, I think, I heard which brought on this dreadful crisis?” Mary inquired.
”Exactly so,” answered Mrs. de Burgh.
”How _do_ you know?” exclaimed her husband. ”What does any one know about the matter?”
”We can only judge from what one has heard from the best authority,”