^-^ 
 
 L I E) RARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 U N IVERSITY 
 
 or ILLI NOIS 
 
 Tom Turner Collection 
 
 823 
 Sc(?79t 
 
 I 63 A
 
 TREVELYAN. 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 A MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE. 
 
 SECOND EDITION 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 
 
 1834.
 
 LONDON : 
 PRINTED BY G. 8CHULZE, 
 
 13, Poland Street.
 
 s col H 
 
 1 "%-54 
 
 I TREVELYAN. 
 
 Si 
 
 in 
 
 cp CHAPTER L 
 
 I — Slight withal may be the things which bring 
 
 CD Back on the heart the weight which it would fling 
 
 Aside for ever. It may be a sound, 
 
 \ , A tone of music — summer's eve or spring — 
 
 \Vj A flower — the wind — the ocean, which shall wound, 
 
 ^\ Striking the electric chain by which we're darkly bound. 
 ^ Byron. 
 
 r It is needless to attempt any description of 
 
 ^ Richmond. Every one must be acquainted 
 
 }^ with that celebrated resort of Sunday cockneys, 
 
 "^ that long established colony of old maids and 
 
 «;^ widows. Every one has skimmed along the 
 
 V\ lovely silver Thames which glides below the 
 
 N town, or has wandered in the meadows on its 
 
 banks, listening to the distant chimes of the 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 TREVELYAN. • 
 
 Twickenham bells, and watching in pleasing 
 reverie the reflections of the gay pleasure-boats, 
 as they swim past, or rest under the welcome 
 shade of the drooping willows. Every one, in 
 short, has felt the soothing influence of 
 
 *' That landscape, which to the heart inspires 
 Vernal delight and joy — able to drive 
 All sadness but despair.'* 
 
 In one of the houses at the outskirts of the 
 town, situated between the bridge and the mea- 
 dows, whose little gardens overhang the barge 
 track at the edge of the river, lived in 1798 
 Miss Trevelyan. She was one of that de- 
 scription of stigmatized persons yclept old 
 maids, mentioned as congregating to the place ; 
 that is to say, she was several years above 
 forty, and had apparently no thoughts of chang- 
 ing her state of single blessedness. But in 
 other respects she was a most unworthy member 
 of the then existing community of Richmond ; 
 for she never played at cards, never gave or
 
 TREVELYAN. 5 
 
 went to dinner-parties, never made or received 
 visits. Once, indeed, a carriage, with the de- 
 coration of a coronet on the panels, and a smart 
 turn-out of four knowing-looking horses, was 
 seen waiting at her door, and great was the 
 sensation it occasioned, and many the sur- 
 mises to which it gave rise. But to whom it 
 belonged was not ascertained, for her servants, 
 the usual medium of information on such mat- 
 ters, and who consisted of a cross old cook and 
 a deaf fat footman, were as reserved and ex- 
 clusive as herself, and associated with no one. 
 On the first arrival of Miss Trevelyan at 
 Richmond, several advances of civility had been 
 made towards her, but they had met with no 
 return on her part. Some settled that she was 
 fine, and others that she was serious ; but all 
 agreed she was queer. By degrees, however, 
 as new topics of conversation arose, and 
 ne"^ inhabitants arrived, she ceased in some 
 degree to be the general subject of discussion, 
 although whenever she was seen wandering in 
 
 B 2
 
 4 TREVELYAN. 
 
 the meadows with her dog (her only and con- 
 stant companion), many an invective was le- 
 velled against her on account of her supposed 
 impertinent airs, or puritanical pride, and for 
 so provokingly occupying a house which might 
 have added a member or two to the society of 
 the place, perhaps even of the male sex, an 
 article in which Richmond was at that time 
 sadly deficient. 
 
 One fine evening in the beginning of August, 
 Miss Trevelyan had taken her station on a 
 bench in her little garden, under a catalpa-tree 
 in full blossom. It was one of those delicious 
 evenings which follow an intensely hot day, 
 and when mere existence is enjoyment; she 
 sat for some time in the vague sort of reverie 
 which that sensation produces. The soft air 
 was perfumed with jasmine and honeysuckles ; 
 the summer flies buzzed around, and all nature 
 seemed in life. On a sudden distant sounds 
 of music struck on her ear. She looked over 
 the low parapet wall of her little garden to-
 
 TREVELYAN, 5 
 
 wards Twickenham and beheld one of those 
 aquatic shows which seem rather to belong to 
 bright Venice, with her songs, her splashing 
 oars, and gay romance of life, than to the cold, 
 dull chmate and habits of England. Two or 
 three gilt barges, decorated with flags of every 
 colour, and followed by an innumerable train 
 of boats, came sparkling down the stream, 
 while figures, decked in all the tints of the rain- 
 bow, were seen dancing gaily on the decks. 
 The music grew more distinct and loud at each 
 stroke of the rowers, and now the dazzhng 
 flotilla passed close below Miss Trevelyan's 
 garden; then, gliding gently on, pursued its 
 gay career through the arches of the bridge, 
 which soon concealed it from the sight, while 
 the notes of the various instruments, the 
 splashing of the many oars, and the merry 
 voices of the collected crowd, again grew gradu- 
 ally fainter on the ear. 
 
 The sun had now sunk below the horizon, 
 and the trees, outlined against the bright
 
 6 trevelyan. 
 
 amber sky, partook of the sombre tint of twi- 
 light. The distant hum of mirth before long 
 died entirely away, and as every boat and 
 every pedestrian had followed the gay pro- 
 cession, the river, fields, and paths seemed on 
 a sudden entirely deserted. Miss Trevelyan 
 still leaned against the parapet wall, lost in 
 thought, until almost unconsciously to herself 
 tears stole down her cheeks. 
 
 The scene which she had just beheld por- 
 trayed to her mind the history of her own 
 existence. Thus gaily had life first accosted 
 her : — thus had it quickly passed her by, — and 
 thus had it now left her, an isolated being. 
 
 She had entered the world one of a large 
 family. Her father, the younger brother of 
 the Earl of Launceston, had been brave and 
 fortunate, had risen high in his profession, 
 and derived an ample income from his vari- 
 ous military appointments. Her mother had 
 died when Miss Trevelyan had scarcely at- 
 tained her sixteenth year ; and the same here-
 
 TREVELYAN. 7 
 
 ditary complaint, which consigned her to the 
 grave, prematurely carried off several of her 
 children ; one brother, however, still remained 
 to Miss Trevelyan, but with him she was 
 scarcely acquainted, as he was more than 
 ten years younger than herself, when quite 
 a lad had entered the army, and very soon 
 after followed his regiment to India. . Thus 
 almost every individual with whom she had 
 begun life, with whom she had gambolled 
 in childhood, and shared the pleasures of 
 youth, had disappeared one by one, and she 
 alone had remained to watch over the declin- 
 ing health and intellect of her father, a pa- 
 ralytic stroke having for some time previously 
 to his death greatly affected both. Alone with 
 him. Miss Trevelyan had continued during the 
 last fifteen year^ to inhabit the home of her 
 more cheerful days, having ever before her 
 eyes the deserted apartments and vacant 
 places of those whose presence had once 
 seemed a part of the home itself.
 
 o TREVELYAN. 
 
 In such a dismal, monotonous life, there was^ 
 certainly nothing calculated to dissipate the 
 gloom which the frequent scenes of sickness 
 and death in her family had thrown over her 
 spirits, undermining the spring of youth. But 
 there was another circumstance, which, per- 
 haps, more than all these losses and depriva- 
 tions, helped to colour her mind and disenchant 
 her existence. She had in childhood met with 
 an accident, to prevent the evil consequences of 
 which every care had been taken, but in vain ; 
 and as she grew up, these consequences were 
 but too apparent, not only in her figure, but 
 in a dehcacy of health, the inevitable result of 
 a deformed person. And her character had 
 possibly been even more aifected by this acci- 
 dent than her appearance, for, losing her mother 
 just at that age when the rnind most needs 
 direction and assistance, and having no one to 
 support her's under the severe trial which such 
 a misfortune imposes, it had preyed even on 
 her good sense (albeit naturally of a superior
 
 TREVELYAN. 9 
 
 order), until, magnifying to herself its import- 
 ance, and encouraged in this gloomy error by 
 the many depressing circumstances of her 
 youth, she had grown to consider herself as 
 one, not only cut out from all general society, 
 but even from the charities of life, one likely to 
 inspire contempt and ridicule, rather than com- 
 miseration and interest. Hence, therefore, an 
 abstracted melancholy of disposition, which 
 reconciled her without murmuring to the dis- 
 mal seclusion of her life so long as her father 
 Hved, but which, on his death, made her look 
 with dismay on a world to which she was as 
 yet a total stranger, and from which she felt 
 herself to be an outcast. Youth had by this 
 time slipped by her, she hardly knew how, 
 but certainly unembellished even by any of 
 those passing pleasures which usually dress up 
 that period of existence ; all expectation, all 
 elasticity of mind had fled with it, and she 
 would gladly have remained concealed and 
 unknown in her former home (although now 
 
 B 5
 
 10 TREVELYAN. 
 
 to her become a mausoleum), rather than make 
 the exertion of seeking another, and facing 
 that world from which she expected nothing 
 but contempt. 
 
 This, however, was impossible, for with 
 General Trevelyan's hfe had ended all his 
 appointments, and, according to his will, every 
 thing of personal property was to be disposed 
 of in order to make up a small heritage for 
 his surviving children. Miss Trevelyan felt 
 that " the world was all before her where to 
 choose,^' — a melancholy liberty, more pain- 
 ful, perhaps, than the most arbitrary com- 
 pulsion, as it seems to cast upon ourselves 
 all responsibility for the comfort or discom- 
 fort of our future hves. Various plans and 
 homes were suggested to her by the confi- 
 dential lawyer, who had had the charge of 
 her father's affairs : but, shrinking from every 
 change either in her residence or way of life, 
 she rejected them all in turn until actually 
 forced to come to a decision by being driven
 
 TREVELYAN. 1 1 
 
 from her former home to make way for its 
 new possessor, when chance rather than choice, 
 fixed her finally at Richmond. 
 
 No one certainly could be less fitted to 
 prove an acquisition to the gossiping, card- 
 playing sisterhood of the place ; and, had its 
 members been aware of all that the reader is 
 now in possession of, many a surmise with re- 
 gard to the social qualities of the new inhabitant, 
 and many a plan for cultivating her acquaint- 
 ance might have been spared. 
 
 It so happened that there was an evening- 
 party next door that very day on which Miss 
 Trevelyan's carriage had been seen unlading at 
 her new residence, and all the company came 
 in open-mouthed on the subject. "And so 
 N**. L is at last taken," said one. — " Dear me, 
 were you not aware of that,'* exclaimed ano- 
 ther. " I have known it for above a month.^' 
 — "Oh, then, perhaps you can tell us who 
 our new neighbour is ?" all eagerly cried out. — 
 ^'To be sure," said the well-informed lady;
 
 12 TREVELYAN. 
 
 " it is a Miss Trevelyan ; but whether she is 
 likely to settle here, or has only taken the house 
 for the season, I do not yet know.'' — "Miss 
 Trevelyan !" repeated the first, " I once had 
 some acquaintances of that name; they were 
 Cornish people — a very good family," added 
 she, looking vastly important. — " Good family I" 
 rejoined Mrs. Hopkins (the lady of the house.) 
 " Why, bless you, Trevelyan is Lord Launces- 
 ton's family name." — " I should not wonder if 
 she were a near relation of his ; perhaps even 
 a sister — or daughter." At this suggestion 
 the Peerage was instantly seized, and all who 
 could see without spectacles eagerly looked 
 over the lucky individual who had first got 
 possession of the interesting volume. It was 
 there found that the Honourable Edward Tre- 
 velyan, second brother to the Earl of Laun- 
 ceston,born in 1730, had married Miss Stanley, 
 and had had several children, most of whom 
 however died young." 
 
 " Why the whole family appear to be de-
 
 TREVELYAN. 13 
 
 funct," exclaimed Miss Brown, " so we need 
 not look for our new neighbour among them." 
 
 "I beg your pardon/^ rejoined Mrs. Hop- 
 kins with much importance of manner. " You 
 will observe that the eldest daughter, Louisa, is 
 still ahve, and as I happened to step into Pig- 
 got's to-day, I chanced to glance my eye on a 
 letter which was lying on the counter with 
 regard to this very house, and it was signed 
 Louisa Trevelyan." This piece of intelligence 
 gave rise to a general feeling of security, and 
 when upon inquiry of Mrs. Hopkins it was as- 
 certained that Miss Trevelyan came in a very 
 good carriage, attended by a very respectable- 
 looking servant in the Launceston Hvery, the 
 satisfaction expressed was unbounded, and it 
 was unanimously agreed that, at all events, she 
 might safely be called uj)on. These advances 
 of civility were .accordingly made, and during 
 the first week after her arrival at Richmond, 
 her fat footman had each day to travel at 
 least ten times to the door, to receive prof-
 
 14 TREVELYAN. 
 
 fers of friendship from all her neighbours 
 through the medium of their cards. But there 
 the matter ended. No visits were personally 
 returned ; no cards even were sent in acknow- 
 ledgment of them ; and in proportion to the 
 flattering expectations which the arrival of the 
 new inhabitant of N°. 1 had awakened was 
 the disappointment arising from this, their 
 death-blow, and the consequent indignation 
 excited by such repulsive conduct. 
 
 Finery, as has been already said, was, of 
 course, the first motive assigned ; that charge 
 which, (without any attempt to ascertain either 
 its justice, or upon what pretensions the indi- 
 vidual accused can even affect to deserA^e it,) 
 is indiscriminately brought forward against 
 every one who objects to general society. 
 Miss Trevelyan, was, accordingly, right or 
 wrong, voted fine, and severe were the sar- 
 casms levelled against this her supposed im- 
 pertinence. " ReaUy, for Miss Trevelyan to 
 give herself such airs as to turn up her nose
 
 TREVELYAN. 15 
 
 at the society of Richmond, because, forsooth 
 she happens to be the daughter of Lord 
 Launceston's younger brother, is too ridicu- 
 lous ; for, after all, what is that ?" — " Many 
 of us would, notwithstanding, have gone out 
 of the room before her," said the Honourable 
 Mrs. Hopkins, with emphasis ; " and, perhaps, 
 indeed, that is the very reason why she does 
 not choose to visit in the neighbourhood/' 
 
 Before long, however, her eccentricity was 
 otherwise accounted for : she was observed 
 to go twice to church on every Sunday, con- 
 sequently she was pronounced to be serious 
 and methodistical ; everybody blessed their 
 stars they had nothing to do with her, and 
 confessed they really could not see what busi- 
 ness she had to come and set herself up as 
 better than her neighbours, and to dictate as to 
 right and wrong among them. 
 
 This last charge of seriousness was nearer 
 the truth than that of finery, if by seriousness 
 was meant reUgion, for rehgious Miss Trevel-
 
 16 TREVELYAN. 
 
 yan certainly was^ a most humble-minded, con- 
 scientious Christian ; but her religion, tinged 
 by her pecuhar misfortune, had taught her the 
 emptiness and vanity of all earthly enjoyments, 
 rather than to bear the unavoidable ills of life 
 with cheerfulness, and to enjoy mth gratitude 
 those passing gleams of sunshine sent in mer- 
 ciful compensation. 
 
 So many years of her life had been passed in 
 solitary abstraction, and she had so long dwelt 
 on the disadvantages of her lot, that she had 
 taught herself to consider the distaste she felt 
 for the intercourse of society as not only un- 
 avoidable, but in a great degree meritorious -, 
 and although, in moments of peculiarly melan- 
 choly irritation, she had been tempted to think 
 it hard that an existence apparently so full of 
 interest to others should be to her thus 
 blighted, yet the habitual conviction of her 
 mind was, that the gay and happy must be 
 frivolous, heartless, and irreligious. But these 
 opinions, arising chiefly from the now almost
 
 TREVELYAN. 17 
 
 Constitutional depression of her spirits^ did 
 not render her either morose or censorious ; 
 charity was enthroned in her heart, and there 
 was not a being in any station of life for 
 whose advantage she would have hesitated to 
 sacrifice her own. To visit in her solitary 
 walks the habitations of poverty, and by her 
 bounty to cause the widow's heart to sing 
 for joy, were the only interests of which 
 she was now susceptible, and at such times a 
 momentary ray of cheerfulness would reflect 
 itself back, from the hearts she had gladdened, 
 upon her own depressed mind ; but it always 
 vanished in the silence and gloom which await- 
 ed her return to her own solitary fireside ; and, 
 instead of tracing this evil to its true source 
 — ^instead of considering how greatly the seclu- 
 sion in which she lived circumscribed her power 
 of being useful to others, and thereby lessened 
 her only enjoyment — she encouraged herself to 
 believe that this tedium of life, of which she 
 was so painfully sensible, was but the natural
 
 18 TREVELYAN. 
 
 consequence of that misfortune with which it 
 had pleased Heaven to afflict her^ and that her 
 feehngs must be shared by all who, from 
 having none of those endearing ties which 
 prolong the vista of existence into that of 
 others, see a dead-waU gradually rise at the 
 end of their own. 
 
 And to such childless, insulated beings, at 
 the period when recollections rather than anti- 
 cipations form the character of Ufe, this world 
 must naturally wear a totally different aspect 
 from that which it presents to their more 
 busily-connected neighbours ; for there is an 
 awkward corner in human existence at which, 
 bidding of necessity a final adieu to youth, 
 we naturally lose with it all hvely interest 
 in our own prospects, and are therefore 
 desolate indeed if we cannot identify ourselves 
 with the fate of others. Such feelings may not, 
 perhaps, be inaptly compared to those of a tra- 
 veller who, after having revelled in the bright 
 skies, the glowing landscapes, and intoxicating
 
 TREVELYAN. 19 
 
 romance of Italy^ returns home through that 
 flattest and most uninteresting of all countries, 
 la (self-yclept) Belle France ! The brilliant 
 sun, which at first starting illumined every 
 object, has disappeared ; the constant expecta- 
 tion of fresh enjoyment has passed away ; the 
 eye no longer seeks to catch the first ghmpse of 
 some long-expected object ; a straight, dull road 
 alone meets it, and the only desire is to arrive 
 with all possible speed at the end of the now 
 wearisome journey. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan's character and the circum- 
 stances of her former life being now fully ex- 
 plained, it cannot excite surprise that the gay 
 show which glided below her garden, on that 
 evening when she was first introduced to the 
 notice of the reader, should have affected her 
 so strongly. She remained fixed to the spot 
 until darkness spread over every object, and 
 the bright lamps, twinkling on the bridge, 
 were reflected in the rippling waters of the 
 Thames ; she then slowly ascended the steps
 
 20 TREVELYAN. 
 
 leading to her little drawing-room. The heat 
 of the season had long banished a fire, that 
 only substitute for the society of a friend, and 
 the gloomy appearance of her apartment made 
 her almost shiver on entering, although the 
 thermometer was at the moment at near eight}^, 
 and not a breath of air moved the leaves of 
 the creepers which clustered round her win- 
 dows. She rang for candles; and when, in 
 course of time, her old domestic appeared with 
 them, she perceived by their welcome light a 
 letter addressed to herself lying on the table 
 before her. She eagerly seized it ; a letter is 
 such an event to one who lives alone ! It was 
 from her brother, then in India with General 
 Harris, from whom she had not heard for 
 several months, and who was now the only 
 remaining being for whom she could feel any 
 real interest. 
 
 Colonel Trevelyan wrote much out of spirits ; 
 his health had suffered greatly from a wound 
 he had received in the course of his militarv
 
 TREVELYAV. 21 
 
 duties, as well as from the climate of India, 
 and he feared he should in consequence be 
 obliged for a time to relinquish his appoint- 
 ments, and apply for leave of absence, but he 
 did not expect it would be obtained before 
 the end of the year. He then added, " I 
 have been every way unfortunate of late, and 
 have experienced a sad loss in the death of 
 my friend Howard, of whom you have so often 
 heard me talk. Although considerably older 
 than myself, he has been my constant com- 
 panion in arms, and most intimate friend for 
 many years. He fell a victim to the fatigues 
 to which the army has been exposed, and to 
 which he was no way equal ; he bequeathed 
 to me on his death-bed rather an awkward 
 charge, but it was one which at such a moment 
 it was impossible to refuse, however unwilling 
 I might be to take such a responsibihty on 
 myself. It seems he has a daughter. Even 
 I was not aware of this circumstance till a 
 short time before his death. Her mother was
 
 22 TREVELYAN. 
 
 an Italian. Since quite an infant this child 
 has, I find, been in England, and she is now 
 at a boarding-school at Clapham. By How- 
 ard's desire, I have, since his death, written to 
 the person who keeps the school, to inform 
 her of the event. This poor girl appears to be 
 left in a most desolate situation, although not 
 destitute ; for Howard was well off, and having 
 no near relations in circumstances to give them 
 any claims upon him, he has left every thing 
 in his power to this daughter ; but she has 
 never as yet been taken the least notice of by 
 any of his family, and of course they are not 
 likely to be more favourably inchned towards 
 her now. Were you near this poor child, I 
 wonder whether you would object to seeing 
 her ? But I talk nonsense, for even should 
 your kindness of heart make you overlook 
 certain prejudices respecting her birth, I know 
 your duties fix you closely at a far distant 
 home, therefore what I propose must be out 
 of the question : but do you know any one
 
 TREVELYAN. 23 
 
 to whose kindness you could so far recommend 
 her, that she might occasionally be visited ? 
 It would be a satisfaction to me, who am now 
 her guardian, and therefore answerable for her 
 welfare, to know that she is well taken care 
 of. The name of this poor orphan, by the 
 bye, is Theresa, and in addition she bears that 
 of Howard." 
 
 After this followed much that was painful 
 to Miss Trevelyan, as it all referred to their 
 father's situation, the letter announcing his 
 death not having reached her brother when he 
 wrote. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan pondered much over that 
 part of her brother's letter relative to The- 
 resa Howard. She pondered over it many 
 days. It was true that there were prejudices 
 (and she thought just ones), against those in 
 Theresa's situation ; but in what way could she 
 be affected or contaminated by contact with 
 a poor deserted orphan ? At all events she 
 could hardly refuse her brother's request to
 
 24 TREVELYAN. 
 
 go and see her, and the visit need not be 
 repeated if she did not Hke it. 
 
 This consideration decided her, and accord- 
 ingly a pair of post-horses were ordered for 
 the good-looking carriage, and the respectable, 
 fat, deaf servant in the Launceston Hvery being 
 mounted on the barouche seat, Miss Trevel- 
 yan drove to Miss Birch's school at Clapham. 
 To her this was a great eifort, for she ever 
 shrunk from presenting herself before those 
 to whom her person was as yet unknown, and 
 this dread of observation had naturally pro- 
 duced a degree of shyness and timidity, which 
 had now become constitutional ; so that when, 
 after some difficulty, the house in question 
 was at last found, she became nervously fright- 
 ened at the prospect of encountering the mis- 
 tress of the school ; and still more so perhaps 
 when she thought of the girl herself, to whom 
 she had not an idea what it would be proper 
 for her to say, and who, she fancied, must 
 be at once prejudiced against one of her ap-
 
 TREVELYAN. 25 
 
 pearance, if indeed it did not actually excite 
 her ridicule. 
 
 On leaving her carriage she was shown into 
 the parlour, where in a short time an elderly 
 lady, with rather a forbidding aspect, joined 
 her, announcing herself as Miss Birch. She 
 looked and spoke as if she had taught syntax, 
 the rule of three, and thorough-bass, all her 
 life ; however, when Miss Trevelyan told her 
 errand, and mentioned Miss Howard, she 
 relaxed somewhat of her rigidity, expressing 
 great pity for her situation, and saying that 
 she had been much affected by the intelligence 
 of her father's death. Miss Trevelyan en- 
 deavoured to discover what sort of girl this 
 Theresa Howard was, but could obtain no 
 positive answer to her inquiries. Miss Birch 
 said that she had evidently been sadly neg- 
 lected previous to her residence at her esta- 
 blishment — that allowances were to be made 
 in consideration of her having begun her life 
 among foreigners and papists — that she had 
 VOL. I. c
 
 26 TREVELYAN. 
 
 certainly gained much by her tuition, and that 
 she hoped in time, and under her system of 
 education, she might be still further improved ; 
 but that it must be remembered Miss Howard 
 had ItaUan blood in her veins, and that some 
 faults were never to be corrected — in short. 
 Miss Birch was evidently one who would 
 never implicate herself by a decided opinion, 
 either in praise or condemnation, and, having 
 given this most unsatisfactory vague account 
 of her pupil, she went in search of her, 
 leaving Miss Trevelyan in a flutter of nerves, 
 which every moment increased at the prospect 
 of her interview with her brother's ward. A 
 considerable time elapsed, during which Miss 
 Trevelyan Avas busily employed composing 
 appropriate queries and observations to be 
 addressed to the girl, when at last the door 
 re-opened, and Miss Birch again made her 
 appearance, followed by one of the most lovely 
 sylph-like figures nature had ever formed. 
 Never having thought of asking what The-
 
 TREVELYAN. 27 
 
 resa's age might be, and Colonel Trevelyan 
 having always talked of her as the child, his 
 sister had prepared herself to see some awkward, 
 gawky-looking girl, with purple arms, a short 
 thick figure, and hair dangling down her back. 
 She was, therefore, lost in admiration at the 
 being now before her, who acknowledged 
 her presence by one of those graceful 
 obeisances which nature alone, and not even 
 a first-rate dancing-master, can teach. The- 
 resa being, of course, in deep mourning, 
 her dress and the glossy black of her hair, 
 made her smooth forehead and beautiful round- 
 ed throat appear perfectly dazzling. After one 
 quick glance at Miss Trevelyan, her eyes were 
 fixed on the ground, and her cheeks, which, on 
 her first entrance, had been deadly pale, be- 
 came coloured with emotion of some sort. 
 Miss Trevelyan, although scarcely less abashed 
 than the girl herself, went kindly up to her, 
 and taking her cold nervous hand in both of 
 her's, " You must look upon me as a friend, 
 
 c 2
 
 ^8 TREVELYAN. 
 
 my dear Miss Howard/' she said, in that mild 
 tone of voice which was pecuhar to her. 
 "You know the sacred charge you are now 
 become to my brother, and you must consider 
 me at present as his representative/' Theresa's 
 hand trembled in her's, her lip quivered, but 
 she did not speak. 
 
 They all sat down, and an awkward pause en- 
 sued. At length it was broken by Miss Birch. 
 " Miss Howard is very shy," said she, speak- 
 ing of her as of one absent, " and of course 
 knows it would not be seemly if she were to 
 talk in my presence. I have no doubt she is 
 much gratified by your kindness in coming to 
 visit her, and would express her thanks if she 
 knew hoAv. I sometimes take some of my 
 young ladies to Richmond for a treat ; and if 
 that little junket should take place this season, 
 I will make a point that Miss Howard shall be 
 of the party, that she may have an opportunity 
 of returning your civihty ; but at present I am 
 going from home. This is, in fact, hoUday-
 
 TREVELYAN. 2i) 
 
 time ; all my pupils are away, except such 
 who have no friends to go to ; those of course 
 I allow to remain on in the house, and Miss 
 Rag stays with them." 
 
 " Does Miss Howard, then, go nowhere 
 during the vacations ?" inquired Miss Trevel- 
 yan, in a tone of commiseration. 
 
 " Of course not," replied Miss Birch, drily ; 
 " she has, you know, no home to go to : there 
 are two other young ladies in my seminary 
 who are similarly situated. It is very incon- 
 venient to 7ne, as I am obliged to keep up an 
 establishment during the whole of the vacation ; 
 but Colonel Howard made a point I should do 
 so before he quitted England, and of course I 
 feel myself still bound to keep to the bargain." 
 
 During this speech of Miss Birch*s, the tears 
 which stole down Theresa's cheeks, notwith- 
 standing all her efforts to restrain them, ex- 
 cited the strongest feelings of interest and pity 
 in Miss Trevelyan, although she could not 
 help suspecting that they proceeded even more
 
 30 TREVELYAN. 
 
 from wounded pride at these not very gentle 
 hints with regard to the inconvenience which 
 her dependence occasioned, than from any- 
 softer feehng. 
 
 Just then Miss Birch was called out of the 
 room, and Miss Trevelyan and her young 
 friend were left t^te-a-tete. No human being 
 possessed a kinder heart than the former ; she 
 drew near to the poor girl, and taking her 
 hand, bade her not weep. Theresa, in evi- 
 dent astonishment, raised her tearful eyes to 
 her who thus addressed her in the voice of 
 kindness, and then, as if impelled by an emo- 
 tion she could not command, on a sudden 
 threw herself into her arms. Miss Trevelyan, 
 greatly moved at this unexpected burst of 
 feeling in one who had hitherto appeared to be 
 a mere automaton, most warmly returned her 
 embrace. In an instant a thousand benevo- 
 lent schemes passed through her mind ; but 
 her natural shyness and solitary habits, every 
 peculiarity of her nature in short, rose to
 
 TREVELYAN. 31 
 
 counteract them, and checked the kind oflfers 
 that were trembhng on her hps. Again there 
 was a long pause. 
 
 At length Theresa, wiping her eyes, thanked 
 Miss Trevelyan for her great kindness to her ; 
 begged her, when she wrote, to give her duty 
 to her guardian, and to assure him she would 
 ever be guided by his will and wishes, as she 
 
 had been by those of her Again her tears 
 
 burst forth, and the word father could not be 
 uttered. 
 
 Miss Birch, followed by a servant bringing 
 in refreshments, at this moment entered. Had 
 she been absent five minutes longer, probably 
 Miss Trevelyan would have proffered to the 
 poor orphan at least a temporary asylum under 
 her roof; but Miss Birch seemed to possess 
 the peculi ar power of repressing every feeling 
 of the heart by her presence. At her entrance 
 Miss Trevelyan unconsciously left Theresa's 
 side, and Theresa, hastily relinquishing her 
 hand, which she had still held in her's, brushed
 
 S2 TREVELYAN. 
 
 away her tears, and resumed her former im- 
 moveable attitude and impenetrable silence. 
 
 After Miss Trevelyan had partaken of the 
 offered refreshments as far as she thought ci- 
 vility required, she rose to depart. Of course 
 Theresa also then left her seat, but still re- 
 mained fixed to the spot, appearing spell-bound 
 in Miss Birch's presence. The usual civilities 
 at parting took place. Miss Trevelyan longed 
 to take a more tender leave of the poor 
 girl; but such (owing to the seclusion of her 
 life) was her extraordinary timidity, that as 
 Theresa never moved from her place, she 
 had not courage again to approach her, or 
 give way to the feelings of kindness with 
 which she had been inspired. When she 
 reached the door of the room. Miss Trevel- 
 yan again turned to look at Theresa, but 
 she had then walked towards the window, 
 her face was averted, she saw not the be- 
 nevolent look which was cast on her — and 
 thus they parted.
 
 TREVELYAN. 3^ 
 
 During her drive home, the kind-hearted 
 Miss Trevelyan thought but of Theresa How- 
 ard. She dreamt of her all night ; her tearful 
 countenance haunted her all next day. It 
 seemed so cruel to leave her at that odions 
 school, and during the holidays too ! were she 
 to pass but a fortnight of that time with her 1 
 one week — even a few days ! But then what 
 could she do with a girl of her age ? how 
 should she amuse her ? how was it possible 
 that anything so young, and probably so 
 gay, should have any pleasure in her so- 
 ciety ? should even get over the unfavourable 
 impression which her appearance would natu- 
 rally produce ? And what a dreadful constraint 
 it would be to have her constantly at her 
 side — never to feel alone ! 
 
 This conflict between sauvagerie and kind- 
 ness continued some days ; but at length the 
 latter feeling prevailed. A letter was des- 
 patched to Miss Birch, with a proposal that 
 
 c5
 
 34 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Miss Howard should spend a few days with 
 her at Richmond ; and soon after the receipt 
 of the answer, Miss Irevelyan was again on 
 the road to Clapham. 
 
 Of course all these movements of the quiet 
 inhabitant of No. 1 did not escape the notice 
 of her vigilant neighbours, reviving all that 
 Curiosity about her, which, for lack of fresh in- 
 cidents to feed on, had in some degree died 
 away. " What could she be about ? where 
 could she now be always driving to — she, who 
 never used to go out in her carriage from one 
 month's end to another ?" And when, upon 
 Miss Trevelyan's return after her second expe- 
 dition, a young person was seen to follow her 
 out of the chaise, and a trunk to be taken 
 out of the boot, all the sisterhood were up in 
 arms. " Well, certainly Miss Trevelyan is the 
 strangest and most mysterious person that ever 
 existed ! No wonder she found it dull living 
 alone, for that any one could have foretold ; 
 but why could she not associate with her neigh^
 
 TREVELYAN. 35 
 
 hours, instead of going the Lord knows where 
 to fetch the Lord knows who ?" 
 
 It was then recollected that there was mad- 
 ness in the Trevelyan family, for Mrs. Hopkins 
 was quite sure there had once been a very queer 
 old admiral of that name. And thus was 
 Miss Trevelyan, in the course of six months, 
 pronounced to be fine and exclusive, metho- 
 distical and mad ; while she, careless as to 
 the opinions and even existence of her neigh- 
 bours, was too much self-engrossed to suspect 
 that she could excite curiosity in any one, or 
 be the object of conversation, or animadversion 
 of any sort.
 
 36 TREVELYANi 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Thy good and amiable gifts 
 
 The sober dignity of virtue wear not ; 
 
 And such a witching mien thy follies show. 
 
 They make a very idiot of reproof. 
 
 And smile it to disgrace. 
 
 Basil. 
 
 During the first twenty-four hours of this 
 new companionship, that glow of heart which 
 ever attends the consciousness of ha\dng per-* 
 formed a kind action, made it appear dehghtful 
 to Miss Trevelyan; and Theresa, laughing 
 and crying by turns, was quite moving in her 
 expressions of gratitude. 
 
 A reaction, however, soon took place. Miss 
 Trevelyan's spirits had been unusually excited, 
 they now sank in proportion, and she longed
 
 TREVELYAN. 37 
 
 for that silence and solitude which habit had 
 rendered so congenial to her mind. To con- 
 verse was irksome and fatiguing, for she and 
 her new companion had not of course one 
 subject in common. To be silent was worse ; 
 for beside her was one whom she felt she ought 
 to entertain, whose presence therefore worried 
 her nerves, and was a weight on her mind. 
 Had Miss Trevelyan then given way to her 
 inclination, she would, probably long before the 
 expiration of the week, have again summoned 
 the good-looking chaise, and sent poor Theresa 
 back to her j^rison-house, under the charge of 
 deaf John. 
 
 But her christian charity here interposed. 
 She remembered that it " endured all things, 
 hoped all things." She therefore submitted to 
 the evil which she liad drawn upon herself, 
 resolving to make the best of what was now 
 unavoidable; and her principles were not 
 put to a severe test ; for Theresa soon 
 found such interesting occupation, that she
 
 38 TREVELYAN. 
 
 ceased to be in the least a charge to her kind 
 benefactress, and, merely by the consciousness 
 of her presence, relieved her from that melan- 
 choly feeling of entire sohtude, which had so 
 often saddened her mind. Miss Birch, at her 
 elegant establishment for young ladies, kept 
 those belonging to it in a state of such entire 
 abstinence from all books but those of mere 
 education (from motives of parsimony as well 
 as prudence), that Theresa had never yet read 
 any narrative possessing greater interest than 
 Hume's History of England. One day while 
 amusing herself in looking over the books in 
 Miss Trevelyan's room, she chanced to light 
 upon Madame de Stael's Corinne ; her atten- 
 tion Was soon arrested by it, and, after reading 
 sufficiently for her imagination to be set on 
 fire, she flew with the precious volume into 
 the garden, in order to enjoy in the luxury of 
 entire sohtude the intoxicating pleasure which 
 such a composition cannot fail to excite in a 
 young ardent mind ! Her heart beat at the
 
 TRKVELYAN. 39 
 
 recital of Corinne's talents and triumphs — her 
 tears flowed at her sorrows, and her ItaUan 
 blood glowing at the description of her own 
 beautiful maternal country, she was so entirely 
 engrossed by the lecture, that time flew un- 
 heeded by, and when at length five o'clock 
 struck, it was almost as disagreeable to her 
 to tear herself from the precious volume for 
 that vulgar thing called dinner, as it Was to 
 her melancholy companion to leave her solitary 
 meditations in order to perform the duties of 
 an hostess. No sooner was the repast over, 
 than again the darling book was seized, and 
 Miss Trevelyan was allowed unmolested to 
 pass the evening wrapt in reverie and her large 
 shawl, on her bench under her favourite catalpa 
 tree. 
 
 Thus by degrees Theresa, perfectly happy in 
 her new life, gradually ceased to be in Miss 
 Trevelyan's way, or to oppress her mind, and 
 she, on her part, almost unconsciously began 
 to lose somewhat of her abstraction. She
 
 40 TREVELYAN. 
 
 sometimes watched with real pleasure the gay 
 gambols which took place in the garden be- 
 tween Theresa and her httle dog, who, de- 
 lighted at having a playfellow, had actually, 
 during the last ten days, grown ten years 
 younger (according to dog computation of 
 time), and no longer lay snoring at the feet 
 of his sedentary mistress. And when Miss 
 Trevelyan caught the sounds of Tlieresa's 
 flexible voice, caroling (as she moved about 
 the house), some gay Venetian ballad, which 
 her quick Italian ear had caught, as if by in- 
 stinct, from some stroUing musician, she Avould 
 lay down her serious contemplative book, 
 break the train of her habitually gloomy 
 thoughts, and listen to her clear, fresh, young 
 voice, till it imparted to her a sensation of 
 gladness. Thus from becoming used to The- 
 resa's society, she soon grew to require it^ 
 soon felt it a pleasure, on waking of a morning, 
 to think that she should be welcomed at break- 
 fast by the bright smile of happy youth -, that
 
 TREVELYAN. 41 
 
 she should receive Theresa's warm-hearted kiss 
 on her cheek ; that she had some one to speak 
 to — some one to hsten to. 
 
 And Theresa's society had done more for 
 Miss Trevelyan than all this ; more than per- 
 haps she vras herself aware of. On the first 
 arrival of her lovely young companion, weak 
 human nature, attacking her at her most vul- 
 nerable point, and before principle had time to 
 check the rebellious feeling, surprised Miss 
 Trevelyan into many a melancholy comparison 
 and reflection as she gazed on her beautiful 
 form, and even some tears, almost uncon- 
 sciously to herself, had occasionally stolen 
 down her meek face, when exaggerating all 
 the advantages it promised her in this life, 
 and the consequent cruel deprivations of her 
 own lot. But when she found that this lovely 
 being, far from shrinking from her with that 
 antipathy which she had so erroneously anti- 
 cipated, expressed by every means in her 
 power, not only the most touching respect,
 
 42 TREVELYAN. 
 
 but the tenderest affection for her person, 
 the mortified self-disgust which she had so 
 long entertained, and which solitude had nur- 
 tured, died insensibly away. The possibihty 
 of being preferred, of being loved, broke in 
 upon her blighted heart, and ht it up with 
 such a vivifying feeling of gratitude, as to pro- 
 duce in consequence a degree of resignation 
 and even contentment, into which she had 
 hitherto endeavoured in vain to tutor her- 
 self by principle. Thus day followed day, 
 week foUowed week, until Theresa's vacation 
 had nearly expired, and Miss Trevelyan was 
 beginning to think that it would be advisable 
 to return her to Miss Birch's care. 
 
 But just at that period. Miss Trevelyan 
 caught a violent inflammator)^ cold, which for 
 a time settled in her eyes. All occupation was 
 of course forbidden, and her young compa- 
 nion became so useful, indeed so absolutely 
 necessary to her, that it was imj^ossible to 
 think of parting with her under such circum-
 
 TREVELYAN. 43 
 
 stances. Theresa had an affectionate, warm 
 heart, and the kindness of her protectress had 
 made a deep impression upon it ; indeed, her 
 gratitude had for the time, even operated a 
 change in her character. For now that her 
 dear Treevy was ill, Theresa was all thought 
 and attention. She sung or read to her by 
 the hour ; even patiently reading the books she 
 chose, although they were ill calculated to ar- 
 rest her heedless, wandering mind; for with 
 her, all was fitful and unsettled. She had no 
 rule of action whatever beyond the whim of 
 the moment. Sometimes it was reading, at 
 others music, and at others again, the idol 
 sports of a child, or even of the kitten, to 
 which she was devoted. But now that her 
 l^enefactress was ill, she checked all the roving 
 wildness of her disposition, and her only wish 
 seemed to be, to administer to her comfort. 
 To be thus an object of devoted affection, was 
 new to Miss Trevelyan ; her's was not a heart 
 on which sucli a delightful feeUng could be
 
 i4: TREVELYAN. 
 
 thrown away, and she thanked Heaven for 
 having sent her this bright spark of hfe to 
 cheer her lonely existence. 
 
 The autumn was past, and winter crept on, 
 and still Theresa was Miss Trevelyan's inmate ; 
 for she had not courage just at that period 
 of the year, when solitude is most felt, to 
 deprive herself of the society of one who so 
 delightfully cheered it, and who daily became 
 more necessary and more interesting to her*— 
 indeed Theresa's very faults were calculated to 
 increase that interest — Nature had done much 
 more for her than education ever could have 
 accomplished, for her's was one of those free- 
 born characters Avhich can be tutored by 
 Heaven alone, and which nothing but severe 
 suifering can subdue. But, -s^dth this inde- 
 pendent spirit, that same nature had endowed 
 her with a kind and generous heart. 
 
 Miss Birch (who, had she studied Theresa's 
 disposition all her life, never could have com- 
 prehended it) thought that, in crushing for a
 
 TREVELYAN. 45 
 
 time that spirit by coldness and severity, she 
 had worked a miracle of reformation ; but the 
 inward fire remained smouldering, and wanted 
 only liberty to burst forth with fresh vigour. 
 Miss Trevelyan soon perceived these defects 
 of her young protegee's character ; but severely 
 strict to herself, her mild indulgence spoiled 
 all around her ; and how could she chide one, 
 who ever flew to execute and even anticipate 
 her slightest wishes. Principle was a word 
 which Theresa knew by name, but which did 
 not convey any clear idea to her mind, and 
 had consequently nothing whatever to do with 
 her conduct. The two great points which had 
 always been insisted upon by Miss Birch in 
 her system of education, were the propriety of 
 going to church, and the impropriety of telling 
 an untruth, and these consequently formed 
 pretty nearly the sum total of Theresa's reh- 
 gious principles and practice ; to the first she 
 had submitted, as to an unavoidable evil, and 
 from the latter her natural upright nobleness
 
 46 TREVELYAN. 
 
 of mind preserved her, without any effort on 
 her part. She had, of course, been duly taught 
 to repeat her catechism, and had in conse- 
 quence learned the Commandments by heart, 
 but she never could see how they apphed to 
 herself ! To bid her not steal, murder, bear 
 false witness, or worship idols, seemed absurd, 
 or at least perfectly useless, for she felt no in- 
 clination whatever to commit any one of these 
 crimes. She had no parents to honour, no 
 lands to obtain in consequence, and in short 
 the decalogue was dismissed from her thoughts 
 as a code of laws no w^ay regarding herself. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan soon perceived with pain 
 how sadly deficient her young companion was 
 in every species of religious knowledge, and 
 repeatedly introduced the subject into their con- 
 versation, and recommended it to her in her 
 studies. But Miss Trevelyan's mind was al- 
 most of too spiritualized a nature to be of use to 
 Theresa's. Her piety went far beyond mere 
 moral precepts and professions of faith ; for,
 
 TREVELYAN. 47 
 
 unenthralled by any earthly passion, and to- 
 tally indifferent to the usual pursuits and plea- 
 sures of the \yorld, her ideas had wandered 
 into a sort of vague mystified contemplative 
 rehgion, consisting in sensations, rather than 
 actions, and those books which raised her pious 
 soul above this world, and which, with that 
 view, she recommended to Theresa, said no- 
 thing whatever to one, who had to begin with 
 the A B C of religion -, and more than once, 
 when she had given her such works for her 
 perusal. Miss Trevelyan had found her on 
 the same spot, where she had left her an hour 
 or two before, the volume open at the very 
 page to which she had directed her attention ; 
 but with one of Scott or Byron's placed upon 
 it, which the poor thoughtless girl was eagerly 
 devouring, and so entranced by the engrossing 
 fiction, that, when taxed with the offence, she 
 seemed totally unconscious of the strange sub- 
 stitution of which she had been guilty. 
 
 No two persons certainly ever appeared less 
 congenial than Miss Trevelyan and her new
 
 4S TREVELYAN. 
 
 inmate ; but perhaps for that ver^^ reason 
 (according to universal experience) they added 
 the more to each other's enjoyment. It seem- 
 ed too but a dull life for one so young and 
 gay as Theresa, for their Ute-a-tete continued 
 unbroken, and their existence was of clock- 
 work monotony ; but then it was a life of 
 comparative liberty, and liberty was as ne- 
 cessary to her mind's health as the breath 
 of heaven to the play of her lungs. She read 
 the books, she sang the songs she preferred, 
 was idle whenever she pleased, and rambled 
 freely, accompanied by Miss Trevelyan's maid 
 and her little dog, in the adjacent paths and 
 meadows. Sometimes she even tempted Miss 
 Trevelyan herself to the shops in the town, 
 or to the terrace-walk on the hill; in short 
 Theresa's existence was now totally different 
 from what it had been at Miss Birch's semi- 
 nary, and that was all that she as yet knew 
 ofhfe. 
 
 Of course she had not escaped the pohce-like 
 vigilance of the neighbours -, it was wondered
 
 TREVELYAN. 49 
 
 who in the world she could be ! From such 
 wonders they proceeded to suppositions. These 
 were easily embodied into assertions, and be- 
 fore long the whole aifair was completely set- 
 tled, although without one single fact having 
 transpired on which to build the scandalous 
 suspicions, producing in consequence the ex- 
 change of sarcastic smiles and significant looks, 
 whenever Miss Trevelyan and her young com- 
 panion were mentioned : and the virtuous sis- 
 terhood, had they been Catholics, would no 
 doubt have devoutly crossed themselves, as a 
 preservative from the defilement of so frail a 
 neighbour as she was supposed to be. For gal- 
 lantry was now confidently added to poor Miss 
 Trevelyan's long list of offences, notwithstand- 
 ing her want of personal attraction ; and Theresa 
 was unhesitatingly pronounced to be the un- 
 fortunate consequence of an indiscretion in her 
 youth. Miss Trevelyan's unsociable eccentrici- 
 ties, her solitary and apparently neglected exist- 
 ence, were now fully accounted for, and of course 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 50 TREVELYAN. 
 
 no further advances of civility were made. It 
 was even thought to be a great hardship to 
 have a person of that sort living in the same 
 row, with only a low wall of separation be- 
 tween the adjoining gardens. " For it reaUy 
 is not fair for such people to force themselves 
 into a respectable neighbourhood ; and I de- 
 clare it is quite unpleasant," said her next-door 
 neighbour, the Honourable Mrs. Hopkins, 
 (whose honour, having come to her in a round- 
 about, collateral way, was by no means slightly 
 appreciated by herself,) " to live so very near 
 them as I do. Why I see the girl constantly 
 on the lawn, and when the windows are open 
 I can hear her sing, and by keeping very still, 
 I can actually hear them talk ; indeed, by lean- 
 ing a httle over that corner of my balcony, I 
 can see into their drawing-room !" 
 
 " Can you really ?" exclaimed two or three 
 of her visiters at once ; " how very awkward 
 and disagreeable ! " And with one accord they 
 immediately hurried into the designated corner
 
 TREVELYAN. 51 
 
 of the balcony, to see if they could catch a 
 glimpse of the offensive pair. 
 
 One of the party, more good-natured or less 
 virtuous than the rest, said, that after all no- 
 thing actually wrong was positively known re- 
 specting Miss Trevelyan, and that she seemed, 
 by what she had heard of her, to be so good 
 and religious, that she really could not help 
 sometimes doubting the truth of the stories 
 against her. " Oh, my dear madam," an- 
 swered her neighbour, with a smile of contempt 
 at her simplicity, " those sort of people are 
 always prodigiously pious and charitable : I 
 would lay any wager she goes into all the dirty 
 cottages, and reads the Bible to the beggars in 
 the streets ; for that is always the way mth 
 ladies of that description. I dare say she is 
 cried up as a saint among a particular set ; for 
 her being a decided sinner is no objection with 
 them — on the contrary." 
 
 Thus was poor Miss Trevelyan still a con- 
 stant, although an unconscious object of ani- 
 
 D 2 
 
 UBRARt 
 
 ^'SwE^n.o..UiHO»
 
 52 TREVELYAN. 
 
 madversion in the neighbourhood, furnishing a 
 most useful topic when pohtics or marriages 
 failed, and shunned, as a sort of pestilence, by 
 the inhabitants of Richmond in general. If 
 they chanced to meet her and her young friend 
 walking in the meadows, a large sweep was 
 regularly made in order to avoid them; and, 
 as if frailt}^ was so infectious as to be commun- 
 icable by touching even the same counter, they 
 never failed to scramble up their purses and 
 gloves in any shop at which they happened to 
 be, immediately on the entrance of Theresa 
 and Miss Trevelyan, who, ha\ang no clue to 
 such extraordinary proceedings, were not a 
 little astonished at the pecuhar manners of the 
 ladies of Richmond. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan heard twice from her bro- 
 ther during the "v^dnter. He had received the 
 accounts of his father's death, and of her having 
 taken up her abode at Richmond ; but the let- 
 ters relative to Theresa had not of course then 
 reached him, so that he was still in total igno-
 
 TREVELYAN. 53 
 
 ranee of her being settled under his sister's 
 protection. For settled she now aj)peared 
 finally to be, as Miss Trevelyan had ceased to 
 talk of her return to Clapham, and Theresa 
 had, in consequence, ceased even to think of it. 
 
 In Colonel Trevelyan's last letter, which had 
 reached his sister in February, he talked with 
 confidence of being home early in the ensuing 
 summer, and all her family interests being now 
 concentrated in him, he was naturally the 
 constant subject of her thoughts and conver- 
 sation. 
 
 The leaves and verdure which were to adorn 
 that much wished for period, at length began to 
 appear, bringing with them the usual influx 
 of company to London and its vicinity, and 
 one fine day in April, the same coroneted 
 carriage which had the year before occasioned 
 «uch a sensation in Paragon Row, was again 
 seen, with its four horses and smart postillions, 
 at Miss Trevelyan's door. More vigorous 
 jefForts were this time made to ascertain to
 
 64 TREVELYAN. 
 
 whom* it belonged. Through the row of trees 
 which edged the road, and by the means of 
 an excellent glass, which had belonged to Mrs. 
 Hopkins's grandfather, the captain of an India- 
 man, the arms, coipnet, and crest, were all 
 carefully examined; the peerage was again 
 consulted, and it was proved to be, past 
 doubt, the Earl of Launceston's carriage, livery 
 and all. An old gentleman and a fashionably- 
 dressed young person ahghted from it; and as 
 they were so good as shortly after to repair to 
 the garden with their hostess, they afforded 
 ample occupation and subject for conversation 
 to Mrs. Hopkins and all those friends w^ho 
 were so fortunate as to happen to call upon 
 her at the time. For they were not a httle 
 puzzled how to account for the notice thus 
 paid to their frail neighbour by a person of 
 such consequence as Lord Launceston, (al- 
 though a visit once a-year to be sure implied 
 no great degree of intimacy,) and could only 
 charitably conclude that interested motives of
 
 TREVELYAN. 55 
 
 some sort prompted this scanty mark of civility 
 — Miss Trevelyan having undoubtedly some- 
 thing very comfortable of her own — and that 
 Lord Launceston was probably too nearly 
 related to her to be able entirely to cast her 
 off, whatever her conduct might have been. 
 
 The sagacious sisterhood were right in their 
 conjectures, so far, at least, as regarded the 
 near relationship of the party under considera- 
 tion; the old gentleman being neither more 
 nor less than Miss Trevelyan's uncle, and his 
 young companion her cousin. 
 
 Lord Launceston had been twice married ; 
 for, having had no children by his first wife, he 
 had shortly after her death formed a second 
 alliance with a young person, who, as to age, 
 might have been his grand-daughter; and it 
 was generally understood that the real object 
 of this his reputed love-match was to deprive 
 General Trevelyan of his presumptive succes- 
 sion to the title and estates ; the brothers 
 having been, for many years previous to tlie
 
 56 TREVELYAN. 
 
 death of the latter, on very bad terms, in 
 consequence of an unfortunate lawsuit respect- 
 ing some disputed property, which Lord 
 Launceston gained, and, (as General Trevelyan 
 thought,) retained, most unjustly. The second 
 Lady Launceston, who died a very few years 
 subsequent to her marriage, fulfilled her hus- 
 band's wishes by leaving him two children ; 
 a son. Lord St, Ives, who, at the time of 
 which we are treating, was still at college, £ind 
 a daughter, now about nineteen. 
 
 In consequence of this unnatural rupture 
 between Lord Launceston and his brother, 
 little intercourse had subsisted between their 
 families for many years, but when, on the death 
 of her father. Miss Trevelyan settled at Rich- 
 mond, her uncle, for reasons best known to 
 himself, made immediate advances towards a 
 reconciliation, by dri\4ng down to see his 
 niece, and the same annual visit was now again 
 in due form repeated. 
 
 The prominent feature in Lord Launceston's
 
 TREVELYAN. 57 
 
 character was pride of rank and family. He 
 looked upon the History of England in no 
 other light than as archives recording his here- 
 ditary rights and honours — on the House of 
 Lords as the appointed place in which to assert 
 those rights ; and on society in general as the 
 theatre whereon they were to be displayed. 
 The circumstance of being a Trevelyan — in his 
 eyes covered a multitude of sins ; and his at- 
 tentions to his niece were therefore chiefly 
 dictated by his respect for himself, in consi- 
 deration of her near relationship, and because 
 she and her brother were, with the exception 
 of his own children, the only remaining des- 
 cendants of his branch of that illustrious 
 family. 
 
 In consequence of the fraternal quarrel 
 already alluded to. Lord Launceston had 
 hitherto totally neglected his nephew, Frede- 
 rick, although, in addition to their near rela- 
 tionship, he was also his godson. But now 
 that this once despised relative had risen higli 
 
 D 5
 
 58 TREVELYAN. 
 
 in the army, that his name had appeared in 
 many a gazette, and that he had been parti- 
 cularly mentioned by the commander-in-chief, 
 the calculating uncle began to think he might 
 as well make cause commune with one who 
 seemed hkely to add fresh honours to his 
 name, and, as a first step towards concihating 
 the nephew, he thought it would be wise to 
 propitiate the niece. 
 
 The Lady Augusta, who now on his second 
 visit to Miss Trevelyan accompanied her* father, 
 was one of those unfortunate beings, who, 
 having received what is called an excellent, 
 regular, finished education, had been deprived 
 by it of nearly every spark of natural intelli- 
 gence. AU originahty of character, all liveli- 
 ness of feeling, had been deadened, if not totally 
 extinguished, and although her conduct and 
 manners were beyond criticism, they, as well as 
 her person, were as uninteresting as blameless. 
 No one on making Lady Augusta's acquaint- 
 ance could possibly have detected a fault, but
 
 TREVELYAN. 
 
 55 
 
 it would have been equally difficult to discover 
 a charm. 
 
 As Theresa happened to be in the room with 
 Miss Trevelyan when Lord Launceston and 
 his daughter arrived, she was of course pre- 
 sented to them, and at first her well sounding 
 name, and peculiarly prepossessing appearance, 
 obtained for her the usual attentions of civility 5 
 but, on hearing from his niece who and what 
 she was. Lord Launceston (who piqued himself 
 on knowing the connections of all those who 
 were worth knowing any thing about, and who 
 was too close a questioner on such matters for 
 it to be possible to evade his inquiries,) imme- 
 diately drew back, and appeared to mount so 
 high on his stilts of rank and family, as no 
 longer to be aware even of the presence of 
 the poor illegitimate orphan, descanting freely 
 on her situation as if she were not by, 
 and in but a half-suppressed voice, lecturing 
 Miss Trevelyan on her very blameable im- 
 prudence and want of due consideration for
 
 60 TREVELYAN. 
 
 herself, her family, and the opinion of the 
 world, in countenancing any one of that de- 
 scription. 
 
 Had it ever been possible to rouse Miss 
 Trevelyan to anger, she would certainly have 
 warmly resented these affronting observations 
 on her young favourite ; but such impetuous 
 feelings had been long since eradicated from her 
 character, and she merely quietly replied, that, 
 until her brother's arrival she could settle 
 nothing about his ward, and that he would of 
 course be guided in all arrangements relative 
 to her future destination by her deceased fa- 
 ther's wishes. 
 
 As Miss Trevelyan spoke these words, she 
 glanced her eyes fearfully toward Theresa, and 
 was soon aware by the heightened colour in her 
 cheeks, that Lord Launceston's animadversions 
 had reached her ears. She and Lady Augusta 
 had immediately on the arrival of the latter 
 seated themselves together, as being, by simi- 
 larity of age, natural companions, and owing
 
 TREVELYAN. 61 
 
 to Theresa's unaffected frankness and peculiarly 
 attractive manners, their acquaintance had be-^ 
 gun most prosperously, ths Lady Augusta 
 having even been drawn into a degree of easy 
 familiarity, of which she was not often guilty 
 with strangers, but into which she thought 
 she might safely relax with one of the name 
 of Howard, particularly as the families of 
 Howard and Trevelyan were connected by 
 marriage. 
 
 As the conversation between Miss Trevelyan 
 and Lord Launceston grew more animated, 
 that of his daughter with the despised orphan 
 gradually died away ; for Augusta had also 
 overheard some of her father's observations, 
 and, soon perceiving a marked difference in 
 his manner towards her new acquaintance, she 
 immediately entrenched herself within that 
 freezing reserve which was most natural to 
 her, and which she concluded she was now 
 called upon to reassume. Thefesa, on her part, 
 was not one to forgive injurious treatment on
 
 S2 TREVELYAN. 
 
 principle. Her sensitive nature could ill brook 
 injustice of any kind, although her heart rea- 
 dily beat responsive to the shghtest mark of 
 kindness : she therefore soon ceased to endea- 
 vour to propitiate those who evidently looked 
 upon her with prejudice and contempt, and 
 sat immoveable, in proud and angry silence, 
 until the party at length became so awkwardly 
 taciturn, that Miss Trevelyan, in. the hope 
 that change of scene might also produce 
 some of feehng, proposed adjourning to the 
 garden. 
 
 " Theresa!" said she, in a low tone of 
 voice to her young friend, as they were about 
 to follow their guests out of the drawing- 
 room, " I can read and enter into all your 
 feelings, but remember these are my friends 
 and relations ;" and she gently pressed her 
 arm. 
 
 At those last words, Theresa's face again 
 grew crimson, and tears started into her eyes. 
 " You have there," said she, " hit on the only
 
 TREVELYAN. 63 
 
 consideration whicn could make me forgive 
 such unkindness^ which could prevent me from 
 this instant shutting myself up in my own 
 room/' and she made a jstep towards the 
 ascending stairs. 
 
 " Foolish girl !" said Miss Trevelyan, smihng 
 and catching hold of her hand, " you allow 
 that the consideration of the oifenders being 
 my friends has some weight with you — ^will 
 not the idea of pleasing me induce you to go 
 a step further ?" 
 
 " It should, I am sure/' replied Theresa ; 
 and, without adding another word, she followed 
 her friend towards the garden. 
 
 When there, many a kind look of encourage- 
 ment did Miss Trevelyan cast upon her young 
 protegee, and at last with pleasure observed 
 her so far to overcome her irritated feelings as 
 again to make advances of civility towards 
 Lady Augusta. But it would not do — 
 Augusta was not now to be propitiated, and, 
 Theresa's love for her dear Treevy being
 
 64 * TREVELYAN. 
 
 unequal at last any longer to contend with her 
 pride, she gave the matter up, and becoming 
 as cold and distant as her aristocratic ^dsiter, 
 so dead a silence ensued, that it seemed as 
 if the whole party were solely occupied in 
 watching for the sound of the bell which would 
 announce the return of the much wished-for 
 carriage, and thus put an end to so disagreeable 
 a visit. 
 
 Many inhabitants of villas near London will 
 probably enter into Miss Trevelyan's feelings 
 during this last hour of her relation's visit, 
 although they may never have been placed 
 in precisely the same situation as that which 
 made it so particularly disagreeable to her. 
 For, of all species of social intercourse, that 
 which takes place between individuals of the 
 gay world of London and their friends in its 
 vicinity, is, perhaps, the most unsatisfactory 
 and disappointing. The reason is obvious: 
 leading totally different lives, engrossed by 
 different interests, they have none of that com-
 
 TREVELYAN. 65 
 
 merage de soci^te which carries on conversation 
 with tolerable ease between those who live in 
 the same set, even without their possessing any 
 peculiar congeniahty of mind. And if it must 
 be confessed that it is difficult (at least among 
 English people,) to dispose of a couple of 
 hours of social companionship without the 
 mortifying help of cards, games, or music ; 
 what resource is there for a species of inter- 
 course from which such occupations are neces- 
 sarily banished — where there is no rallying 
 point, no neutral ground, on which these soi- 
 disant friends can meet and parley ? The de- 
 tails of the garden, the farm, or the village, 
 cannot interest those who are engrossed by 
 the more exciting pleasures of the metropolis ; 
 still less, perhaps, can the denizen of the 
 country enter into those worldly pursuits 
 which, when contemplated from that degree of 
 distance, equally precluding being drawn into 
 their vortex and blinded to their frivolity, 
 must astonish, even revolt those whose hours
 
 66 TREVELYAN. 
 
 follow each other in the ordinary quiet duties 
 and occupations of home ; while their Lon- 
 don friends, on their part, are naturally pro- 
 voked by a degree of indiiFerence to the 
 affairs of the world, which they may impute 
 to narrowness of mind, or an affectation of 
 superior wisdom and sanctity. Thus a meet- 
 ing, from which both parties probably an- 
 ticipated much pleasure, necessarily ends in 
 disappointment and ennui. The charms of the 
 fresh verdure and of the perfumed air, the 
 extraordinary beauty of the fohage, (which 
 extraordinary beauty, by the way, is noticed 
 every successive year as a fresh miracle in na- 
 ture,) are soon discussed; and after a walk 
 round the small parterre, and collecting a 
 nosegay formed of the owner's choicest plants, 
 which is probably laid aside and forgotten long 
 before the visit is over, little more remains to 
 be said or done, not half enough, at least, to 
 fill up the two necessary hours to be passed 
 while the horses are rested, and the servants
 
 TREVELYAN. 67 
 
 made tipsy at the next ale-house. Even lun- 
 cheon, that great restorative to mind and body 
 on such occasions, fails to occupy the hoped- 
 for portion of time, till at length the London 
 visiter, no longer able to endure the endless- 
 ness of the last half-hour, looks at her vi^atch, 
 thinks it must have stopped, that there must 
 have been some mistake about the carriage, 
 and, begging leave to ring the bell, in a tone 
 of impatience orders it to come round directly. 
 Thus the friends part with, perhaps, still 
 greater mutual satisfaction than they originally 
 met; and, equally exhausted by the vain 
 attempt at being agreeable, the one soon falls 
 asleep in her carriage, and the other over her 
 book on the sofa. 
 
 There can be no doubt that Theresa saw 
 Lord Launceston's carriage drive away with as 
 much delight as was ever experienced by any 
 such unfortunate owner of a villa when thus 
 dismissing a London friend, and certainly witli 
 much more satisfaction than Mrs. Hopkins
 
 68 TREVELYAN. 
 
 could have conceived it possible for any one to 
 feel on the departure of a carriage, which 
 could boast of an earl's coronet on the panels. 
 
 " Thank Heaven they are gone !" exclaimed 
 Theresa, as with restored vivacity she lightly 
 sprung up-stairs; " and I trust it will be 
 many a day before we are again so favoured 
 by such right honourable visiters ; at all events 
 it will be many a day before I shall forget 
 their unkindness." 
 
 " Theresa/' said Miss Trevelyan, looking 
 her gravely in the face, " are such sentiments 
 right, do you think?" 
 
 ^' I don't know whether they are right or 
 wrong, but surely they are natural !" 
 
 " And it is for that very reason that we 
 should be suspicious of them," said Miss Tre- 
 velyan. " Do you remember what we this 
 very morning read ?" 
 
 " Oh, yes ! I remember quite well," rephed 
 Theresa, with quickness -, " but surely such 
 grave rules have little to do with morning visits
 
 TREVELYAN. 69 
 
 and visiters, and I do not see why I am bound 
 to be ci\al to those, who are not only not civil 
 to me, but positively unkind." 
 
 " Because," said Miss Trevelyan, " we are 
 to return good for evil/' 
 
 Theresa did not again reply, and, after a 
 moment's pause, going up to her friend with 
 an altered look and manner, " Ah, Treevy 1" 
 said she, " it is not every one who can be like 
 you, even if they try — which, perhaps, I do 
 not ; but may I not at least say that I hope 
 Lord Launceston and his daughter will not 
 again soon come to make us quarrel, and to 
 make you look grave at me !" And so saying, 
 putting her arms round Miss Trevelyan' s neck, 
 she looked in her face with such a winning 
 smile, that her disarmed monitor could not 
 find it in her heart to chide one so lovely, so 
 fascinating.
 
 70 TREVELYAN. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Oh ! but, madam, that is the very reason that it was 
 believed at once ; for she has always been so very cautious 
 and reserved, that every body was sure there was some 
 reason for it at the bottom. 
 
 School for Scandal. 
 
 As sTimmer advanced, Miss Trevelyan be- 
 came nervously anxious for news of her home- 
 bound brother. The post was now a daily 
 object of intense interest ; preparations were 
 already made in the house for his reception, 
 and Theresa's imagination was busily at work 
 picturing to herself that guardian who was to 
 supply to her the place of a father. 
 
 One day, after a long walk with her usual 
 companions, the maid and the little dog, she
 
 TREVELYAN. 71 
 
 on returning home saw a hack chaise at the 
 door, and fat John waddhng backwards and 
 forwards with luggage. She hurried on, eager- 
 ly inquiring who was arrived ? 
 
 " Who ! why the Colonel, to be sure," said 
 John, grinning from ear to ear. 
 
 " The Colonel !" repeated Theresa: " do you 
 mean Colonel Trevelyan, my guardian ?" 
 
 " Ay, Miss, the guardsman as you calls 
 him ;" for John did not hear very distinctly. 
 Theresa's heart began to beat with awe and 
 anxiety. " And has Miss Trevelyan seen 
 him ?" she inquired. 
 
 " Seen him ! why, Lord bless you, she - has 
 been in such a taking, crying, and sobbing, for 
 all the world as if she was sorry he was come 
 back ; but she is more pacified now, and they 
 are together on the settee in the parlour, 
 talking about everything." 
 
 Theresa entered the house, and stepping 
 softly past the door of the drawing-room, 
 bounded up the stairs to her own apartment,
 
 72 TREVELYAN. 
 
 where she anxiously watched and listened, ex- 
 pecting every minute to be sent for ; but a full 
 hour passed and no summons came. The- 
 resa did not like neglect any better than her 
 neighbours; and at last, growing mortified at 
 being so totally disregarded, she determined 
 on inquiring whether Miss Trevelyan had been 
 informed of her return home. She therefore 
 opened her door in order to go in search of 
 John, but the sound of footsteps on the stairs 
 made her instantly stop, as she had by this 
 time worked herself up into such a state of 
 nervous agitation at the prospect of the much- 
 longed-for, yet dreaded, meeting with her 
 guardian, that she was terrified at the idea of 
 falhng in with him unawares. 
 
 The footsteps advanced — and Miss Trevel- 
 yan appeared. " Oh ! there you are," said she 
 to Theresa, " I was coming in search of you, 
 for Frederick is anxious to be made acquainted 
 with his adopted daughter." 
 
 Theresa flew up to her friend, gi^^ng her
 
 TREVELYAN. 73 
 
 a kind kiss of congratulation on her brother's 
 safe return. Miss Trevelyan's cheek was still 
 wet with tears, her whole frame still shook 
 with emotion. " We had almost forgotten 
 you/' said she, smiling, as she drew Theresa's 
 arm within her's. " We have had so much to 
 say to each other, so many painful subjects to 
 revert to; but that is all over now, and I trust 
 nothing but comfort and happiness is in store 
 for us all." And again Miss Trevelyan pressed 
 Theresa's hand, as if wishing to identify her 
 with the pleasurable feelings of the moment. 
 
 They had by this time reached the door of 
 the drawing-room, when Theresa involunta- 
 rily fell back. " This is very awful," said 
 she, drawing a long breath and shrinking be- 
 hind her friend. Colonel Trevelyan had ad- 
 vanced towards the door to greet his ward, and 
 was familiarly approaching her, when on seeing 
 Theresa, he also stopped short. In the hurr^^ 
 and agitation of the meeting between the bro- 
 tlier and sister, after a separation of so many 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 74 TREVELYAN. 
 
 years, Theresa had, as Miss Trevelyan con- 
 fessed, been scarcely thought of or mentioned, 
 and in consequence of Colonel Howard always 
 designating her as " the child,'' Colonel Tre- 
 velyan had, like his sister, (previously to her 
 first interview with her at Miss Birch's,) pic- 
 tured to himself a raw, micouth school-girl. 
 Startled at now beholding so very different an 
 object from what he had expected ^ his hand, 
 which had been proteetingly extended towards 
 his adopted daughter, fell on beholding her, 
 and he unconsciously drew back with feehngs 
 of awe and admiration. Theresa, on her 
 part, was certainly not less surprised than her 
 guardian, when, instead of a middle-aged 
 person, like her father, whom she had pre- 
 pared herself to see, the rapid glance which 
 she now took of the object before her, showed 
 her a tall handsome military-looking man, 
 seemingly not much past thirty. 
 
 " On his bold visage, middle age 
 Had slightly pressed its signet sage ; 
 Yet had not quenched the open truth. 
 And fiery vehemence of youth."
 
 TREVELYAN. 75 
 
 For a minute both the guardian, and ward 
 stood immoveable^ as if equally at a loss how 
 to accost each other, till Miss Trevelyan, with 
 a playfulness of manner not common to her, 
 took her brother's hand, and placing Theresa's 
 in it, 
 
 ^' Why, how shy and frightened you both 
 look;" said she. " I see I must act as master 
 of the ceremonies, and go through the regular 
 forms of introduction, in order that you may 
 begin your acquaintance." 
 
 Theresa's hand was kindly pressed by Colonel 
 Trevelyan, but she drew it hastily away with- 
 out even looking in his face, and continued 
 during the remainder of that day unusually 
 taciturn, appearing wholly occupied with her 
 own thoughts, or her work, from which her 
 eyes were scarcely ever withdrawn ; while Co- 
 lonel Trevelyan, on his part, taking advantage 
 of their intent application, allowed his to wan- 
 der in admiration over her beautifully carved 
 features, the exquisite contour of her head, 
 
 E 2
 
 76* TREVELVAN. 
 
 and the graceful long white throat which sup- 
 ported it. 
 
 On leaving the drawing-room at bed time, 
 Miss Trevelyan followed Theresa to her own 
 apartment, her kind heart prompting her to 
 even more than wonted tenderness towards her 
 young friend, in order to convince her that this 
 new interest could not supersede that which 
 bad now for above a twelvemonth sweetened 
 her existence ; for, having observed Theresa's 
 unusual abstraction, she feared she might have 
 l^een visited by some such feelings. 
 
 " Well, Theresa," said she, " I hope you 
 and my brother will soon become good friends, 
 and that you will not continue to find him so 
 awful as he appears to be at first sight." 
 
 Theresa smiled. " I must own I do feel 
 afraid of him," said she; " and somehow, lam 
 not so happy as when we were alone." 
 
 '• Surely," repUed Miss Trevelyan, " Fre- 
 derick is not so very forbidding; his reception 
 of his adopted daughter was most land, and
 
 TREVELYAN. 77 
 
 his expressions wdth regard to her, are, I as- 
 sure you, not less so." 
 
 " Oh ! yes," said Theresa, tears starting into 
 her eyes — " but he is so unhke my father; so 
 different from what I had expected — perhaps — 
 in short — I am not enough in awe of him ; for 
 how can I feel the sort of deference which is, 
 I suppose, due to a guardian, for one so young 
 and — —so good-looking? But," continued she, 
 after a moment's pause, " I dare say that in a 
 day or two we shall be very good friends, and 
 at all events, whatever effect Colonel Trevel- 
 yan's presence may have upon me, I rejoice 
 at the happiness he has brought to my dear 
 Treevy," and so saying, tenderly embracing her 
 benefactress, she took leave of her for the night. 
 
 When the trio met at breakfast next day, 
 much of the awkwardness of the preceding 
 evening appeared to have already vanished. 
 Miss Trevelyan was positively cheerful, and 
 their new inmate so vejy agreeable, that 
 Theresa, in spite of herself, resumed lier
 
 78 TREVELYAN. 
 
 usual spirits, becoming insensibly at her ease 
 with her guardian. And if he had before 
 admired her downcast, blushing shyness, still 
 more was his attention rivetted by the fascina- 
 tion of her dark eyes, which seemed by their 
 sparkling intelligence to illuminate every object 
 on which they rested. 
 
 But while each succeeding day now ap- 
 peared but to encrease Colonel Trevelyan's 
 admiration for his ward, and her evident satis- 
 faction in his society, his manner towards her 
 became gradually more distant and embar- 
 rassed, as if he had caught the infection of 
 that awe which she was nov/ rapidly exchang- 
 ing for friendly familiarity. Colonel Trevelyan, 
 like his sister, w as naturally of a grave, retir- 
 ing disposition, and the delicate health from 
 which he at present suffered, in consequence 
 of a severe wound received while serving in 
 India, had added a pecuhar air of langour 
 to his person and manners. But the keen 
 glance of his commanding eye, and the deter-
 
 TREVELYAN. 79 
 
 mined expression of his close-shut Hps, showed 
 there was no lack of energy in his character; 
 while his conversation, although perfectly easy 
 and unpretending, proved him to possess a 
 highly cultivated mind. 
 
 About a week after his arrival at Richmond, 
 Colonel Trevelyan, having been entrusted by 
 his late friend Howard with a small packet for 
 a certain Sir Henry Williams, who he found 
 resided at no great distance in the village of 
 Twickenham, he set out in order to deliver up 
 his charge. On reaching the designated house, 
 he introduced himself as Colonel Howard's 
 friend, and met with a most kind reception 
 both from Sir Henry and Lady Williams, with 
 whom he soon found himself on an easy foot- 
 ing of intimacy, for Sir Henry^ was one of 
 those frank, open-hearted beings with whom 
 it. was impossible for the most formal not 
 to relax, even without such an additional 
 recommendation as being a friend's friend. 
 
 During the visit, Trevelyan was more tliau
 
 80 TPvEVELYAN. 
 
 once on the point of naming Theresa, but as 
 Sir Henry never even alluded to her, and to 
 his surprise appeared as if ignorant even of 
 her existence, he did not like to bring her 
 forward until she could herself propitiate him 
 in her favour by her peculiarly attractive ap- 
 pearance, for Trevelyan had learned from his 
 sister how strongly Lord Launceston had ex- 
 pressed himself with regard to the poor de- 
 serted orphan, even taking Miss Trevelyan to 
 task for befriending her, and therefore thought 
 it not impossible that others might view her in 
 the same obnoxious light. 
 
 When Trevelyan rose to depart. Sir Henrj^, 
 shaking him heartily by the hand, said : 
 " Where are you to be found, my dear sir, that I 
 may do myself the pleasure of calling upon you?" 
 
 " With my sister, at Richmond," said he, 
 " where I hope to see you ; and I am sure," 
 he added, turning to Lady Williams, " Miss 
 Trevelyan will be delighted to make your lady- 
 ship's acquaintance."
 
 f REVELYAN. « I 
 
 Both Lady Williams and her husband looked 
 embarrassed — they made no direct reply — but 
 rather hastening than opposing Trevelyan's de- 
 parture, Sir Henry accompanied him out of 
 the room, saying, " Oh ! yes, yes, / shall cer- 
 tainly come and pay my respects to you very 
 soon, and I am sure I shall have every reason 
 to be grateful to our poor friend Howard for 
 having procured me the pleasure of your ac- 
 quaintance." 
 
 A few days after this the promised visit was 
 paid, and Sir Henry, on giving his name, was 
 immediately ushered into the drawing-room by 
 old John, too happy of an opportunity of 
 showing off his long uncalled-for accomplish- 
 ments as groom of the chambers. Theresa was 
 alone in the apartment at the time, practising a 
 new song, and although John had in due form 
 named both her and her visiter on ushering 
 him in, yet, her back being turned towards 
 the door, she heard and saw nothing until 
 Sir Henry had been a minute or two in the 
 
 E 5
 
 82 TREVELYAN. 
 
 room and actually stood before her. She in- 
 stantly started from her seat^ a beautiful blush 
 illumined her face, and making him a graceful 
 curtsey she vanished out of the room. 
 
 The old soldier who, notwithstanding a head 
 whitened with years and service, had still a 
 quick eye for beauty, was so struck with this 
 lovely apparition, that, even after Trevelyan 
 had joined him, he was still haunted by it; 
 and, as soon as the first salutations were over, 
 he began with, " I fear I have put your young 
 lady to flight, for I suppose the person whom 
 I found in the room was — " and he stopped 
 short, as if at a loss how to designate her. 
 
 " Miss Howard," said Trevelyan, and he 
 felt the colour, though he hardly knew why, 
 mount in his face on naming her. 
 
 " Oh! that's what you call her," rejoined 
 Sir Henry. " I have heard of her l^efore ; 
 Yaith, she is a beautiful girl, and sings like 
 a nightingale, for as she did nor hear me come 
 in, I ventured to stand a minute or two Hsten-
 
 TREVELYAN. 83 
 
 ing to her." Then after a moment's pause 
 during which he seemed to be pursuing the 
 train of his own thoughts, Sir Henry added, 
 " Lady WilUams and I shall be too happy, at 
 all times, to see you at our housa; but, as to 
 Miss Trevelyan, you must be aware,'' — and 
 he again stopped, evidently not very well 
 knowing how to proceed. 
 
 " Oh, no apologies, my dear Sir Henry," 
 said Trevelyan smiling, for he thought there 
 might have been some little foolish punctilios 
 between the ladies, as to which was to caU 
 first : " I am quite aware, I assure you, of 
 my sister's retiring habits and manners, the 
 circumstances of her early life have naturally 
 led her to shun rather than seek society." 
 
 " Oh, yes, I know all that, and it is very 
 proper — very proper," said Sir Henry, inter- 
 rupting him. " No one can, I am sure, but 
 commend Miss Trevelyan 's conduct in that 
 respect." 
 
 " Why, indeed, I do not," said Trevelyan,
 
 84 TREVELYAN. 
 
 again smiling at Sir Henry's quick manner of 
 settling the business; " on the contrary, I 
 cannot help lamenting both on Miss Howard's 
 account and my sister's, that she should have 
 taken so unfortunate — -" 
 
 " Ay, ay, that she should have taken the 
 girl to live with her; there I quite agree vrith 
 you; and, surely, my dear sir, between friends, 
 was it not rather strange and ill-judged in 
 Miss Trevelyan to bring her forward ?" 
 
 '^ Indeed, Sir Henry," said Trevelyan, not 
 a little astonished at this remark, " I must 
 again beg leave to differ from you ; for, I 
 really cannot see my sister's conduct in that 
 light; my notions on such matters may be 
 different from those of many, and of course 
 it was not what Howard ever could have asked 
 himself, nor what I, perhaps, ever should have 
 proposed to my sister, although I know her 
 to be one of the kindest of beings." 
 
 " It was carrying her kindness, as you call 
 it, rather /ar," said Sir Henry, again eagerly
 
 TREVELYAN. 85 
 
 interrupting him ; " and, if I had been you, 
 I never would have allowed Miss Trevelyan to 
 have had any thing to do with the girl osten- 
 sibly: calling her Howard, too, marks the 
 thing so much : why, on the whole, I am not 
 sure whether it would not have been better 
 to have given her the name of Trevelyan, 
 and let the world suppose she was your 
 daughter; though, to be sure," added Sir 
 Henry laughing, '^ you would have been rather 
 a young papa. ' 
 
 " And surely that would have been an ex- 
 traordinary stretch of friendship," replied Tre- 
 velyan, " sacrificing my owai reputation to 
 screen my friend's; although I do not, per- 
 haps, quite enter into your very strict notions 
 on such subjects, and I must say," he con- 
 tinued, warmly, " the world in general does not 
 consider persons in Miss Howard's situation as 
 reflecting the degree of disgrace upon those 
 who may be called upon to befriend them 
 which it seems you do."
 
 86 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Sir Henry smiling, said, " Well, well, we 
 won't discuss the matter, for it certainly is 
 one of too delicate a nature even for a friend's 
 interference, and I am sure you ^nll believe 
 I did not mean any way to hurt your feel- 
 ings." 
 
 A pause ensued, both parties seeming a little 
 disconcerted ; at length Sir Henry, whose mind 
 still ran upon the beautiful vision he had seen 
 on first entering the room, said, " Miss How- 
 ard is not at all like her poor father." 
 
 " No," said Trevelyan, " I believe it is her 
 mother whom she resembles." 
 
 " I am no judge," replied Sir Henry, vdih 
 some astonishment in his manner. " I have 
 not yet had the pleasure of seeing her." 
 
 '^ Yet !" repeated Trevelyan, " why her 
 mother has been dead these many years ; died, 
 I beUeve, very soon after her birth." 
 
 Sir Henry stared. 
 
 " The circumstances of that part of our 
 friend Howard's life," continued Trevelyan,
 
 TREVELYAN. 87 
 
 " seemed too painful to him to dwell upon, 
 and when on his death-bed he bequeathed his 
 daughter to my care, , all he told me of her 
 story was, tnat her mother was an Italian of 
 good family, not even divulging her name/' 
 
 " Miss Howard's mother an Itahan !" re- 
 peated Sir Henry, with the bewildered look 
 of one waking out of a dream. " Are you 
 quite sure ?" 
 
 " Certainly I am," said Trevelyan, equally 
 astonished at this question ; " there could have 
 been no reason why Howard should deceive 
 me on that point, and particularly at such a 
 moment." 
 
 Sir Henry again stared at him for a minute, 
 and then burst into immoderate laughter. Tre 
 velyan positively thought his new friend must 
 have been seized with a fit of madness, nor 
 had he for some time any better opinion of his 
 sanity, when, by the broken expressions which 
 escaped from him, it appeared that he had sup- 
 posed Miss Trevelyan to be, the mother of a
 
 8'S TREVELYAN. 
 
 girl whose father she had never even set eyes 
 on. 
 
 An eclaircissement -now took place, and, 
 however disposed to indignation at the abomi- 
 nable story thus propagated to his sister's dis- 
 advantage, there was something so particu- 
 larly ridiculous to Trevelyan in the whole aifair, 
 when he considered its impossibility in every 
 way, that he could not help himself joining in 
 his companion's laugh ; but when the merri- 
 ment occasioned by this well-concocted tale of 
 scandal had subsided, and Trevelyan' s natu- 
 rally angry feelings at the insult offered to his 
 sister returned, even then, he hardly knew on 
 whom he could vent his displeasure, as it was 
 very evident that the whole story was the 
 fabrication of her female neighbours and their 
 card-playing coterie ; and that there was there- 
 fore no one from whom he could well demand 
 satisfaction. 
 
 It was in consequence agreed upon between 
 the friends, that, the less noise made about the
 
 TREVELYAN. 89 
 
 matter the better, as there was no doubt that 
 the absurd accusation and the prejudice which 
 it had naturally excited against Miss Trevel- 
 yan, would die away now that Sir Henry was 
 empowered to contradict the falsehood, but 
 as a first step towards its destruction, it was 
 settled that Lady Williams should immediately 
 call upon Miss Trevelyan. Trevelyan thought 
 it best to say nothing about this foolish affair 
 to his sister, but merely to inform her of Lady 
 Williams's intended visit, and of his wish that 
 she should meet her advances of civility with 
 every mark of good- will on her part ; for, Sir 
 Henry having been a particular friend of 
 Colonel Howard's, he and Lady Wilhams 
 might in consequence prove most desirable 
 acquaintances for Theresa. 
 
 The very next day the promised visit was 
 made, and Miss Trevelyan's natural goodness 
 of heart gave to her reception of her new visi- 
 ters that^ degree of courtesy, which, owing to 
 long habits of seclusion and her great dislike
 
 90 TREVELYAN. 
 
 to presenting herself before strangers, her 
 manners generally wanted. Theresa's eyes 
 sparkled with satisfaction on receiving marks 
 of kindness from her father's friend; and as 
 Trevelyan watched those speaking e^-es, and 
 witnessed Sir Henry and Lady WiUiams's very 
 e\'ident admiration of his young charge, he 
 felt his heart overflow with such universal 
 love and good-A\dU, that he almost wondered 
 from what cause such a sudden fondness for 
 all his fellow-creatures could have proceeded. 
 For stiU, self-deceived by their relative situa- 
 tion of guardian and ward, he did not seek for 
 the explanation of his philanthropy in that 
 passion which warms the heart to all aromid. 
 It so happened that Lady AVilliams was 
 acquainted with the Honourable Mrs. Hopkins 
 (that next door inhabitant of Paragon Row, 
 whose ears and eyes were so disagreeably con- 
 taminated by their proximity), and, on leaving 
 Miss Trevelyan, she purposely called upon her. 
 On entering. Lady Williams found a con-
 
 TREVELYAN. )K 
 
 clave sitting on the business of her visit to the 
 proscribed tenant of N^. 1 ; for, her carriage 
 having been seen for some time waiting at her 
 door, the alarm had soon spread in the neigh- 
 bourhood, and Mrs. Hopkins's drawing-room 
 was in consequence crowded with morning 
 visiters, who from the veranda had been em- 
 ployed during the last half hour watching with 
 intense curiosity the friendly intercourse and 
 shaking of hands, which had been going on in 
 the adjoining garden. 
 
 Lady Williams's unexpected announcement 
 produced an instantaneous silence — all looked 
 at her with the horror with w^hich they might 
 have beheld one issuing from a pest-house — 
 and when on allusion being made to her visit to 
 Miss Trevelyan, she proclaimed the mistake 
 of the whole neighbourhood with regard to 
 her character, declaring her spotless fame and 
 virgin purity to be beyond the shadow of 
 doubt, and moreover affirmed that the sup- 
 posed parents of the poor Theresa were total
 
 H TREVELYAN. 
 
 strangers to each other^ the disappointment 
 and consternation were general. Miss Trevel- 
 yaii's affronting rejection of all advances of 
 civility had marked her out as an object of 
 dishke and animadversion ; and her being 
 cleared from the charge of frailty, therefore, 
 far from restoring her to the favour of her 
 neighbours, only added to their ill-will by 
 proving to them its injustice 5 they therefore 
 never rested until they had fixed upon another 
 cause for accusation, and consequently with 
 one accord fell back upon the second clause 
 in their indictment against her, namely, that 
 of Methodism, and from this time directed 
 all their invectives against saints and hypo- 
 crites. 
 
 But when this wise and charitable decla- 
 ration of war against Miss Trevelyan was 
 agreed upon by her neighbours, they had not, 
 with all their vigilance, discovered that the 
 tall, handsome, military-looking person, who 
 had that morning been seen in the garden
 
 TREVELYAN. 93 
 
 below the house, was not only her brother, 
 but likely to become a fixed resident at Rich- 
 mond. When this fact was ascertained past 
 all doubt by Betty, Mrs. Hopkins's maid, great 
 were the lamentations which followed. How 
 peculiarly vexatious that all this should have 
 happened! and in a neighbourhood, too, where 
 handsome single men and next heirs but one 
 to a peerage were not only not plenty, but 
 had actually, from their scarcity, become mere 
 dreams of the imagination with all the desolate 
 spinsters of the place. 
 
 To poor Mrs. Hopkins Colonel Trevelyan's 
 useless vicinity was peculiarly tantalizing, as 
 the daily sight of him constantly reminded her 
 of her deprivation ; and she was made fully 
 sensible of her extreme ill luck, when, a few 
 days after his arrival, she gave an entertain- 
 ment to her Richmond friends. A full fort- 
 night had been employed in the composition 
 of the party and " collecting her beaux ;" and 
 yet, notwithstanding all her labours, the show
 
 94 TREVELYAN. 
 
 of gentlemen on the appointed day amounted 
 to no more than the curate, (who, however, 
 was a capital whist-player), the apothecar}^, 
 and a gouty old admiral. In vain, while at- 
 tempting to arrange her guests at dinner, did 
 she call upon these three gentlemen to divide 
 her nine ladies ; the thing was not to be accom- 
 plished by any rule of arithmetic ! and poor 
 Mrs. Hopkins's imagination again w^andered 
 wistfully to the other side of the cruel parti- 
 tion-wall, which sej)arated her parlour from 
 that of her next neighbour's. 
 
 Nor was her regret at the absence of the 
 handsome Colonel diminished, when, in dis- 
 posing of her company in the evening, she was 
 obliged to surround the loo table with an un- 
 broken row of caps and petticoats, and when, 
 after compelling her tribe of young ladies each 
 in their turn to play a waltz, to which no 
 one listened, and no one could dance, for lack 
 of partners, she at last saw them reduced 
 to the melancholy resource of contending for
 
 TREVELYAN 95 
 
 a needle-book at a pool of commerce ; that 
 endless variety of annuals and keepsakes not 
 having yet appeared in the world, which have 
 since proved such a blessing to givers of, and 
 attendants at, country tea-parties. 
 
 The longest evening, as well as day, will 
 have an end, and this one ended like aU its 
 predecessors ; but it did not leave the Ho- 
 nourable Mrs. Hopkins in the most compla- 
 cent of humours, and in consequence, the Tre- 
 velyan family became, as usual in such cases, 
 the object of attack. — " I presume Colonel 
 Trevelyan intends to be as fine and exclusive 
 as his sister ?" said she to her two remaining 
 visiters, who were waiting for the return of 
 the fly to take them home. " They conde- 
 scend, however, it seems, to be acquainted with 
 the Williamses, at Twickenham, though I don't 
 know who or what they are to be selected for 
 that honour. Lady Williams was vastly con- 
 sequential about her new friends the other 
 morning, and seemed to fancy it was to make
 
 96 TREVELYAN. 
 
 a prodigious difference to us, Miss Trevelyan 
 turning out to be an honest woman — I am 
 very glad for her sake she is so ; but really it 
 is no aifair of mine, and as to calling upon her 
 again in consequence, which was evidently the 
 drift of Lady Williams's visit to me — that I 
 certainly shall not do ; poor dear Mr. Hopkins 
 (Lord Ladbrook's first cousin, you know) used 
 to say it was the duty of all persons to consi- 
 der what was due to themselves, and I think 
 I paid Miss Trevelyan sufficient comphment 
 by leaving my name with her when she first 
 came here; for it is not on everybody I do 
 call, and I really cannot demean myself so far 
 as again to make advances to her, because, 
 forsooth ! it now suits her convenience to be 
 acquainted in the neighbourhood ; for, of 
 course, all this stir is because they want that 
 girl to be asked about, and because she is 
 afraid her brother will find it dull, as well he 
 may — but I can't help that. If poor dear Mr. 
 Hopkins was alive, perhaps I might have pre-
 
 TREVELYAN. 97 
 
 vailed upon him to call upon Colonel Tre- 
 velyan, notwithstanding all that has passed; 
 but as it is, he must just take his chance." 
 
 " Certainly ! (said her friend, Miss Brown,) 
 and it is really perfectly ridiculous the fuss 
 and bother these Trevelyans are always mak- 
 ing among us, as if they were of such excessive 
 consequence ; and after all, who are they ?" 
 
 " Ay, who are they ?" repeated Mrs. Hop- 
 kins, a smile of satisfaction brightening up a 
 brow on which care had evidently sat during 
 the last six hours. 
 
 And with that comforting reflection on their 
 neighbour's insignificance, they parted — Miss 
 Brown treasuring up for the next party (at 
 which her friend should not happen to be pre- 
 sent) animadversions on her " absurd jealousy 
 about the Trevelyans;" and Mrs. Hopkins 
 quite exhausted by the social labours of the 
 evening, retiring to her widowed couch to 
 dream of side-dishes, single gentlemen, trumps 
 and tea-cups. 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 98 TREVELYAN. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Oh then 's the hour for those who love. 
 
 Sweet, like thee and me ; 
 When all's so calm below, above. 
 
 In Heaven and o'er the sea : 
 When maidens sing sweet barcarolles 
 
 And Echo sings again. 
 So sweet that all with ears and souls 
 
 Should love and listen then. 
 
 Moore. 
 
 While all this was passing at Mrs. Hop- 
 kins's, the party, next door, in blissful igno- 
 rance of their unpopularity, were enjoying a 
 degree of happiness seldom permanent in this 
 world. Miss Trevelyan, no longer left to her 
 own melancholy reflections, but surrounded by 
 the innocent interests of Ufe, seemed to have 
 entered on a new existence, and was in conse-
 
 TREVELYAN. 99 
 
 quence positively cheerful. Her brother, on 
 his part, dreamed away the hours in that al- 
 most unearthly state of fehcity, occasioned by 
 the first gleam of a violent passion on the soul ; 
 when before we acknowledge it to ourselves 
 no questions are asked as to a possible return, 
 no views are taken into a doubtful future, and 
 there is no wish but to enjoy the present 
 intoxicating happiness which it imparts. Co- 
 lonel Trevelyan had often before admired 
 beauty — ^he had often experienced those passing 
 interests which amuse the first youth of every 
 man, but none of those fancies of the imagi- 
 nation had proved themselves to be more than 
 fancies, and he was not therefore aware of his 
 present danger, until entangled beyond all 
 power of extricating himself. He stiU called 
 Theresa his ward^ his friend's daughter, and, 
 presuming upon that apologetical connexion, 
 fearlessly gave way to the strong interest with 
 which she inspired him ; Theresa, tlie while, 
 appeared to have no wish, no object in life, 
 
 F 2
 
 100 TREVELYAN. 
 
 but to please her kind benefactors. It seemed 
 a gratification to her on all occasions to seek 
 Colonel Trevelyan's advice and approbation, 
 as she would have done that of her father, 
 expressing in the warmest terms her deep 
 sense of all her obligations to him, and his 
 sister. And his heart at times thriUed with 
 delight at such proofs of her confiding aifec- 
 tion, and yet an undefined feehng of disap- 
 pointment made him at others shrink from the 
 artless famiharity of her manner, and he could 
 almost have wished her less open, less at her 
 ease. 
 
 Happiness was peculiarly suited to the dis- 
 play of Theresa's character ; for, uninfluenced 
 by any sense of duty, and solely governed by 
 the feelings of the moment, this total want 
 of directing principle which, under less favoura- 
 ble circumstances, might have betrayed itself, 
 was scarcely to be detected ; and as Trevelyan 
 now saw her, her mind appeared in perfect 
 harmony with her lovely person. All was
 
 TREVELYAN. 101 
 
 soft, smiling, pure, and bright; her temper 
 was tried by no unkindness ; she was exposed 
 to no mortifying neglect ; each succeeding day 
 was prosperous as the last, " and stiU more 
 blessed^" and her only task in life seemed to 
 be freely to enjoy the happiness bestowed upon 
 her, and to love those who promoted it. 
 
 The addition of Colonel Trevelyan to their 
 party necessarily, in various ways, changed 
 his sister's mode of Hfe, and thereby added 
 to Theresa's enjoyments, as he promoted many 
 an amusement which had hitherto been en- 
 tirely out of the question. Instead of being 
 reduced to the dull companionship of Hum- 
 phries for air and exercise, she now took long 
 walks and rides with her guardian. When she 
 went out to sketch, he was her constant com- 
 panion. When a wet day confined them to 
 the house, he read to her by the hour, while 
 she finished her drawings, or he accompanied 
 her when she required a second in her songs. 
 
 And all this Miss Trevelyan, in the unsus-
 
 102 TREVELYAN. 
 
 pecting innocence of her heart, herself en- 
 couraged, fearing that her brother might find 
 his present life dull, and that she should in con- 
 sequence lose the society of one who added so 
 much not only to her own enjoyment, but to 
 that of the being to whom she was daily be- 
 coming more attached. Had dullness been the 
 worst evil to which Trevelyan was then ex- 
 posed, it would have been well, but all these 
 domestic habits of life were pecuHarly dan- 
 gerous to a person of his disposition, when his 
 only companions were a most indulgent and 
 often abstracted elderly sister, and a lovely girl 
 of seventeen : for what sort of intercourse can 
 be so ensnaring as that into which we are 
 drawn by a life of such total retirement, that 
 one object alone by engrossing the attention 
 necessarily fills up the existence ? What species 
 of intimacy is so irresistible as that formed 
 over a pianoforte and music-books ; when the 
 songs together sung embody feelings to which 
 the tongue in propria persona dares not give
 
 TREVELYAN. 103 
 
 titterance, and the music serves as an excuse 
 for the familiar interchange of looks and words 
 which otherwise would not have been ventured 
 upon ? If our companions possess the acknow- 
 ledged power of throwing a charm over the 
 inanimate objects by which we are surrounded, 
 in the same manner do outward adventitious 
 circumstances assist the fascination to which, 
 when young and ardent, we are but too well 
 inclined to give way. 
 
 And no locale, perhaps, was ever better 
 calculated for the encouragement of such feel- 
 ings, than that in which Trevelyan and Theresa 
 were now thrown together. The glowing 
 summer's evening, when the meadows and 
 gardens were peopled with loitering groups, 
 and the river covered with gaily-freighted 
 boats ; the occasional sounds of music mingling 
 with the splash of the waterman's oar, and 
 lulling the soul into a delicious dream, united 
 to form a scene bearing in itself a character 
 of poetry and sentiment, and producing that
 
 104 TREVELYAN. 
 
 sunshine of the mind which seems for the 
 moment to light up our existence wath an un- 
 earthly glow. 
 
 Trevelyan's imagination thus powerfully 
 worked upon, he willingly yielded to the 
 strong fascination of one, whose character and 
 person, undisguised by any of those artificial 
 decorations necessarily adopted in the worlds 
 appeared in such lovely unison with all around. 
 On such evenings as those here described, 
 the little wherry was regularly seen waiting 
 for the happy trio at the gate of Miss Tre- 
 velyan's garden, and they wandered thus for 
 hours on the lovely Thames, until the boats 
 having one by one disappeared, and the busy 
 hum of men died away, all around was stilled 
 into the most luxurious silence; Theresa's 
 voice, accompanied by her guitar, was then 
 heard to swell on the soft evening air, and as 
 Trevelyan, leaning on his oar, gazed on the 
 lovely living picture before him, he recklessly 
 gave way to the enchantment of the momenta
 
 TREVELYAN. 105 
 
 On a delightful afternoon in the month of 
 July 1800, the same aquatic show which had 
 a year before made so melancholy an impres- 
 sion upon Miss Trevelyan's mind came glid- 
 ing down the stream, colouring the scenery 
 with its brilliant flags and streamers. Theresa, 
 who had from the garden spied its approach, 
 immediately flew to inform her two compa- 
 nions, and entreat they might follow it ; a boat 
 was in consequence immediately sent for, and 
 they were soon in pursuit of the gay flotilla. 
 
 The scene could not fail to recal to one, 
 whose mind was so prone to reflection as Miss 
 Trevelyan's, the feehngs with which she had 
 last beheld it from her then lonely dwelling, 
 when it had so powerfully struck her as a re- 
 presentation of her own life ; and, as her pious 
 heart swelled with gratitude on comparing the 
 melancholy of her former solitary existence 
 with her present happiness, tears stole softly 
 down her cheek, and she sat lost in thought, 
 scarcely heeding her companions, or noticed by 
 
 F 5
 
 10& TREVELYAN. 
 
 them : for Theresa was entirely engrossed by 
 the gay spectacle before her, urging Trevelyan 
 to use every exertion to overtake the little 
 fleet, while he was as intently watching her 
 animated countenance and sparkling eyes, as 
 she endeavoured to quicken every stroke of 
 his oar by her encouragement. At last they 
 overtook the barges, and, carried on almost in- 
 sensibly by the stream, they accompanied the 
 crowd of boats far down the river, until dis- 
 covering the lateness of the hour. Miss Tre- 
 velyan warned them to think of their return. 
 
 The sun had now long set, the breeze which 
 had before cooled the air had died away, and 
 when they at last turned towards home, the 
 tide, then strong against them, made their pro- 
 gress so slow and so laborious, that, before 
 long, Trevelyan, exhausted by his exertions, 
 was obhged to shove the boat towards the 
 shore, and, securing it with his oars, to lean 
 upon them for rest. 
 
 " I am afraid you are quite knocked up,"
 
 TREVELYAN. 107 
 
 said Theresa, " I wish I could help you ; but 
 I suspect my whole strength would avail little 
 against such a stream, and all I can do, is to 
 reanimate you by singing your favourite song 
 of the Evening Bells, for you have really 
 earned a reward, and I fear you have still at 
 least two miles to pull." 
 
 Every sound was hushed ; the world seemed 
 left " to darkness and to them ;" and the 
 music, the voice, the words, the scene, were 
 all in delicious harmony — 
 
 " Those evening bells, those evening bells. 
 How many a tale their music tells. 
 Of youth and hope, and that sweet time. 
 When first I heard their soothing chime !" 
 
 Theresa was still singing this stanza, when, 
 on a sudden, the regular splash of oars broke 
 the stillness of all around, and soon, through 
 the twilight, there appeared one of those long 
 funny-club wherries, well known to all who 
 live on the banks of the Thames, and which, 
 manned by ten or twelve amateur-watermen,
 
 1 08 TREVELYAN. 
 
 seemed like a spear to cut through the stream. 
 The party came swiftly and gaily on, all talk- 
 ing and laughing, while their many oars striking 
 the water at the same moment overcame every 
 other sound. 
 
 Theresa, totally unheeding them, and en- 
 grossed by her music, continued to sing. On 
 a sudden, one of the rowers called out, " Stop ! 
 — stop ! — hush ! — music ! — by Heavens 'tis 
 woman's voice, most exquisitely sweet !" 
 
 " Oh, nonsense," rejoined another. " It is 
 only some common ballad-singer ; come, pull 
 on, for we shall be too late for the Opera." 
 
 " Hang the Opera," replied the first speaker. 
 " No music can equal that which I now hear ; 
 for Heaven's sake, hush !" 
 
 Again there was a dead silence, all resting 
 on their oars. Theresa, through the sounds 
 of her own voice and the guitar, had heard 
 but little of this conversation, and continued 
 her serenade wandering from one air to ano- 
 ther; but Trevelyan, not choosing that any
 
 TREVELYAN. 1 09 
 
 one else should enjoy that which had been in- 
 tended for himself alone, and in consequent 
 jealous displeasure at the intruding attention of 
 the amateur-boatmen, again slipped his oars 
 into the water, and, pushing from the shore, 
 proceeded homewards. 
 
 An animated conversation was immediately 
 commenced in an under-tone among the Fun- 
 ny-club boatmen, and Trevelyan, not half 
 pleased with the occurrence, although he did 
 not exactly know why, redoubled his speed to 
 get from them, but before long the same full 
 splash was heard not far distant, and to his 
 vexation he perceived that the boat had altered 
 its course and was following them. 
 
 Theresa now observed that they were pur- 
 sued, and, amused as any girl might have been 
 at the circumstance, said, exultingly to Miss 
 Trevelyan : " Well, at last we have fallen in 
 with people of taste; it is the first time I 
 have had this compliment paid to my music." 
 And, encouraged by the increasing darkness, 
 she, before Miss Trevelyan had replied, or
 
 110 TREVELYAN. 
 
 indeed, knew very well to what she alluded, 
 again swept her hand over the strings of the 
 guitar, and began a wild Neapohtan Barcarola. 
 Roused at length from her reverie. Miss 
 Trevelyan looked towards the pursuing boat, 
 and, being now frilly aware of what was 
 passing, she was not less discomposed than her 
 brother, on finding that they were at so late 
 an hour the object of attraction to a party 
 of young men who were at the moment evi- 
 dently much elevated in spirits. She therefore 
 gently laid her hand on Theresa's, and bade 
 her desist. 
 
 " Why ! what is the matter ?" exclaimed 
 Theresa. 
 
 " Nothing," replied Miss Trevelyan, in a low 
 voice. " Only we need not any longer entice 
 those gentlemen out of their way." 
 
 " Oh ! that is their aifair," said Theresa, 
 gaily, " if they think my music worth the 
 trouble, I am sure they are very welcome to 
 it ;" and she carelessly began another verse of 
 her song.
 
 TREVELYAN. 1 1 1 
 
 Miss Trevelyan again took hold of her 
 hand. " Really, Treevy,'* said Theresa, in a 
 tone of expostulation, " I do not see what 
 harm they do us ; and surely I can be doing 
 none either, by merely serenading them, when 
 they seem so fond of music, and when, from 
 the darkness, it is impossible they can ascer- 
 tain who is singing, for I may say, like Juliet 
 to Romeo, 
 
 ' Thou knowest the mask of night is on my face. 
 Else would a maiden blush bepaint my cheek.' " 
 
 During this little altercation between his 
 two companions, Trevelyan, who grew every 
 moment more and more discomposed, forget- 
 ting his fatigue, redoubled his speed, fighting 
 against the stream with an energy which love, 
 or, perhaps, more properly, jealousy, could at 
 that moment alone have given him ; l3ut the 
 faster he went, the faster the pursuing boat, 
 like a phantom, flew after him, and did not 
 give up the chase, until they had passed the
 
 112 TREVELYAN. 
 
 bridge, and were within fifty yards of the 
 landing-place. 
 
 Another altercation then appeared to take 
 place between the boat's crew. As they all 
 talked at once, Trevelyan could not make out 
 the particular point then in debate 5 but the 
 words " nonsense !" — " what a strange fancy !" 
 and the name of Leslie, often repeated, caught 
 his ear ; and when at last this hubbub ceased, 
 the boat, to his infinite satisfaction, was again 
 turned towards London, and soon after dis- 
 appeared. 
 
 But as it left them he saw, through the 
 deepening twilight, a tall, white figure standing 
 above the rest, and a handkerchief waved, 
 as if in farewell. Theresa, who had been 
 excessively amused by this little adventure, 
 seemed rather surprised that her guardian was 
 not equally so ; and for the first time, was 
 half inclined to consider him as unjust and 
 severe for condemning, as he did, the con- 
 duct of the musical waterman as impertinent.
 
 TREVELYAN. 113 
 
 and the point was pretty warmly argued be- 
 tween them on leaving the boat. 
 
 Theresa, who was not much used to con- 
 tradiction from any one, and still less from 
 Trevelyan, immediately on rejoining his sister 
 in the house, applied to her as umpire. 
 " Surely, Treevy,'' said she, " you wiU not 
 be so severe as my guardian, and condemn 
 these poor gentlemen, merely for having gone 
 a few yards out of their course to listen to 
 music."" 
 
 " If they were gentlemen," said Miss Tre- 
 velyan, " I do condemn them, as they must 
 have seen Frederick did not like their pursuit ; 
 if they were merely London shopkeepers, 
 which I suspect, then one can't expect them 
 to know better, as they would probably mistake 
 their impertinence for gallantry.'' 
 
 " Oh, I am sure they were gentlemen^' said 
 Theresa eagerly ; " shopkeepers would never 
 have had so much taste : at all events I hope, 
 whoever they are, they will not be punished
 
 114 TREVELYAN. 
 
 for their impertinence by being too late for the 
 Opera ; even you, I am sure, would not be so 
 cruel as to wish that/' added she, smiling 
 archly in her guardian's face. He made no 
 reply, and there the matter ended. 
 
 Early next morning Trevelyan was obliged 
 to go to London on business, not of his own, 
 but of Colonel Howard's, or, rather, of The- 
 resa's ; for, owing to the illness of his con- 
 fidential solicitor, he had never yet been able to 
 look into his friend's affairs. 
 
 On examining his papers, he found that he 
 bequeathed to his only child, Theresa Howard, 
 twenty thousand pounds ; in short, nearly every 
 thing he possessed, a sum far exceeding Tre- 
 velyan's expectations for her. In the codicil 
 to his wiU, dated a week before his death. 
 Colonel Howard directed that his daughter 
 should not marry until she was eighteen, when 
 she was to be considered as of age with regard 
 to her property, but that even then, she was 
 to form no matrimonial alliance without the
 
 TREVELYAN. 115 
 
 full consent and approbation of her guardian, 
 Colonel Frederick Trevelyan. 
 
 Trevelyan started v/hen those words met his 
 eyes, and he read the sentence several times 
 over, although hardly forming a clear idea 
 to himself why this injunction so particularly, 
 indeed so painfully, attracted his attention 5 
 but so it did, leaving a disagreeable though 
 vague impression on his mind, which he was 
 unable to shake off 3 and his spirits or his 
 temper, or whatever it was that had been af- 
 fected by these details of law, did not improve 
 on finding that, from some legal forms and 
 difficulties which he had not anticipated, it 
 became absolutely necessary that he should 
 remain for some days longer in town. The 
 bright smile with which Theresa welcomed 
 him, on his return home, fully made up to 
 him, however, for all his previous -vexation. 
 
 " We have been quite in a fuss about you," 
 said she, as she kindly went up to him, " and 
 we have been so dull, for Treevy would not let
 
 116 TREVELYAN. 
 
 me go on with our book, as she said it would 
 not be fair upon you ; and really the evenings 
 appeared so very long, that even I was ready 
 to go to bed. Oh ! but I must tell you/' she 
 added, laughing, " I have charmed another 
 boatman ! for we went yesterday evening — as 
 you know we had promised to do, by water to 
 Twickenham, to fetch Sir Henry and Lady 
 Wilhams, who insisted on having some music ; 
 and soon after I began to sing, a boat with a 
 gentleman and a most beautiful Newfoundland 
 dog appeared, as Sir Henry said in chase, 
 following us the whole time, and I am quite 
 sure this admirer of my singing was a gentle- 
 man, whatever our friends of the Funny-club 
 wherry were : so I really begin to think that 
 the inhabitants of Richmond are not quite so 
 dull a set as I had imagined/' 
 
 This newly discovered musical turn among 
 the young gentlemen of the neighbourhood 
 did not appear to be matter of so much re- 
 joicing to Trevelyan as to his ward ; but.
 
 TREVELYAN. 117 
 
 ashamed of his jealous wish to monopolize 
 Theresa's talent to himself, and at all events 
 ashamed that she should discover it, he turned 
 the matter off as a good joke, and no more 
 was then said upon the subject. 
 
 But, from that time, scarcely an evening did 
 he and his two companions take their usual 
 lounge on the river, but the little skiff with 
 the handsome young man and the large New- 
 foundland dog appeared ; and yet, although 
 their boat was e\'idently the object of at- 
 traction, the unknown waterman so contrived 
 to cross the stream to and fro, at one moment 
 darting off in a totally opposite direction, at 
 another, as if by mere accident or awkwardness, 
 crossing their track, and entangling his oars 
 with their's ; that it became equally impossible 
 to elude or to resent his attendance. 
 
 All this time no notice was taken either by 
 Theresa or her guardian of this new aquatic 
 knight-errant, perhaps in consequence of their 
 former Httle quarrel on the subject 3 but before
 
 1 I 8 TREVELYAN. 
 
 long the latter began to fancy he could detect 
 a conscious blush on his ward's face whenever 
 he joined them, as if she was aware of being 
 the object which attracted him, and that her 
 eyes wandered anxiously around on those 
 evenings when he did not appear. Trevelyan 
 often longed to put a stop to her singing, but, 
 without more positive reasons than he could 
 allege, he felt that such a prohibition would 
 seem most arbitrary and capricious, when he 
 had hitherto himself been the first to encourage 
 her music as so delightful an addition to their 
 evening excursions ; but he ceased entirely to 
 apply for his favourite songs ; he never, as 
 formerly, entreated to have them again and 
 again repeated ; often discovered that it was 
 cold or threatened rain, when scarcely a cloud 
 was to be seen in the sky, and heartily rejoiced 
 when the shortened days and consequent 
 change of weather necessarily terminated their 
 customary, and once so dehghtful aquatic 
 expeditions.
 
 TREVELYAN. 119 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Let no one say that there is need. 
 
 Of time for love to grow ; 
 Ah no ! the love that kills indeed. 
 
 Dispatches at a blow^. 
 
 First Love. 
 
 Thus passed the summer, and with it 
 seemed to disappear the unknown waterman 
 and his dog. Towards the end of autumn, 
 Lord Launceston, who, since his nephew's re- 
 turn from India, had made great advances of 
 civility towards him, wrote to propose that 
 he and Miss Trevelyan should come and pay 
 him a visit in Cornwall, where he promised 
 they should meet with that cordial reception, 
 both from himself and his daughter, which 
 their near relationship gave them a right to
 
 120 TREVELYAN. 
 
 expect, and the Colonel, in addition, would 
 find most excellent shooting, as few could boast 
 of such capital moors and such an abundance 
 of game as himself. 
 
 To this letter of Lord Launceston's was 
 subjoined a pretty pink note from Lady 
 Augusta to her cousin, containing the like 
 pressing invitation ; but Theresa was not 
 named by either the father or daughter. The 
 matter was of course fully discussed between 
 Colonel Trevelyan and his sister. The latter 
 was particularly anxious that these friendly 
 advances on the part of their relatives should 
 be met by equal cordiality on theirs ; but 
 still, with regard to herself, feeling quite un- 
 equal to the exertion of a A^sit to Trevelyan 
 Castle, and Theresa not being included in 
 the in^dtation, she at last decided on making 
 her excuses, alleging as her reasons recent 
 indisposition, and not liking to be long absent 
 from home on account of her young charge. 
 
 " But," added she, " really Frederick you
 
 TREVELYAN. 121 
 
 should go, and, indeed, I think a little variety 
 of society and occupation will be good both 
 for your mind and body, for I must confess 
 the hfe you lead here must be dull enough." 
 
 Trevelyan could not help smiling at his 
 supposed dulness ; he in theory quite agreed 
 with his sister as to the propriety of 
 showing all willingness to meet their uncle's 
 advances of kindness, and thus putting an 
 end to the unfortunate estrangement which 
 had so long existed between them ; but, 
 in practice, he felt no greater inclination 
 to visit his relations and the partridges 
 than Miss Trevelyan : however, as he hardly 
 acknowledged to himself his true reasons for 
 objecting to the proposed absence from Rich- 
 mond, he could not urge them to his sister, 
 still less name them to his uncle as an ex- 
 cuse for decHning his friendly offers ; tliere- 
 fore, after many doubts, and mucli discussion 
 on the subject, he was obliged, however re- 
 luctantly, to express his thanks to his uix^le, 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 122 TREVELYAN. 
 
 and his readiness to obey his kind summons 
 in ten days. 
 
 It is to be feared that, when writing this 
 necessary falsehood, many a murmur trembled 
 on his lips at being thus obliged to forego 
 the society of one whose power over his heart 
 was every day increasing, for that of rela- 
 tions towards whom he did not feel particu- 
 larly attracted, and that he heartily wished 
 all the poor hares and pheasants had been 
 safely lodged in his satanic majesty's larder 
 instead of being held out as irresistible tempta- 
 tions to Trevelyan Castle during the shooting 
 season. 
 
 Previously to his departure from Richmond, 
 Trevelyan found it necessary again to pass a 
 day in town with Colonel Howard's la^N^-ers 
 for the final arrangement of his daughter's 
 affairs. He had as yet never mentioned the 
 subject to her, but, the legal part of the 
 business being jiow concluded, he determined 
 on informino: Theresa of her father's hberal
 
 TREVELYAN. 123 
 
 settlements in her behalf, and of the degree 
 of authority which, by the wishes of that 
 father, he, as his representative, was to claim 
 over her actions. Accordingly, finding himself 
 alone with her the morning after his return 
 to Richmond, he, with a beating heart, gave 
 his ward a detailed account of her worldly 
 prospects. 
 
 Even when listening to these details, The- 
 resa was scarcely sensible of the full extent of 
 her father's munificence towards her, being 
 little aware of the value of such worldly pos- 
 sessions ; but the kindness which must have 
 prompted such generosity was easily to be 
 understood by one gifted with such Uveliness 
 of feeling, and her silent but eloquent tears 
 expressed the gratitude of her heart for such 
 proofs of affection in her deceased parent. 
 
 Trevelyan then continued : " I need not tell 
 you that your father's relations are not favour- 
 ably inclined towards you, for that you know 
 already; and this disposition of his property 
 
 G 2
 
 124: TREVELYAN. 
 
 chiefly in your favour has not certainly tended 
 to soften their feelings : during all this busi- 
 ness I have of course been brought in contact 
 with Colonel Howard's nephew, and we had 
 several conversations relative to you, but I 
 am sorry to say the result has been a convic- 
 tion on my part that we must hope for no 
 change of sentiment either in him or his 
 family. But, thank Heaven ! you are inde- 
 pendent of their kindness in one way, and, I 
 trust, the permanent home which I am em- 
 powered by my sister to offer you under her 
 roof will in some measure compensate for 
 the want of generosity in your more natural 
 connexions." 
 
 Trevelyan paused — gazing in compassion 
 on his agitated auditor, for, during this j>art 
 of his discourse, Theresa's colour had varied 
 from white] to crimson, and she had bit her 
 lips, to restrain the tears of wounded pride, 
 which forced themselves into her eyes. But, 
 notwithstanding all her efforts, the large drops
 
 TREVELYAN. 125 
 
 followed each other down her cheeks, as she 
 sat immoveable listening to his narrative, and 
 ■evidently too much overpowered by various 
 -contending feelings to venture to speak. 
 
 " I have one thing more to add/' continued 
 Trevelyan, with much emotion ; '' by your 
 father's will, you are to be considered of age 
 ^ipon attaining your eighteenth year, which 
 you will do, I find, next April, — that is to say, 
 you are then to be mistress of your fortune ; 
 but not even then entirely released from my 
 authority with regard to your • actions, for — " 
 and he drew a long breath in order to secure 
 the power of reaching the end of his sentence 
 — " for you must not marry without my full 
 consent." 
 
 Theresa, smiling through her tears, looked 
 up into her guardian's face, and holding out 
 her hand to him, " I hope," said she, " you 
 will not find me inclined to be very rebellious 
 to your wishes on that or any other point." 
 
 Trevelyan's whole frame trembled with emo-
 
 12S TREVELYAN. 
 
 tion — these words had roused his secret from 
 the very bottom of his heart — the precious 
 gift of her hand, which Theresa seemed thus 
 voluntarily to make him, caused his every 
 sense to swim in a confusion of hope and 
 delight, and, before he knew what he was 
 about, tenderly pressing that hand between 
 both of his, " O Theresa !" said he, " I fear 
 it wiU at any time go hard with me to be 
 obliged to give up to another my present 
 delegated right over your destiny, and to re- 
 linquish this dear hand to one, who can never, 
 I am sure, prize it half so much as myself." 
 
 Theresa again looked at him, but blushing 
 and embarrassed ; her confusion seemed to re- 
 call him to h\% senses. " Do not speak to me,'* 
 he continued in a hurried manner ', " I ask, I 
 wish for no answer — only to be allowed to 
 think it possible — that, perhaps — at some 
 future time you may — at all events, forgive 
 me if, for a moment, I have so far forgotten 
 myself as to have said — what I should not —
 
 TREVELYAN. 127 
 
 what is nonsense — ^forget it all — and still look 
 upon me as your guardian — your brother — 
 your father even — in short, let me be to you 
 whatever will inspire you with most confi- 
 dence, most entire trust — and again forgive 
 me." 
 
 ii Forgive you !" said Theresa, with an in- 
 nocent artlessness of look and manner quite 
 peculiar to herself; '^ I am sure it is I who 
 have to ask forgiveness of you, for not being 
 half deserving of your and dear Treevy's 
 goodness, for sitting here like a statue, with- 
 out even attempting one word of thanks for 
 kindness such as no poor outcast ever yet 
 experienced. But I really cannot — it is all too 
 much for words — I can only hope my con- 
 duct may prove my gratitude," — and again 
 seizing her guardian's hand, she hid her agi- 
 tated face in the back of the couch, upon 
 which they were together seated. 
 
 Was it wrong, if Trevelyan then ventured
 
 128 TREVELYAN. 
 
 to draw her towards him, and to kiss the 
 hand still clasped in his ! 
 
 Whether right or wrong, however, so it 
 was — and Theresa appeared to have that en- 
 tire reliance in her guardian, to love him with 
 such a confiding sisterly affection, that these 
 expressions of tenderness on his part neither 
 surprised nor offended her. Perhaps, on re- 
 flection, Trevelyan would have been better 
 pleased, had she appeared startled or even 
 angry ; but still he was too supremely happy 
 at the moment to think of aught beyond it ; 
 and never did a guardian and ward part 
 better friends, after a discussion of their re- 
 ciprocal rights and obligations. 
 
 When they next met after this conversa- 
 tion, Theresa slightly blushed, as her eyes 
 encountered Trevelyan's, but, that first mo- 
 ment of awkwardness once over, it seemed 
 as if what had passed between them had pro- 
 duced no other effect upon her than that of
 
 TREVELYAN. 129 
 
 increasing, if possible, her feelings of gratitude 
 and aiFection towards her guardian and Miss 
 Trevelyan, from whose lips she received the 
 confirmation of those kind offers previously 
 made in her name. 
 
 There remained but one more day for Tre- 
 velyan to pass at Richmond before he was 
 to set out for Cornwall, and, not wishing to 
 lose any of Theresa's society, when on the eve 
 of being entirely deprived of it, he proposed 
 to her to walk with him to Twickenham, 
 whither he was going to take leave of Sir 
 Henry Wilhams. Theresa, delighted at the 
 proposal, flew to Miss Trevelyan to obtain 
 her permission to accept it, who, seeing in the 
 connexion between her two companions no- 
 thing more than that of guardian and ward, 
 unhesitatingly gave her consent to the tete- 
 a-t4te walk, and in consequence, Theresa and 
 Trevelyan, accompanied by little Oscar, set 
 off on their expedition, each in their different 
 way, with high anticipations of pleasure. Wc 
 
 G 5
 
 130 TREVELYAN. 
 
 will, however, venture to affirm that Tre- 
 velyan's were the highest, as alone with 
 Theresa, her arm hnked within his, he felt 
 his precious charge to be in a manner his own 
 property. 
 
 They had not proceeded far beyond the 
 bridge, when, an enormous Newfoundland dog 
 rushing suddenly past them, knocked over 
 poor little Oscar, and sent him roUing in the 
 dust. Although nature had given him a dimi- 
 nutive person, and also no small share of that 
 antipathy to bodily pain of which the great 
 and httle are equally sensible, yet Oscar had 
 a mighty mind whenever the resentment of 
 injuries called forth its powers, and, no sooner 
 had he recovered his equilibrium than he 
 flew in impotent rage on his unknown enemy, 
 who with one touch of his gigantic paw pin- 
 ned him to the ground, where he lay pro- 
 strate, yelling most piteously. Theresa, quick 
 as Ughtning, darted forward to rescue the poor 
 little animal, Trevelyan as quickly following 
 
 #
 
 TREVELVAN. 131 
 
 het. At the same moment a horseman gal- 
 loped up; he leaped from his saddle, and, 
 seizing the dog by the collar, in ^ an instant 
 liberated the terrified prisoner. 
 
 Theresa without even looking towards his 
 dehverer, caught up Oscar in her arms, and 
 was wholly occupied examining his supposed 
 wounds, while Trevelyan, satisfied that he had 
 received no material injury, turned good-hu- 
 mouredly towards the horseman to assure him 
 no harm was done, and to express their thanks 
 for his interference ; but his feelings and 
 countenance in an instant underwent a total 
 change, for, to his infinite vexation, he imme- 
 diately recognised in the person before him 
 the unknown waterman who had, by his con- 
 stant attendance, night after night, so annoyed 
 him aU the summer on the river. The gen- 
 tlemen both bowed, and the horseman apolo- 
 gised for the uncivil behaviour of his four- 
 footed companion, rejoicing that the little 
 dog had not suffered in the unequal combat.
 
 132 TREVELYAN. 
 
 While speaking, his eyes were fixed on The- 
 resa with evident looks of admiration, and 
 he seemed much disposed to prolong the 
 parley, but Trevelyan, who was of a totally 
 different mind, again hastily thanking him for 
 his prompt assistance, coldly bowed, wishing 
 him good morning. This was a terrible 
 broad hint, and the stranger did not attempt 
 to conceal his vexation at being thus abruptly 
 dismissed ; but, as Trevelyan had then turned 
 from him, he seemed to think it impossible to 
 renew the conversation, and, gathering up the 
 reins of his horse's bridle, was preparing to 
 remount, when Theresa, who had during all 
 this time been entirely occupied examining 
 and caressing Oscar, satisfied at length that 
 he was unhurt, hai3pened to look up. Her 
 eyes encountered those of the stranger, and, 
 instantly recognising the knight of the httle 
 skiff, she blushed deeply as she returned his 
 salutation. 
 
 The whole of this transaction had occupied
 
 TREVELYAN. 133 
 
 scarcely two minutes, but they had appeared 
 as many hours to Trevelyan, who, hastily 
 drawing Theresa's arm ^\'ithin his, and again 
 making an inclination of the -head to the 
 stranger, walked on with his charge. 
 
 They continued some little time in silence, 
 but soon the galloping of the horse, and the 
 barking of the large dog were again heard 
 approaching, and Theresa, suddenly disengag- 
 ing herself from her guardian, caught up Oscar 
 in her arms. On reaching them the rider 
 checked his speed, and pointing to a string 
 which he had fastened to his dog's neck, as- 
 sured Theresa that her little favourite was 
 quite safe from further danger, as his antago- 
 nist was secured. 
 
 Theresa smiled, while Trevelyan, provoked 
 at this renewal of intercourse, again formally 
 bowed to the stranger, who, after another 
 eager gaze at his lovely companion, putting 
 spurs to his horse was soon out of sight. 
 
 " I wonder who that can be !" said The-
 
 134 TREVELYAN. 
 
 resa, after a silence of some moments ; " per- 
 haps we might have seen his name on the 
 dog's collar, for I saw a large brass plate 
 upon it/' 
 
 " If you are so very anxious for information 
 on the subject/' said Trevelyan, dryly, " we 
 can call the gentleman back, and ask himself, 
 for he can only be flattered by Miss Howard's 
 interest." 
 
 " Oh ! my curiosity does not quite amount 
 to that," said Theresa, somewhat pettishly; 
 and they again walked on in silence, both 
 more occupied with this little occurrence than 
 either chose to confess — ^Theresa hardly owning 
 to herself the fact, that she felt flattered by 
 the stranger's evident wish to make her ac- 
 quaintance, and Trevelyan not liking to ac- 
 knowledge that this very obvious desire on his 
 part was displeasing to him. To quarrel with 
 Theresa was, however, not what Trevelyan 
 was used to ; besides, he felt he had been to 
 blame in giving way to a degree of ill-humour.
 
 TREVELYAN. 135 
 
 which she certainly had done nothing to de- 
 serve, and in his noble mind the sense of 
 error could not long exist without prompting 
 its confession. 
 
 Taking courage, therefore, at last to break 
 the unusual silence, which had for so many 
 minutes existed between them, " Theresa," 
 said he, " you must think me horribly cross 
 to-day — and in truth I am so — everybody, and 
 every thing annoys me — however, my feehng 
 so particularly unpleasant to myself is no 
 excuse for my being so to others, and least 
 of all to you," said he, fixing his eyes fondly 
 upon her, " so if I beg pardon, and promise 
 to behave better all the rest of this day, will 
 you generously forgive me ?" 
 
 " Indeed," said she, laughing, " 1 am de- 
 lighted to see my guardian can at times be 
 even as naughty as his ward, and I suspect 
 we are after all but quits — so let us be friends ;" 
 and as she spoke, she gently pressed the arm 
 she had hold of.
 
 J 36 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Trevelyan's eyes glistened with delight, as 
 he gazed on her radiant countenance ; and yet 
 a feeling of disappointment shot across his 
 heart, at her naive expression of kindness, 
 for, thought he— and he was right — a young 
 girl does not venture to press the arm of 
 the man she loves, but it is thus a grateful 
 sister speaks the affectionate feehngs of her 
 heart to a brother, in whom she implicitly 
 confides. He drew a deep sigh, and after a 
 few moments' pause, continued : " It is this 
 expedition to Cornwall which has, I beheve, 
 put me so much out of sorts, as I do not care 
 oue farthing about shooting, and I am very cer- 
 tain the society I shall find at Trevelyan Castle 
 will not be half as agreeable to me as that 
 which I shall leave behind." 
 
 " No ?" said Theresa, smihng ; " why you 
 forget you will have the all-perfect Right 
 Honourable Lady Augusta Trevelyan, who 
 never says or does a wrong thing, instead of 
 the thoughtless, ignoble " Theresa stop-
 
 TREVELYAN. 137 
 
 ped short. " Instead of her whose very 
 faults are dearer to me than all my cousin's 
 perfection/' replied Trevelyan, with vehemence. 
 
 Luckily for him they at this moment reached 
 Sir Henry WiUiam's residence, the door of 
 which he would probably have passed, had 
 not Theresa checked his progress, for the 
 prospect of his approaching separation from 
 her had so moved his heart, that his thoughts 
 and feelings were scarcely under control, and 
 in another minute his secret would possibly 
 have again escaped from him unintentionally. 
 Sir Henry and Lady Williams were at home, 
 and both joined in lamentations on hearing the 
 purport of Trevelyan's visit. 
 
 " But we will take care of your ladies," said 
 the good-humoured Baronet ; " you have 
 only to appoint me your deputy, and I will look 
 after your ward during your absence, I pro- 
 mise you." ' Then, drawing Trevelyan aside, 
 " Really ! my dear Colonel," said he laughing, 
 " I think my friend Howard must have been
 
 138 TREVELYAN. 
 
 quite doting, when he could think of appointing 
 you guardian to his daughter ! a pretty sort 
 of guardian, faith !" and he looked cunningly 
 into Trevelyan's face, while he kindly patted 
 him on the shoulder : " but make your mind 
 easy, I promise you no one shall carry her off 
 while you are away." 
 
 Trevelyan coloured to his very forehead, and 
 yet could not help feeling gratified by Sir 
 Henry's raillery. It seemed almost to give a 
 reality to his wishes, to embody his vague 
 dreams of happiness. " Ay, ay, we will look 
 after your ladies," continued his friend, " and 
 I do not think they could do better than come 
 and eat a family dinner with us while you are 
 absent ; I am sure your sister would be all the 
 better for being a little routed from home, and 
 if she persists in shutting herself up in this 
 manner, why we must expect all the old ladies 
 of Richmond again to begin their gossiping," 
 and Sir Henry laughed heartily at the recol- 
 lection of the former tale of scandal invented
 
 TREVELYAN. 139 
 
 against her. " And as for poor Miss Howard/' 
 he continued, *' surely you do not wish to lock 
 her up entirely ?" 
 
 " Quite the contrary," said Trevelyan ; " I 
 am particularly anxious that she should mix in 
 society, and make herself friends ; and I as- 
 sure you no mark of kindness you feel disposed 
 to show my young charge wiU be thrown away 
 upon her." 
 
 " Nor on you either, my good friend," re- 
 joined Sir Henry, again looking facetiously at 
 him ; " am I not right, hey 1 I have a sharp 
 eye for such things — ^but cheer up," he added, 
 perceiving his companion look a little grave, 
 " faint heart never won fair lady, and you 
 know none but the brave deserve the fair; 
 so courage ! and now, since it seems you must 
 go," for he saw Trevelyan about to depart, 
 " Good bye — take care of yourself ! and make 
 haste back to your post for fear of accidents 
 while you are off guard." 
 
 Theresa, who had all this time been engag*
 
 140 TREVELYAN. 
 
 ed in conversation with Lady Williams, and 
 who in consequence had heard none of Sir 
 Henry's remarks, again took her guardian's 
 arm in artless ignorance of the favour she was 
 conferring upon him ; and meeting with no 
 more knights-errant, or Newfoundland dogs, 
 they and their friend .Oscar reached home in 
 safety. 
 
 When Trevelyan that night closed the piano- 
 forte, after a delightful evening spent at The- 
 resa's side listening to her voice, he renewed 
 his lamentations at his departure. " Oh ! but 
 again remember your cousin. Lady Augusta, 
 will sing and play to you," said Theresa ; " for 
 of course she has been taught to do every 
 thing, and as you have the honour to be her 
 near relation, and are consequently worthy 
 of her notice, she will be prodigiously ciiol 
 to you. As for poor me," continued Theresa, 
 the colour mounting to her cheeks, and tears 
 starting into her eyes, " who am nobody and 
 nothing "
 
 TREVELYAN. 141 
 
 She was proceeding with her invectives, 
 but Miss Trevelyan, playfully covering her 
 
 mouth with her hand, stopped her, saying 
 with a smile, " I can tell you what you are — 
 a very saucy girl for laughing in this man- 
 ner at my relations, and since Frederick has 
 not the gallantry to defend Augusta, I must. 
 I will allow she is a little cold in her manners 
 at first, but I believe her to be a very sensible 
 person and an excellent good daughter." 
 
 " Oh ! I dare say she is very good,'' replied 
 Theresa, " and that is the very reason why she 
 is so disagreeable ; indeed, I never can under- 
 stand why there is such a fuss made about 
 people being good, when after all nobody thinks 
 them a bit the pleasanter for being so, on the 
 contrary ; and as for sense, that is only another 
 word for dullness : in short, I know no one 
 who contrives to be both good and pleasant 
 but my dear Treevy," and so saying, she threw 
 her arms round her friend's neck, and gave her 
 a hearty embrace.
 
 142 TREVELYAN. 
 
 However little Theresa's levity might on 
 reflection be approved of by Miss Trevelyan, it 
 was impossible for her to chide one who always 
 disarmed her by the most irresistible expres- 
 sions of affection ; and as for Trevelyan, whose 
 partial eyes saw only the bright side of Theresa's 
 character^ every trait that showed warmth of 
 heart made his own overflow with such rapture, 
 that he would scarcely allow even of the 
 shadow of blame, and again more vehemently 
 than before murmured at a cruel fate for separat- 
 ing him from one, whose society became daily 
 more necessary to his happiness. 
 
 Thrice did John the following morning come 
 puffing up-stairs to inform Trevelyan that the 
 chaise was quite ready, for so much time 
 elapsed after each notification, without its being 
 followed by his master's appearance, that clock- 
 work punctual old John, judging by himself, 
 and lamenting over the Colonel's premature 
 deafness, thought he could not have heard him. 
 At the third notice, which was in consequence
 
 TREVELYAN. 143 
 
 made in a high-pitched tone, and close to Tre- 
 velyan's ear, he started up, and, after taking 
 leave at least a dozen times, he at last departed, 
 waving farewells from the chaise window as 
 long as he could still catch a glimpse of the 
 object of all his hopes, and even of the house 
 which contained her. 
 
 Theresa could not but regret the loss of her 
 guardian's society. She missed him in every 
 occupation and amusement. In him she had 
 lost a champion in all her little disputes with 
 Treev}^, a companion in her walks and rides, 
 and she was again reduced to the duU chaperon- 
 ship of Humphries. This sad blank occasioned 
 by his absence she so touchingly deplored 
 in the cover of one of Miss Trevelyan's let- 
 ters to her brother, that, encouraged by his 
 wishes, and interpreting her expressions into 
 something far beyond their real meaning, he 
 fearlessly gave way to the most delightful anti- 
 cipations for the future, and did not attempt 
 to check those hopes which by indulgence were
 
 144 TREVELYAN. 
 
 growing into certainties. The unknown water- 
 man was in consequence entirely dismissed from 
 his thoughts, and the only drawback to his 
 present felicity was the necessity of still endur- 
 ing three more weeks of exile at Trevelyan 
 Castle. 
 
 About ten days after Trevelyan' s departure 
 from Richmond, the proposed dinner at Sir 
 Henry WiUiams's took place. This being the 
 very first time Theresa had ever dined out, she 
 naturally raised her anticipations of pleasure 
 high, and went in that flurry of expectation 
 which the young ever feel on entering the 
 world, until they have learned the sad truth 
 that disappointment follows them even to a 
 dinner-party. To Miss Trevelyan it was nearly 
 as great an event as to her young companion ; 
 but her feelings were necessarily of a very 
 diiFerent nature, and, had she allowed self to 
 preponderate she would probably never have 
 accepted Lady Williams's invitation ; but her 
 chastened mind viewed every circumstance of
 
 TREVELYAN. 145 
 
 her life in the hght of moral discipline, and, 
 resolving for Theresa's sake to overcome the 
 dislike to society, which the misfortune of her 
 person and the habits of her youth had occa- 
 sioned, she made up her mind to the mortifi- 
 cation of her own situation, and, turning her 
 whole attention to the indulgence of her young 
 friend, abandoned even her toilette to her care, 
 and set out on the expedition, determining to 
 please by being herself pleased. 
 
 On their arrival at Sir Henry Williams's, 
 they were shown into a room where several 
 persons were collected, but where darkness was 
 alone " visible,'' for it was now the beginning of 
 October, that time of year when there is stiU 
 a struggle between the seasons, and candles are 
 deferred as long as possible, as indicating too 
 positively the approach of winter ; the apart- 
 ment being, therefore, only lighted by the crim- 
 son cloud which reflected the sun's last ray, it 
 was nearly impossible to distinguish the fea- 
 tures of those assembled, particularly of the 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 TREVELYAN. 
 
 gentlemen, who stood a little distance. In- 
 troductions of course took place, but the names 
 of those presented, were as unknown to Miss 
 Trevelyan and Theresa as their persons ; 
 among them, however, was one which imme- 
 diately caught the ear of the latter, as she 
 remembered to have heard it before, although 
 she could not at once recollect when or where. 
 It was Leshe, and it at last struck her that 
 this was the very name which had been so 
 often repeated by the disputing watermen, on 
 the evening of the gay regatta, which evening 
 had been rendered memorable by her subse- 
 quent dispute with her guardian. 
 
 Dinner was before long announced, and one 
 of the gentlemen offering Theresa his arm, she 
 followed the rest of the company into the ad- 
 joining room, where chance placed her next 
 but one to Lady WiUiams. The instant she 
 got into the light, curiosity led her eagerly to 
 look at her companion, but the examination 
 of his features afforded no further insight as
 
 TREVELYAN. 147 
 
 to his identity, not having ever seen them 
 before, and she turned towards her other 
 neighbour expecting the same unsatisfactory 
 result. But at the very first glance she ac- 
 tually started on her seat, and with difficulty 
 repressed an exclamation of surprise, for she 
 immediately recognised the knight of the little 
 skiiF — Oscar's deliverer ! 
 
 She blushed even more deeply than at their 
 first meeting in the high road, and deeper still 
 from the consciousness that he must have ob- 
 served her heightened colour, as she had found 
 his eyes fixed upon her. The sight of The- 
 resa's lovely face, now brought to light by 
 the glare of lamps and candles, did not ap- 
 pear, however, to occasion equal surprise to her 
 neighbour, although, by the expression of his 
 countenance, his satisfaction at having her 
 placed next to him was very plainly told : he 
 lost no time in claiming acquaintance with 
 her, immediately referring to their former meet- 
 ing on the high road, and the adventure of the 
 
 H 2
 
 148 CREVELYAN. 
 
 little dog, as introductory subjects to further 
 intimacy. 
 
 " Who can he be V thought Theresa, " so 
 good-looking, with so distinguished an appear- 
 ance, apparently too an inhabitant of the 
 place from our so frequently meeting him i" 
 And full of anxious curiosity her ears kept 
 strict watch in order to catch her neighbour's 
 name. She did not remain long in suspense ; 
 for. Sir Henry having soon after occasion to 
 attract the stranger's attention, she heard him 
 address him as Lord Herbert Leslie. At the 
 name of Leslie she was again startled, and, 
 following her first impulse, turned hastily to- 
 wards him, but as quickly averted her eyes, 
 for to her no small embarrassment they again 
 met his. " Lord Herbert Leslie !" she repeated 
 to herself: "can he possibly, by some odd 
 chance, be the Leslie of the Funny-club wherry? 
 that amateur waterman, who had on the even- 
 ing of the City barge show, pursued their boat 
 so far out of his course, notwithstanding all
 
 TREVELYAN; 149 
 
 the angry remonstrances of his companions, 
 and whose conduct on the occasion both Miss 
 Trevelyan and her guardian had condemned so 
 severely, as unhke that of a gentleman ! " They 
 were, however, wrong in one thing," thought 
 Theresa ; " Lord Herbert Leslie is, at all 
 events, no shopkeeper,"^ — -nor could she think 
 any one of his appearance could ever be want- 
 ing in good manners. She longed to know 
 whether her conjectures relative to him were 
 correct or not, and, notwithstanding her friends' 
 condemnation of the music-loving boatman, she 
 could not help hoping — although she did not 
 very well know why — that he, the master of the 
 Newfoundland dog, and her present companion, 
 might all prove to be the self-same person. 
 
 The instant she had formed this wish, the 
 image of her guardian crossed her mind; a 
 strange sensation of remorse shot through her 
 heart, and she looked almost fearfully towards 
 Miss Trevelyan, as if dreading lest she might 
 have read her thoughts. Theresa found her
 
 150 TREVELYAN. 
 
 friend's eyes fixed upon her, and the remark 
 which she was about to address to Lord Her- 
 bert, with a view of ascertaining whether he 
 was the person she suspected him to be, died 
 on her Ups — ^but he was too agreeable and en- 
 grossing a companion to allow her mind long 
 to dwell on her absent guardian, or indeed, 
 on any subject not suggested by himself. For, 
 perfectly conscious of his powers of captiva- 
 tion, and knowing well how to use them, he 
 now collected them in full force, and directed 
 the whole battery against Theresa, who was 
 ill-prepared to withstand such an attack. 
 
 Few could resist the Hveliness of Lord Her- 
 bert's wit; and, although some might have 
 condemned his conversation as uncharitable, 
 still fewer perhaps could withstand certain 
 looks and expressions, which, appearing to 
 raise the favoured person addressed, above all 
 possibility of being involved in the ridicule 
 so freely bestowed on every one else, seemed 
 at once to estabUsh a sort of free-masonry be-
 
 TREVELYAN. 151 
 
 tween him and the object of his attention, upon 
 the ground of a mutual discovery of superiority 
 in thought and feeling. 
 
 The two hours spent in the dining-room flew 
 by, Theresa hardly knew how, and the look 
 with which Lord Herbert took leave of her, on 
 Lady Williams's signal for departure, plainly 
 told it would not be his fault if he was not soon 
 again at her side. Theresa's spirits were so ex- 
 traordinarily excited that she felt bewildered ; 
 and, on their return to the library, instead 
 of instantly joining her friend in order to im- 
 part to her the little observations to which 
 so new a scene might naturally have given rise, 
 she wandered, alone and pre-occupied, round 
 the apartment, carelessly turning over the pub- 
 lications and drawings scattered about. Miss 
 Trevelyan, surprised at her unusual abstrac- 
 tion, at last came up to her. 
 
 " You seem much occupied with that book 
 before you," said she; "what is it?" 
 
 " Oh, nothing !" replied Theresa, instantly
 
 152 TREVELYAN. 
 
 closing itj and with an evident desire that 
 her studies might not be inquired into, re- 
 placing it with its companions on the table. 
 The book in question was merely the second 
 volume of Debrett's Peerage — a most innocent 
 study certainly; but being one which, not- 
 withstanding its generally allowed interest, had 
 never before excited any in Theresa, she did 
 not care to avow why it had now so suddenly 
 attracted her attention, nor, indeed, could she 
 perhaps, have even explained to herself the 
 precise reason why she had thus eagerly seized 
 upon it. " You seemed to have a great deal 
 of agreeable conversation at dinner,'' continued 
 Miss Trevelyan; "who were your compa- 
 nions ?" 
 
 " Oh ! I don't know ; that is to say, I be- 
 lieve one was Lord Herbert" — the surname 
 " Leslie," came lagging after, as she t^'bs un- 
 willing at once to let Miss Trevelyan suspect 
 he might possibly be the condemned member 
 of the Funny -club party.
 
 TREVELYAN. 153 
 
 " Oh ! yes, I know it was Lord Herbert 
 Leslie who sat between you and Lady Wil- 
 liams ; but who was on your left hand ?" 
 
 "I really can't teU," replied Theresa, and 
 she spoke true, for she had scarcely noticed her 
 other neighbour, and at last had totally for- 
 gotten his existence. Just then Lord Herbert 
 enti^ered ; Miss Trevelyan was called away by 
 Lady Williams, and he was again fixed at 
 Theresa's side. 
 
 Various amusements — whist, billiards, chess, 
 ^carte, were proposed to him in succession by 
 Sir Henry Williams, but he objected to them 
 each in turn, professing the most entire igno- 
 rance of, and profound abhorrence for, all 
 games, whether of chance or skill. 
 
 "That's new, I think, my Lord," said Sir 
 Henry, looking slyly at him. " I have heard 
 that no one can beat you, either at billiards or 
 ecarte ; and as for games of chance, you seem 
 to me to understand them so well, that they 
 become certainties in your hands, and it really 
 
 H 5
 
 154 TREVELYAN. 
 
 is not fair to come among us and carry off 
 the stake in this manner, without allowing any 
 one else even to try his luck." 
 
 Lord Herbert did not seem wiUing to un- 
 derstand Sir Henry's remark; he made no 
 comment upon it, and merely said, " Pray 
 don't think about me, for I am perfectly content 
 without any amusement ; if however," he 
 continued after a moment, " I were to say what 
 I prefer to every thing else, I should name 
 music." 
 
 ^^ I dare say Miss Howard is musical." 
 
 ^^ I knoiv she is," he added, but in so low 
 a voice, that Theresa alone could catch the 
 words ; and the crimson blush which instantly 
 suffused her face betrayed that she not only 
 had heard, but had understood him ! Again the 
 image of her guardian flashed across her mind, 
 and she could almost have fancied she felt his 
 dark eyes fixed on her burning cheeks. 
 
 " Why is this ?" thought she ; " why am I 
 so tormented with the idea of Colonel Tre-
 
 tREVELYAM. 155 
 
 velyan's dissatisfaction, merely because I talk 
 with Lord Herbert Leslie ? why was he from 
 the very first so evidently displeased with his 
 attendance upon us ? — why did he so carefully 
 avoid making his acquaintance ? for certainly, 
 on that day of Oscar's adventure with his dog, 
 he was almost rude to him — could he be aware 
 of any thing to his disadvantage ? and yet how 
 is that possible, when, from his rank and situa- 
 tion in hfe, Lord Herbert must be so well 
 known — when too he is a welcome guest at Sir 
 Henry WiUiams's, and, besides, so gentleman- 
 like — so agreeable \" 
 
 All these self-convincing arguments in favour 
 of her new acquaintance Theresa repeated over 
 and over to herself, but still she could not en- 
 tirely dismiss from her mind a feeling of doubt 
 and anxiety, and a consciousness that, had her 
 guardian been present, he would not have been 
 pleased at her sudden and great intimacy with 
 the unknown waterman. 
 
 Again and again Lord Herbert renewed his
 
 156 TREVELYAN. 
 
 petition for music, and Sir Henry, wishing 
 perhaps to put an end to the t^te-a-t^te on 
 the sofa, added his entreaties, so that at last 
 Theresa thought it best to comply, and re- 
 paired to the pianoforte. She found that Lord 
 Herbert knew all her songs by heart — hummed 
 the airs — repeated the words. " There is 
 one you have not yet sung,'' said he, smihng 
 significantly ; " the Neapolitan Barcarola "■ — 
 that was the song with which she had serenaded 
 the party in the Funny-club wherry on the 
 evening of their little adventure with them on 
 the river. 
 
 She could now no longer doubt of his being 
 the person who had thus in various ways 
 haunted them during the whole summer, and 
 the conviction occasioned much the same sort 
 of feeling of shyness, amounting to shame 
 which is experienced by one, who having, be- 
 neath the concealment of a mask, ventured on 
 liberties of speech which in propria persona 
 would never have been hazarded, is at length
 
 TREVELYAN. 157 
 
 obliged, by throwing off the disguise, to betray 
 the culprit. 
 
 " What a dehcious evening that was '/' 
 exclaimed Lord Herbert. " By heavens! 
 I shall never forget the 20th of July, nor 
 the effect of the sounds which I that night 
 first heard. 
 
 ' 'Twas not the air, 'twas not the words 
 But the deep magic in the chords. 
 And in the Ups, that gave such power 
 As music knew not till that hour.' " 
 
 Theresa , had begun the accompaniment of 
 the Barcarola, but found it quite impossible 
 to attempt singing it, and continued in silence 
 modulating on the instrument without even 
 venturing to look at her companion, whose 
 eyes were fixed on her beautiful face, in evi- 
 dent satisfaction at the embarrassment which 
 it betrayed. 
 
 The announcement of Miss Trevelyan*s car- 
 riage, before long, relieved Tlieresa from her 
 awkward situation. Lord Herbert most vehe-
 
 158 TREVELYAN. 
 
 mently seconded Sir Henry and Lady Williams's 
 remonstrances against so early a departure ; 
 but Miss Trevelyan^ little used to society, 
 was so much fatigued, that she could not be 
 prevailed upon to remain any longer, and 
 Lord Herbert was at last obliged to give up 
 the attempt, and be content with securing to 
 himself the privilege of escorting Theresa to 
 the door. 
 
 While, to prolong the time, he was turn- 
 ing her cloak in every possible direction but 
 the right one. Sir Henry (as great an adept 
 in such httle ruses de guerre as himself) 
 hurrying back from depositing Miss Trevel- 
 yan in her carriage, met the loitering pair in 
 the hall, and good-humouredly pushing aside 
 Lord Herbert, "Come, come, my Lord," said 
 he, " I am master in this house, and therefore 
 stiU claim prior right to the young ladies, as 
 well as to the old 5 so give up Miss Howard to 
 me, for I have something to say to her," and 
 drawing Theresa's relinquished arm within his,
 
 TREVELYAN. 159 
 
 " Ah ! you naught}'^ little flirt," he continued 
 in a low voice, " if I had been aware of all 
 this, I never should have allowed you to come 
 here to-day. What account am I to give of 
 you to the guardian, hey ! I who have 
 pledged myself for your good conduct, shall 
 I tell him that ' when the cat's away the mice 
 do play ? ' " Then chuckling in much enjoy- 
 ment at the embarrassment he had occasioned, 
 and good-humouredly shaking her by the hand, 
 he added, " Come, I wiU this once keep your 
 secret, if you will promise to behave better 
 the next time you are let out of your 
 cage." 
 
 Theresa forcibly withdrew her arm from his, 
 and, darting forward, sprang hastily into the 
 carriage, in order to avoid any further raillery. 
 " Well, well," said Sir Henry, again laughing, 
 " I see you are penitent, so I will be mum ; " 
 and then, hoping neither of the ladies would be 
 
 the worse for the dissipation of the evening, 
 
 * 
 he kindly gave them his blessing, and returned 
 
 into the house.
 
 i 60 TREVELYAN. 
 
 " What is this good joke between you and 
 Sir Henry ?" inquired Miss Trevelyan, when 
 they set off on their return home. 
 
 " Oh ! nothing — nonsense/' replied Theresa, 
 not at all inclined to enter into any explana- 
 tion of that, which, undefined as it might have 
 seemed to any one else, she comprehended but 
 too well. 
 
 " May I guess what Sir Henry was scolding 
 you for ?*' said Miss Trevelyan, laying her 
 hand on Theresa's : " did he not accuse a cer- 
 tain friend of mine of being too much engrossed 
 by her neighbour at dinner ?" 
 
 Theresa made no reply ; and it was luckily 
 too dark for the tales told by her blushing 
 face to be observed. 
 
 " I recollect now," continued Miss Tre- 
 velyan, " that Lord Herbert Leslie is the per- 
 son whom we used to see all the summer rowing 
 about on the river ; he does not seem to have 
 lost his taste for music, nor has that same 
 friend of mine her's for admiration ! Come, 
 come, Theresa," said her friend, kindly rg_
 
 TREVELYAN. 161 
 
 taining the hand which was struggling to be 
 released from her's, " don't be angr}% I know 
 quite well aU that is very natural, and that I, 
 who never was — never could be — an object of 
 admiration, can be no judge of its intoxicating 
 eflfects ; but, perhaps, it will be as well another 
 time not to let any one person engross your 
 attention so entirely. People so easily obtain 
 the character of a flirt, and none are more ready 
 to bestow the opprobrious appellation than 
 those who entice us on to deserve it. I find 
 Lord Herbert is a Scotchman, Lord Falkirk's 
 son. He does not reside in this neighbour- 
 hood, and is going almost immediately to join 
 his father in the north." 
 
 If the design of this speech was to repress 
 certain vague flattering sensations in The- 
 resa's breast, it had the desired efl*ect } and 
 yet she could not help thinking her friend 
 might possibly be as much mistaken with re- 
 gard to Lord Herbert's object in his atten- 
 tions to her, as she had been when suspect-
 
 162 TREVELYAN. 
 
 ing him of being a shopkeeper. She, how- 
 ever, kept these thoughts to herself, and 
 there the matter ended ; for Theresa had no 
 desire to revive a subject, which, for reasons 
 best known to herself, she would have wished 
 never to have been discussed; and, as she 
 therefore did not again name Lord Herbert, 
 Miss Trevelyan, attaching little importance to 
 the affair, did not allude to him either. 
 
 A couple of days after the dinner-party at 
 Twickenham, as Theresa was taking her usual 
 walk with Humphries, Lord Herbert suddenly 
 galloped up; on recognising her, he imme- 
 diately leapt from his horse, and walked by 
 the side of the footpath, making many in- 
 quiries after herself. Miss Trevelyan, and the 
 little dog. But Theresa, who felt that this 
 conversation should not, under present cir- 
 cumstances, be prolonged, gave him such la- 
 conic answers, and was evidently so much 
 embarrassed by his attendance, that he at last 
 took the hint, and, regretting that he was not
 
 TREVELYAN. 163 
 
 likely soon to see her again^ being obliged to 
 set off the following day for Scotland, he 
 remounted his horse and galloped off, though 
 not without casting many a lingering and ex- 
 pressive look behind. 
 
 This rencontre was not mentioned to Miss 
 Trevelyan, and, the circumstances of her own 
 youth having been such as to preclude her 
 from all experience on the subject which now 
 occupied Theresa, she had not a suspicion 
 that the handsome agreeable stranger had left 
 any impression whatever on her mind. She 
 could not, indeed, avoid observing occasional 
 fits of abstraction and apparent hstlessness in 
 her young companion, but, never having passed 
 through the fiery ordeal herself, she attributed 
 them merely to the want of those recreations 
 and amusements which had necessarily ceased 
 upon her guardian's departure ; and although 
 Theresa, notwithstanding the change of wea- 
 ther, spent whole hours lost in thought, gazing 
 vacantly over the parapet-wall of their garden,
 
 164 TREVELYAN. 
 
 on the now swollen, ruffled waters of the 
 Thames, Miss Trevelyan still took no alarm ; 
 nor ever noticed that she was eternally singing 
 the Neapolitan Barcarola, and constantly stu- 
 dying the second volume of Debrett's Peerage.
 
 TREVELYAN. 1^^ 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Ah ! wherefore should my tongue alone be mute. 
 When every look, and every motion tell- 
 So plainly tell— and will not be forbid 
 
 That I adore thee ? 
 
 Basil. 
 
 The dreadfal long month of banishment in 
 CornwaU at length expired, and, by the be- 
 ginning of November, Trevelyan was again 
 the happiest of the happy at Theresa's side, 
 verifying the truth of that French maxim 
 " Que I'absence qui affaiblit les petiies pas- 
 sions ne fait gu'augmenter les grandes," for 
 he returned, if possible, more enamoured than 
 before. Perhaps the contrast between her 
 enthusiastic interesting character, " for ever
 
 166 TREVELYAN. 
 
 varying, yet for ever graceful," and the Lady 
 Augusta's well-tutored proprieties, increased 
 the power of captivation possessed by the 
 former. And when Theresa, conscious that 
 she had something to conceal, received him 
 with downcast looks and blushing cheeks, he, 
 in bhssful ignorance of the true cause of this 
 timid reserve, read in her altered manner the 
 most flattering encouragement to his mshes, 
 and fearlessly gave way to the intoxication 
 which such hopes produced. 
 
 Fortunately for Tlieresa, Sir Henry Wil- 
 liams, who would have been sure to betray her 
 secret, was then absent from Twickenham ; her 
 guardian, therefore, remaining in perfect igno- 
 rance of her meeting with Lord Herbert at 
 his house, never in any way alluded to him ; 
 so that at length, feeling secure from detection, 
 and her fears gradually dying away, her usual 
 spirits returned ; and if her conscience at times 
 reproached her for such ungrateftd reserve to- 
 wards one, to whom as yet every feeling of
 
 TREVELYAN. 167 
 
 her heart had been freely laid open, she 
 met its accusations with the self-deceiving 
 expostulation, " that really, after all, she had 
 nothing to tell ;" for how impart to another 
 that which was as yet without reality or name 
 to herself. Thus weeks flew on, Theresa mean- 
 while continuing to all appearance the same 
 light-hearted being she ever was; and, if fits of 
 thoughtfulness occasionally stole over her, cast- 
 ing a shade of sentiment on her lovely coun- 
 tenance, Trevelyan, more and more deceived, 
 scarcely now allowed any possibility of doubt 
 to check his happiness; and swiftly as the 
 time passed in her society, still he murmured 
 at its sluggishness, impatient to arrive at that 
 blissful moment when Theresa's attainment of 
 the age of eighteen would remove the seal 
 which a high sense of honour had placed upon 
 his lips. 
 
 Colonel Trevelyan's character was one of 
 those on which such a passion as that which 
 Theresa had inspired makes the deepest im-
 
 168 TREVELYAN. 
 
 pression, and he had also reached that period 
 in a man's life when such impressions are 
 most indehble ; for " middle age/' although it 
 had tempered^ had not yet quenched 
 
 " The fiery vehemence of youths" 
 
 and it required no peculiar acuteness of obser- 
 vation to detect^ beneath a remarkable repose 
 of manner, 
 
 " Tlie will to do, the soul to dare. 
 The sparkling glance soon blown to fire. 
 Of ardent love, or headlong ire." 
 
 All the former passing fancies of his life now 
 seemed to him like mere child's play, having 
 but amused his imagination without ever reaUy 
 touching his heart, and he had in consequence, 
 even amid the active duties of a military life, 
 ever felt a blank, and want of object in his 
 existence ; but since he had known Theresa, 
 all was changed, and the world wore to him a 
 totally different aspect. If his mind turned 
 to his profession, Theresa would then rise to
 
 TREVELYAN. 169 
 
 his imagination as a bright beacon enticing him 
 on to fame and glory ! How valueless did 
 the best-earned honours now appear, unless 
 shared by some beloved object ! What would 
 they not be if shared by Theresa ? And when, 
 in his less heroic moments, his fancy turned 
 to a quiet happy home, there again Theresa 
 was the foremost, the only prominent object, 
 in the captivating picture. Trevelyan was so 
 entirely occupied by these thoughts and feelings, 
 that he at last could no longer conceal them 
 from his sister. She at first actually started 
 at his confession, for the possibility even of 
 such sentiments on his part had never crossed 
 her unsuspecting mind; and, scarcely aware 
 of the pain she was inflicting, she in cruel 
 sober sense laid before him all her objections 
 to what she called his strange infatuation. 
 
 " Why, my dear Frederick," said she, " The- 
 resa is, I believe, nearly twenty years younger 
 than yourself, and in disposition so totally 
 different ! so wild, so thoughtless ! I allow 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 1 70 TREVELYAN. 
 
 that she possesses marvellous powers of capti- 
 vation, for her very faults tend to increase the 
 interest which she inspires, but still she is such 
 a mere child, the sport of every whim, that 
 surely, if you reflect upon it, you cannot think 
 that she could suit you as a wife, although she 
 may amuse you as a plaything." 
 
 Trevelyan had anticipated surprise, but had 
 not expected, nor did he at all approve of the 
 tone in which his sister now took up the busi- 
 ness, as he did not like to be reminded of 
 those defects in the object of his adoration, the 
 existence of which he could not deny, he was not 
 either willing to admit that the disproportion 
 of age between them was any objection, for he 
 maintained that it was generally allowed that 
 ten years' seniority only brought a man on a 
 par with his wife, and, in the case at present 
 under consideration, a very few more years 
 were to be added. " In short," continued he 
 rather impatiently ; " all I want to consult 
 you about is with regard to Theresa herself.
 
 TREVELYAN. 17 1 
 
 whether you think it would ever be possible 
 that she could — that she should — " 
 
 " That she should fall in love with you, you 
 mean, dear Fred. ;" interrupted Miss Tre- 
 velyan, kindly smihng upon him. "Why, 
 really with regard to that, I cannot venture 
 to give an opinion ; it is very evident that she 
 is most happy in your society, but then her 
 preferring it to mine is not wonderful, and she 
 has, you know, no other." 
 
 Miss Trevelyan suddenly stopped, for, the 
 recollection of Lord Herbert LesHe flashing 
 across her mind, she was on the point of in- 
 forming Trevelyan of the meeting between him 
 and his ward at Sir Henry Williams's, and of 
 the very e\TLdent satisfaction with which she 
 had received his attentions ; but, on second 
 thoughts, she deemed that it would be hardly 
 fair to mention that, which, in fact, had been 
 merely surmise on her part, and which appeared 
 at all events to have been but a passing whim 
 of the moment. 
 
 I 2
 
 172 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan little knew that such strict 
 silence as that maintained by Theresa on the 
 subject is one of the most deadly symptoms 
 of the disease called love, and that the more the 
 patient endeavours to conceal her malady the 
 more alarming is the case ; she, therefore, 
 being herself deceived, helped to mislead her 
 brother the more, and as, leaning on his 
 shoulder, she looked with sisterly pride and 
 affection on his handsome countenance, after 
 a moment's pause she continued : " You know, 
 Freddy, I am an old maid — never was in love, 
 never could have had a lover ; my judgment on 
 such matters is, therefore, perhaps not much to 
 be trusted ; moreover, it is impossible to guess 
 at the taste of others. But still I must say, I 
 think any one might prefer — in short, might fall 
 in love with you ; for that, I am aware, is the 
 point now in question -, and though I could per- 
 haps detect among these black locks of yours 
 one or two hairs bleached by the sun of India, 
 yet as love, we are told, is blind, he would not
 
 TREVELYAN. 173 
 
 detect them so easily as a prying old sister : so 
 that really, notwithstanding all the objections 
 I have just been making, I do think if you were 
 wiUing to take Theresa for better and for worse, 
 she, at least, would have no cause to complain 
 of the bargain." 
 
 On the whole, this result of his consultation 
 with his sister was satisfactory to Trevelyan, 
 and, having now once broken the ice, he con- 
 stantly, when alone with her, reverted to the 
 subject nearest his heart, till at length they 
 talked themselves into the belief that what 
 they both so ardently wished was not only 
 possible but even probable. For Miss Tre- 
 velyan, who doated on Theresa, although she 
 was not, like her brother, bhnd to her faults, 
 welcomed with such pleasure the hope of seeing 
 her young charge safe in his care, and her wild 
 spirit properly guided by his superior sense 
 and judgment, that she soon became as un- 
 willing to hear of doubt or objection as himself; 
 and Trevelyan, finding his hopes and wishes
 
 1 74 TREVELYAN. 
 
 thus encouraged by those of another, allowed 
 them to assume a reality, which, till then, he 
 had scarcely permitted himself to think pos- 
 sible. 
 
 About a fortnight after Trevelyan's arrival 
 at Richmond, Sir Henry and Lady WiUiams 
 returned to Twickenham, and in the course of 
 a few days called upon their friends in Para- 
 gon-row. Theresa's conscience instantly tinged 
 her cheeks with the deepest crimson on their 
 entrance, as she feared Sir Henry might make 
 some disclosures, which would not be very 
 agreeable either to herself or her guardian. 
 
 " Well, Colonel,^' said Sir Henry, after the 
 first salutations were over ; " you see I have 
 kept my word, and taken good care of your 
 ward j at least, as long as I was here to watch 
 her, she behaved tolerably well, but I will not 
 swear that she has not been flirting with some 
 of the smart young bargemen over the garden- 
 wall, while I have been away ; for, faith, she 
 needs a great deal of looking after, and I reaUy
 
 TREVELYAN. 175 
 
 don't envy you your charge." Then going 
 close up to Theresa, while he laid his finger on 
 his lips, he added in a low voice, '^ Don't be 
 afraid — I won't blab. If you remember the con- 
 ditions, I won't forget my promise. But what 
 have you been about. Colonel, all this time ?" 
 he continued ; " making sad havoc among the 
 Cornish ladies and game, I suppose. As for us 
 here, we have neither pheasants nor Philanders, 
 hares nor heroes, — ^have we. Miss Howard ? 
 Sad dull place, Richmond ; no such thing as a 
 lover to be had for love or money ;" and he 
 again turned to Theresa to confirm the truth of 
 his statement, laughing in much enjoyment at 
 the embarrassment which his fancied wit occa- 
 sioned. " By the bye though, I have good 
 news for you ; there is going to be a general 
 rising of belles and beaux, for we are forth^vith 
 to have a ball at the Star and Garter, so at 
 least says Mrs. Hopkins ; but you may not 
 think her very good authority. My Lady 
 there, however, will tell you all about it, for 
 I heard them busily discussing the matter the
 
 176 TREVELYAN. 
 
 other day, and was very near informing against 
 them for high treason, they all looked so mys- 
 terious and important with their lists and their 
 consultations as to who was and was not to be 
 trusted. Come, my Lady," said Sir Henry to 
 his wife, " open your business/^ 
 
 " My business," said Lady Williams, " re- 
 lates to a petition which I have to present to 
 you all, and in which I hope Miss Howard will 
 second me, otherwise I fear I shall have httle 
 chance of being hstened to. You must know 
 then," continued Lady Wilhams, " that Mrs. 
 Hopkins's report is for once really true, for we 
 are positively going to have a subscription-ball. 
 It is for some charitable purpose ; and in order 
 to ensure its success, patronesses have been 
 appointed, who are each to press into the ser- 
 vice their own particular friends ; so I am 
 came here to beat up for recruits, and to 
 entreat that my baU may be honoured by being 
 the scene of Miss Howard's debtit in the gay 
 world." 
 
 At these words, Theresa actually gave a
 
 TREVELYAN. 177 
 
 scream of delight, and looked anxiously in 
 Miss Trevelyan's face for her reply ; but she 
 there saw nothing encouraging to her wishes, 
 for her friend only looked grave and shook her 
 head. Theresa then turned with imploring 
 eyes towards her guardian. It was impossible 
 for him to resist those eyes ; and his, therefore, 
 also pleaded in Theresa's behalf with his sister. 
 Still, however. Miss Trevelyan for a time re- 
 sisted their joint entreaties ; the very name of a 
 public ball seemed to alarm her. She declared 
 her utter inability to join in any such gaiety 
 herself, and made all sorts of objections to 
 Theresa's going without her ; but at last every 
 difficulty was most good-humouredly and 
 patiently obviated by Lady WilUams. She 
 would herself chaperon Theresa ; she would 
 take her and bring her back in her own car- 
 riage. She answered for her not catching cold. 
 She promised Miss Trevelyan she should not 
 stay very late — reminded her there would be a 
 full moon — and, in short, at last the much
 
 178 TREVELYAN. 
 
 wished-for permission was obtained, and to the 
 ball it was finally settled Theresa should go. 
 
 No sooner was the welcome acquiescence 
 pronounced than Theresa flew to her dear 
 Treevy, and to Lady Williams, to express her 
 gratitude by the most affectionate acknowledg- 
 ments. She then, her countenance beaming 
 with delight, turned towards her guardian. 
 
 But the moment she approached him, it 
 seemed as if some strange nervous affection had 
 suddenly paralysed both her eyes and tongue, 
 for she could neither speak nor look him in the 
 face, but stood before him like a self-convicted 
 criminal, silent and abashed. Trevelyan, who 
 still wanted the right clue which would have 
 fully explained his young friend's fitful varia- 
 tions of countenance and manner, looked at 
 her with glistening eyes. He spoke not either, 
 and a tender pressure of her trembling hand 
 was his silent reply to her unuttered thanks. 
 Whether it was a pang of remorse which at 
 that moment brought tears into her eyes, we
 
 TREVELYAN. l7i> 
 
 cannot tell, but some passing melancholy 
 thought seemed at once to have checked the 
 exhilaration of spirits which the prospect of 
 the ball had at first occasioned, and, during the 
 remainder of Lady Williams's visit, Theresa 
 continued silent and pre-occupied. 
 
 This projected gaiety, of course, caused a pro- 
 digious sensation in Richmond and its neigh- 
 bourhood, where, from the great number of 
 elderly ladies and the extreme paucity of young 
 gentlemen, dancing was certainly neither a 
 common, nor (what is generally considered to 
 be) a natural amusement ; and every exertion 
 was on this occasion made both by the patron- 
 esses and subscribers to ensure the success of 
 the ball in question, by collecting from all 
 parts " beaux, beauty, and fashion." Letters 
 were dispatched in every direction, with offers 
 of beds and dinners to all the officers quartered 
 within thirty miles round ; and, as the entertain- 
 ment was to take place during the Christmas 
 vacation, Cambridge and Oxford students were
 
 180 TREVELYAN. 
 
 summoned, and even Eton and Harrow boys 
 pressed into the service — the patronesses, with 
 laudable emulation, vying with each other as 
 to the number and importance of the names on 
 their several lists. 
 
 As the time approached, Mrs. Hopkins was 
 in a constant trot, going from door to door, in 
 order to arrange mth her neighbours about 
 the proper division of the expected young 
 ladies and gentlemen in their respective houses 
 and carriages ; and many also were her visits 
 to Mrs. Preston, the milliner, not only to 
 decide upon the equally important distribu- 
 tion of flowers and ribbons in her own cap, 
 but in order to ascertain beforehand what hats, 
 turbans, and tocques were destined on that 
 important evening to decorate the heads of all 
 her acquaintances. She was even so good as 
 to step into the Star and Garter, in order to 
 give her advice gratis relative to the arrange- 
 ment of the card-tables and refreshments — 
 and to hint that, as she should bring with
 
 TREVELYAN. 181 
 
 her her nephew. Lord Ladbrook's eldest son, 
 the dancing of course should not commence 
 until he arrived ; and that she hoped pro- 
 per attention would be paid by the master of 
 the ceremonies, in order that persons of rank 
 should have their joroper places. 
 
 The long wished-for evening at length ar- 
 rived. By eight o'clock hghts were seen 
 twinkling in every dressing-room window in 
 Richmond and its vicinity, and shortly after- 
 wards the unfortunate flies began their night 
 of ceaseless labour. Theresa, her eyes and 
 cheeks brilliant with the additional animation 
 of anticipated pleasure, was ready dressed long 
 before the appointed time, and sat eagerly 
 listening for the arrival of Lady WiUiam's 
 carriage while Trevelyan gazed on her lovely 
 form in an ecstasy of admiration, and his sister 
 with a melancholy smile. " Remember, The- 
 resa," said the latter, " I shall expect a full 
 account of every thing to-morrow morning- 
 for you know I have never been at a ball in
 
 182 TREVELYAN. 
 
 my life, old as I am now, and therefore the 
 smallest circumstance wiU be news to me. You 
 must keep account of aU your partners, and of 
 aU the pretty things they say to you, and also 
 of whom Frederick flirts with, in short tell me 
 every thing/' 
 
 At that instant the welcome sound of the 
 door-beU announcing Lady WiUiam's arrival 
 was heard. Theresa sprang from her seat, and, 
 giving her dear Treev)^ a hasty, but, if pos- 
 sible, even a more than usually tender embrace, 
 she took her guardian's proffered arm, and 
 they hurried together down stairs. 
 
 As Miss Trevelyan again closed her door 
 on their final departure, and drew her chair 
 by her now sohtary fire-side, an involuntary 
 tear stole down her cheek, and she uncon- 
 sciously fell into a more melancholy reverie 
 than any by which she had been for a long 
 time visited. AU the circumstances of her 
 own bhghted youth forced themselves on her 
 recollection in painful contrast, and it was
 
 TREVELVAN. 183 
 
 some time before she obtained the mastery 
 over feelings which her strict principles con- 
 demned. Each carriage, as it whirled past 
 her dwelling, seemed to increase her sensation 
 of solitary exclusion, and, in the dismal irri- 
 tation of the moment, she exaggerated to her- 
 self those worldly and personal advantages 
 which at other times were viewed by her but 
 in the light of trials, and from the dangers of 
 which she had so often, in the chastened resig- 
 nation of her heart, thanked God for having 
 been preserved.
 
 185 TREVELYAN. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Within the compass of these walls 
 Somewhere she is, although to me she is not. 
 Some other eye doth gaze upon her form. 
 Some other ear doth listen to her voice. 
 Some happy fav'rite doth enjoy the bliss. 
 My spiteful stars deny. 
 
 Basil. 
 
 Lady Williams being one of the patron- 
 esses of the ball, she had made it a point to 
 go early, so that, when she and her compa- 
 nions arrived, the room was not half full. 
 Their entrance was in consequence the more 
 conspicuous, and all eyes were instantly fixed 
 upon Theresa, whose beauty was of too supe- 
 rior an order for the possibility of two opinions 
 existing respecting it. How Trevelyan's proud
 
 TREVELYAN. 185 
 
 heart glowed within him on observing the evi- 
 dent admiration, bestowed upon the lovely 
 being at his side, and, as hope whispered to 
 him that being was his own, he almost uncon- 
 sciously pressed closer to him the precious 
 hand then trembling on his arm. 
 
 Among the company already arrived, was 
 the Honourable Mrs. Hopkins. She had of 
 course heard that Colonel Trevelyan and his 
 beautiful ward were to accompany Sir Henry 
 and Lady Williams to the ball, and she deter- 
 mined to turn this, circumstance and the even- 
 ing to her own advantage. In consequence. 
 Lady Williams and her party had scarcely 
 entered the room before Mrs. Hopkins, with 
 a deplorable-looking stripling at her side, 
 came bustling up to her. " How do you do, 
 my dear madam ? — glad to see your ladyship 
 returned so well, and Sir Henry, quite well 
 too, I hope ;" and in her bows to them, she 
 contrived to include Trevelyan, who was of 
 course obhgcd to acknowledge her salutation.
 
 186 TREVELYAN. 
 
 " Charming room ! an't it ? What a pity so 
 Httle use is made of it, for it is the very thing 
 for a ball. Then pushing her companion for- 
 ward, " Will your ladyship/' said she to 
 Lady Williams, " allow me to present my 
 nephew, Mr. Ladbrook, to you ? — Lord Lad- 
 brook's eldest son, you know," added Mrs. 
 Hopkins, in a lower but consequential tone, 
 looking the while as if she expected this 
 piece of information to electrify her auditors. 
 "Is your young lady disengaged ?" she con- 
 tinued, " for if so, I am sure my nephew wdll 
 
 be happy to have the pleasure ," and then 
 
 \Adthout waiting for an answer, — " Miss 
 Howard, Mr. Ladbrook; Mr. Ladbrook, Miss 
 Howard," — and at each nomination she inclined 
 her own body in order to make up for any 
 possible deficiency of form in others. 
 
 Theresa curtseyed, the palefaced stripling 
 murmured something, and Mrs. Hopkins, 
 taking advantage of these introductions flying 
 about, again bowed to Trevelyan, who, i of
 
 TREVELYAN. 18/ 
 
 course, felt himself again obliged to bow in re- 
 turn, and having thus by these two false pre- 
 sentations of herself, (which she thought might 
 be considered as constituting one real one), 
 estabhshed a sort of acquaintance with him, 
 she, disengaging herself from her hopeful ne- 
 phew^ and placing him at Theresa's side, with 
 strict orders to flirt with his partner, addressed 
 herself exclusively to the object of her atten- 
 tion. " Well, I really do hope we shall have 
 a good ball," said she ; " people are coming 
 in very fast ; at all events we are sure of good 
 company, for I saw the Ust of subscribers to- 
 day, and there were the Reeveses, and the 
 Riveses, the Budgeons, and the Philpots ', all 
 unexceptionable of course, which is the great 
 matter ; for poor dear Mr. Hopkins often said, 
 there was nothing so improper in his opinion 
 as a mixture of company. It certainly is not 
 easy in these levelling days to be as particular 
 as one ought, but still it is every body's duty 
 to try and keep society as select as possible.
 
 188 TREVELYAN. 
 
 and Mr. Hopkins used to laugh and say that 
 where there was everybody, there must be no- 
 body, which was cleverly said of him/' 
 
 Of course Trevelyan smiled applause at this 
 bon-mot of Lord Ladbrook's first cousin, and, 
 never having thought upon the subject of 
 select society himself, he had nothing whatever 
 to say in contradiction to what had been ad- 
 vanced. But, before we proceed any further, 
 it may be as well to explain who Mr. Hopkins 
 and his honourable rehct were. We begin 
 with the latter. 
 
 Mrs. Hopkins was the only child of a rich 
 citizen, who, having when quite a girl eloped 
 from her boarding-school with the younger son 
 of an impoverished Irish Viscount, she in con- 
 sequence returned from Gretna-green the Ho- 
 nourable Mrs. O' Grady ; after the death of Mr* 
 O' Grady, she bestowed her hand and fortune 
 upon Mr. Hopkins, a gentleman indebted for 
 his connexion with the peerage to his mother, 
 sister to the last Lord Ladbrook; who, to
 
 TREVELYAN. 189 
 
 rescue herself from the disgrace of single bles- 
 sedness, was tempted, when pretty well ad- 
 vanced in life, to form a strange mesalliance 
 with a retired silk-throwster, in consequence of 
 which her family refused all further intercourse 
 with her. Mrs. Hopkins, however, who was a 
 clever woman in her way, and had all her wits 
 about her, knew well how to turn these acci- 
 dents of her own and the poor dear late Mr. 
 Hopkins' life, to her own present advantage, 
 and consequently, on the same principle which 
 makes a Colonel in the army consider himself 
 to be always a Colonel, however little military 
 his after-life may be, she ingeniously contrived 
 to tack that handle to her name which she had 
 acquired by her union with her first husband 
 to the very plebeian surname of the second, 
 and in consequence dubbed herself the Ho- 
 nourable Mrs. Hopkins. The combination was 
 unfortunate and incongruous, but what she 
 had thus chosen to join together no one could 
 certainly care to put asunder, and consequently
 
 1 90 TREVELYAN. 
 
 as the Honourable Mrs. Hopkins she was ad- 
 dressed. 
 
 Her good luck and good guidance did not 
 either stop here ; she had a few years back 
 been fortunate enough to discover that Lord 
 Ladbrook's son was at a school in the neigh' 
 bourhood, and immediately setting off with a 
 chaise full of cakes and maids of honour, she 
 (boldly calling herself his aunt) ingratiated her- 
 self with the boy through the medium of her 
 confectionary, and having obtained leave from 
 the school-master that he should occasionally 
 pass Saturdays and Sundays with her at 
 Richmond, she still farther secured the affec- 
 tions of the young heir, by making him regu- 
 larly sick on each of these visits with ice, fruit, 
 and eel-pies, in addition to the already named 
 cakes and maids of honour. All these favours 
 had made a deep impression not only on the 
 heart but the constitution of young Ladbrook, 
 and to the pastry-cook's shop at Richmond 
 might probably be traced his deplorable pale
 
 TREVELYAN. 191 
 
 face and diminutive stature . Now that he was a 
 student at Oxford^ he still, to his credit, kept 
 up his clandestine intercourse with his pro- 
 scribed aunt Hopkins, and joyfally accepted 
 her invitation to the ball at the Star and 
 Garter, as well as her proffers of bed and 
 board. 
 
 Such was Mrs. Hopkins's history up to the 
 time of her attack upon Trevelyan (for we need 
 not dwell on the year and the tears of her se- 
 cond widowhood, as they made no greater im- 
 pression on her own mind than they probably 
 would make on that of the reader). Having 
 by the clever manoeuvre already related 
 established a degree of spurious acquaintance 
 with the handsome Colonel, and already anti- 
 cipating the effect which would be produced 
 when at her next dinner-party she should asto- 
 nish her neighbours by the appearance of the 
 next heir but one to an earldom, Mrs. Hop- 
 kins determined not to lose the advantage thus 
 gained, and therefore, resolutely maintaining
 
 192 TREVELYAN. 
 
 her station at his side, she continued to ad- 
 dress him. 
 
 " I hope you left Lord Launceston quite 
 well," said she, and in so easy a tone of ac- 
 quaintance, that Trevelyan, not a little surprised 
 at the seeming intimacy between Mrs. Hopkins 
 and his proud aristocratic relative, said directly, 
 " Do you know my uncle ?" 
 
 " Why, I do not exactly personally know 
 him," said Mrs. Hopkins, in some little em- 
 barrassment at this direct question. " It is a 
 great many years since I had the pleasure of 
 seeing his lordship, for I live now so much 
 out of the world, that I lose sight of aU my 
 friends. A charming woman was the late Lady 
 Launceston, but always sadly dehcate, quite an 
 exotic !" 
 
 Again Trevelyan, with cruel perseverance, 
 inquired into Mrs. Hopkins' acquaintance wdth 
 his aunt. 
 
 " Oh, yes ; of course I knew Lady Laun- 
 ceston," she replied, " for I used to meet her
 
 TREVELYAN. 193 
 
 ladyship at the drawing-room. In former 
 days, drawing-rooms were not what they are 
 now ; it was not every body^ you know, who 
 then went to court, and that was the reason it 
 was so pleasant! If poor dear Mr. Hopkins was 
 alive, I dare say he would insist on my going 
 to the drawing-room every year, for he used to 
 say it was every body's duty to keep up their 
 proper place in society; and, between our- 
 selves, I believe their Majesties like such at- 
 tentions — but now" — and she sighed—-" I have 
 a foolish sort of shyness about me, though I 
 am sure I need not, for the Royal family have 
 been always particularly kind to me, and the 
 very last time I was at Court, I remember 
 perfectly well the dear King saying, ' How 
 does Mr. Hopkins do ?' quite in an easy way. 
 He had then, it must be confessed, been dfead 
 two years, poor man," — and again Mrs. Hop- 
 kins sighed. " Still, however, it was very kind 
 and flattering of his Majesty inquiring after 
 him. But all that is changed now," and she 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 TREVELYAN. 
 
 drew another deep sigh over the loss of — — 
 Trevelyan did not very well know, what. Just 
 then, luckily for him, the music struck up. 
 " Oh, there they are going to begin. Come, 
 my dear Ladbrook, lead Miss Howard to the 
 top of the room, or you will be too late," and 
 she bustled away after the master of the cere- 
 monies, in order to secure for her proteg^ a 
 place suited to his consequence. 
 
 Trevelyan, delighted at having thus got rid 
 of his companion, also followed the dancers, 
 but took care to direct his steps to the opposite 
 side of the room. Again, as he followed with 
 his eyes her who alone, amid the crowd which 
 surrounded him, attracted his attention, he, 
 with proud feelings of self-congratulation, ex- 
 ulted in her superiority of look, air, and man- 
 ner, over all around ; and if ever such selfish 
 vanity is pardonable, surely it may be so in a 
 man of thirty-four desperately in love with a 
 girl of seventeen. 
 
 As soon as the dance was over, Theresa,
 
 TREVELYAN. 195 
 
 whose eyes had been the whole time wan- 
 dering round the room, at last spied out her 
 guardian, and having had quite enough of her 
 dull Honourable partner, she immediately 
 hastened to his side. "How I wish you 
 danced !" said she, with most winning naivete, 
 after having expatiated on the stupidity of her 
 late companion, '* For somehow, I am not sure 
 1 think this ball quite so charming as I ex- 
 pected it to be ; at least, if this is aU ;" and 
 again she unconsciously cast her eyes around, 
 as if in search of some expected object; " but," , 
 continued she after a moment, " if you danced 
 it would of course be quite diiferent." 
 
 " And do you not think it would be still 
 more different to me, Theresa ?" repHed Tre- 
 velyan, with a look and tone which even she 
 must have understood. — " I, who have aU this 
 time most wickedly envied the smart dandies 
 skipping about you, and coveted their sound 
 ankles unscathed by cannon-balls." 
 
 "That's a story," said Theresa archly ; "I 
 K 2
 
 196 TREVELYAN. 
 
 am quite sure that in your heart you do not 
 envy them at all, and would not take their 
 useless, insignificant lives for all the un- 
 wounded ankles in the room ; by your coun- 
 tenance I am sure I am right/' and the colour 
 glowed brilliantly in Theresa's cheeks as she 
 spoke. 
 
 This little compliment thrilled to Trevel- 
 yan's inmost soul. " A year ago, perhaps, I 
 would not," he replied ; " for then war was 
 my only mistress — but now ! — what pleasure 
 can there be in wounds, however gained, com- 
 pared to that of dancing with you ?" 
 
 Theresa looked down making no comment, 
 and Trevelyan, who felt that he had been be- 
 trayed into saying more than he meant, was 
 also silent. 
 
 The room was by this time very full, and 
 preparations seemed making for another set, as 
 the ladies and gentlemen were bowing, curt- 
 seying, and pairing off like birds in spring. 
 " As you have no partner for this dance," said
 
 TREVELYAN. 197 
 
 Trevelyan, " shall we walk about and see the 
 world?" 
 
 Theresa, delighted at the proposal, readily- 
 agreed and they began their no easy progress 
 through the room. The noise and crowd seem- 
 ed to bewilder her ; she spoke little, and her 
 eyes still wandered anxiously around. At 
 length, with something like a sigh, — " A ball 
 is but a dull thing after all," said she, " when 
 one knows nobody, and, excepting Mrs. ^Hop- 
 kins, I don't think there is a creature in the 
 room whom I ever saw before." 
 
 She had scarcely pronounced these words 
 when Trevelyan felt her give a violent start. 
 He instantly looked round to discover what 
 had occasioned it, when, following the direc- 
 tion of her eyes, his emotion nearly equalled 
 that of his ward on beholding, at no great 
 distance, his persecutor on the river, the 
 master of the Newfoundland dog, who in a 
 moment turned towards them. He fixed his 
 eyes eagerly on Theresa, and, although her's
 
 198 TREVELYAN 
 
 were then hastily averted, the burning blush 
 upon her cheeks betrayed her consciousness of 
 being recognized. Trevelyan bit his Up in 
 anger and vexation^ and he wa§ meditating 
 in what manner to effect an escape, when 
 the stranger, having quickly made his way 
 through the intervening crowd, was already 
 close at their side. He slightly bowed to 
 Trevelyan, and then, to his astonishment, 
 not only addressed Theresa by her name, but 
 in the famihar tone of an acknowledge ac- 
 quaintance requested the pleasure of being her 
 partner for the dance just then beginnmg. 
 Trevelyan darted on the bold adventurer a look 
 of astonishment and indignation, and pressing 
 Theresa's arm more closely to his side, en- 
 deavoured to move on. 
 
 But still there the stranger stood, and again 
 repeated his as yet unanswered request. Tre- 
 velyan's blood now began to boil, and he 
 was about to remonstrate on the liberty thus 
 ttaken, when, to his utter consternation. The-
 
 TREVELYAN. 199 
 
 resa, forcibly withdrawing her hand from his 
 arm, yielded it to the unknown waterman, and 
 in an instant they were both lost in the crowd. 
 
 The whole of this transaction, which had 
 not occupied above a minute, left Treveiyan 
 petrified ! His first impulse was to rush after 
 the bold pirate and call upon him to relin- 
 quish his prize ; but, fally aware of the un- 
 governable nature of his feelings when once 
 roused, and sensible that a public ball-room 
 was not the place for such a scene as he felt 
 his present excited temper might occasion, he 
 had just sufficient power over himself to de- 
 lay the pursuit of his enemy until he had 
 made up his mind as to what he should say 
 and do. 
 
 He was still in this perturbed state, fixed 
 as if spell-bound to the spot at which Theresa 
 had left him, and his very forehead scarlet 
 with agitation, when Sir Henry Williams came 
 up to him. " Why, I have been looking for 
 you everywhere," said he; "I want to pre-
 
 200 TREVELYAN. 
 
 sent Lord Herbert Leslie to you, for he is 
 prodigiously anxious to make your acquaint- 
 ance, having already met ^vith your ladies at 
 our house/' 
 
 " Who ? — what — Leslie ?" said Trevelyan 
 still bewildered, and the name instantly catch- 
 ing his ear, although at the moment he in 
 his confusion hardly knew why- — ^^ Leslie, did 
 you say ?" 
 
 '' Yes, Leslie ! Why, what is the matter 
 with you, my dear Colonel, are you not well ? 
 you look so hot/' 
 
 " Abominably hot ;" replied Trevelyan with 
 much impatience ? " but what did you say, 
 for that confounded music makes such noise 
 I cannot hear a word ?" 
 
 Sir Henry, not a httle surprised at his 
 friend's strange agitated manner, again re- 
 peated his speech about Lord Herbert's de- 
 sire to be made known to him. " It seems,'' 
 he continued, " that he fell in with you one 
 day by the river, or on the high road,. 1
 
 TREVELYAN. 201 
 
 forget which, when his dog frightened Miss 
 Howard, and so, as I said before, having met 
 her and your sister at dinner at our house, 
 he now wishes for the pleasure of your ac- 
 quaintance." 
 
 During this explanatory speech of Sir 
 Henry's, Trevelyan by degrees recovered his 
 senses, and his eyes opened upon the whole 
 affair, but he was still so entirely occupied 
 by that dreadful tell-tale blush on Theresa's 
 face, that not at all attending to the main 
 purport of Sir Henry's speech, (namely, his 
 introduction to Lord Herbert,) he still in ab- 
 sent perturbation merely repeated his name. 
 
 " Leslie ! Leshe did you say ?" 
 
 " Yes, Lord Herbert Leslie, I tell you, is 
 his name," said Sir Henry, getting in his turn 
 a little out of patience. "^ Why, Lord bless 
 the man, what is come over you ? surely you 
 can have no objection to making his acquaint- 
 ance ; he is Lord Falkirk's son, a person 
 very well known, and ten to one is at this
 
 ^02 TREVELYAN. 
 
 minute close behind us/' added Sir Henry- 
 looking around, " and hears all this pretty 
 discussion about him, for he was this instant 
 with me and most anxious to find you." 
 
 Trevelyan, who had by this time, by putting 
 various circumstances together, identified the 
 Leslie of the funny-club wherry with the 
 unknown waterman, the master of the New- 
 foundland dog, and Theresa's present partner, 
 related, although not in a very distinct manner, 
 what had passed. 
 
 " And so," said Sir Henry, laughing, " you 
 took Lord Herbert for some impudent adven- 
 turer carrjdng off your precious charge, and 
 I suppose if I had not luckily come up, would 
 by this time have run him through the body — 
 excellent ! excellent ! Poor Colonel ! excuse 
 me — but really you and your ward put me 
 in mind of a hen with a young duck ; and 
 faith I must own she needs looking after, for 
 she is as cunning a little flirt as ever I met 
 with."
 
 TREVELYAN. 203 
 
 This speech was not calculated to put Tre- 
 velyan in any l^etter humour ; again his blood 
 boiled in his veins, and he was scarcely able 
 to command himself even towards the good- 
 humoured baronet, longing also for an expla- 
 nation with regard to his charge against The- 
 resa, yet feeling that he was not at the mo- 
 ment in a fit state to bear any more vexation. 
 
 "Did they meet at your house more than 
 once ?" said he, at last, following the train of 
 his own thoughts, and commanding his voice 
 as well as he could. 
 
 " Oh ! no, only that once," replied Sir 
 Henry, smiling at his friend's excessive an- 
 xiety. "Don't be alarmed, I was only joking; 
 and after all, what more natural than that a 
 young woman should go and dance with a young 
 man, and that that young man should admire 
 her — for, faith ! every one must do that — and 
 it is also perfectly natural that she sliould 
 have no objection to his admiration. This is 
 all I meant, I assure you -, so now smooth
 
 204 TREVELYAN. 
 
 down your ruffled feathers and come with me, 
 and make friends with the supposed highway- 
 man — the nearer the less danger, is, you know, 
 our miUtary maxim, and your ^\dsest plan 
 will be to make up to the poacher, whoever 
 he may be, the better to observe his snares." 
 So saying, taking Trevelyan's arm. Sir Henr}^ 
 led him towards the top of the room ; but 
 he met by the way with so many friends 
 to whom he had so much to say that he 
 soon forgot the object .with which he had 
 started, and the crowd separating them, Tre- 
 velyan, hot, tired, thoroughly discomposed, 
 and feeling at the moment little inclined to 
 hold any converse except with his own 
 thoughts, made his retreat towards an empty 
 bench, and there remained a prey to his no 
 very agreeable reflections. Tlieresa's violent 
 start, and the crimson blush which had 
 coloured her face at the sight of Lord Her- 
 bert, painfully haunted him. How strange, 
 too, her total silence with regard to her
 
 TREVELYAN. 205 
 
 meeting with him at Sir Henry WiUiams's ! 
 — she who was so open, so artless, and had 
 been for so long in the habit of freely telling 
 him whatever gave her pain or pleasure. 
 
 It now also occurred to him that this din- 
 ner at Lady Williams's had never been in any 
 way mentioned by Theresa, and, in her mono- 
 tonous life, it was an event which could not 
 have passed unnoticed. Then Sir Henry's 
 accusation, " that she was as cunning a flirt 
 as ever he met with." What could he mean ? 
 to what could he allude ? 
 
 As all these torturing thoughts were passing 
 through his mind, Trevelyan was suddenly 
 roused from his abstraction by the appearance 
 of Theresa close to him in the dance. At 
 that moment. Lord Herbert was speaking to 
 another person, and Trevelyan, fancying he 
 saw a shade of melancholy over her counte- 
 nance, was too happy to find any excuse for 
 the being he worshipped, and to be a])le still 
 to chng, if l)ut for a moment, to the delight-
 
 206 TREVELYAN. 
 
 fill hopes in which he had lately indulged. 
 Quickly, therefore, passing from one extreme 
 to another, he now directed all his indigna- 
 tion towards himself, and those violent ungo- 
 vernable feelings which had nearly betrayed 
 him into the act of a madman. But then, 
 the blush ! the start ! the strange reserve ! 
 
 Thus distracted by contending feelings, poor 
 Trevelyan remained at his solitary seat, ever 
 and anon cursing the cannon-ball which forced 
 him thus to relinquish to others that hand 
 which he felt to be almost his own property. 
 
 The dance at last ended, and at the usual 
 pause which follows, all the performers pa- 
 raded in pairs up and down to rest and cool, 
 but Trevelyan did not among them discover 
 either Theresa or Lord Herbert, and, leaving 
 his seat, he searched all round the ball-room, 
 but in vain. At last, seeing some parties going 
 into an adjoining apartment, allotted, he was 
 told, to refreshments, he followed them, and 
 there, resting on a couch. Lord Herbert at
 
 TREVELYAN. 207 
 
 her side, he beheld the object of his pursuit. 
 The agreeable conversation in which they were 
 seemingly engaged so entirely engrossed them, 
 that they were not aware of Trevelyan's en- 
 trance until he was almost close by them. 
 The moment Theresa saw him, she started 
 from her seat, and in evident embarrassment 
 hastened to apologize for her absence, saying 
 she had merely left the dancing-room for a 
 few minutes, in order to get some tea. Tre- 
 velyan's thoughts were too much occupied 
 by what had lately passed, and by the Utt- 
 a-t4te which he now detected, to allow him 
 immediately to converse on any indifferent sub- 
 ject ; it was stiU more impossible for him at 
 that moment to allude to that nearest his 
 heart, and an awkward silence therefore ensued. 
 At length Lord Herbert, the only one of 
 the party who did not seem disconcerted, 
 broke it by requesting Theresa to present 
 him to Colonel Trevelyan. With an unsteady 
 voice, downcast eyes, and a degree of awk-
 
 208 TREVELYAN. 
 
 wardness of manner very unusual to her, The- 
 resa went through the usual ceremony on such 
 occasions. "Miss Howard/' said Lord Her- 
 bert, directly, "has been in great anxiety to 
 join her party, but I persuaded her to come here 
 for a little refreshment and cooler air, the ball- 
 room is so disagreeably hot and crowded." 
 
 " Very disagreeable, indeed !" repeated Tre • 
 velyan, and he spoke feehngly, for it certainly 
 had been particularly so to him. And again 
 there was a pause — at length Trevelyan in 
 some degree recovering his composure, and 
 addressing Lord Herbert, said, " Does your 
 lordship reside in this neighbourhood ?" 
 
 " Oh dear, no," he replied ; " it was by 
 mere accident I heard of this ball, when with 
 my uncle in Cambridgeshire, and 1 came on 
 purpose for it." 
 
 " I suppose, then, you have the true Scotch 
 love of dancing," continued Trevelyan, a sar- 
 castic smile passing over his countenance. 
 
 " No," replied Lord Herbert carelessly. " I
 
 TREVELYAN. 209 
 
 fear I am but a degenerate Scot, as I have 
 little taste for our national amusement, and 
 was attracted here merely by — -the bewitching 
 beauty of — the place, which is to me always 
 charming, and which I am sorry to say I am 
 obliged immediately to leave for our more 
 northern regions." 
 
 " Thank Heaven !" ejaculated Trevelyan to 
 himself. Whether Theresa added "Amen," 
 may be doubtful. 
 
 During this conversation, she had remained 
 standing at her guardian's side. Lord Herbert 
 as resolutely maintaining his place at her's, but 
 neither gentleman offered her his arm, and thus, 
 in continued embarrassment, they returned to 
 the dancing-room. When there, the trio still 
 stood for a few minutes together in silence : at 
 length Theresa, in a penitent, subdued, under- 
 tone, said to Trevelyan, " Will you not let me 
 take your arm ? I am very tired." 
 
 This sort of humble petition for reconcilia- 
 tion and forgiveness of an offence to which
 
 210 TREVELYAN. 
 
 neither could have given a name, and yet of 
 which both were fully sensible in their re- 
 spective situations of aggriever and aggrieved, 
 was irresistible. Trevelyan again looked on 
 her in kindness ; and, as she timidly raised 
 her conscious eyes towards him, the loveliest 
 smile brightened her countenance, on observing 
 that the expression in his had somewhat re- 
 laxed. 
 
 '^ If you are so very tired, and indeed you 
 appear to be so," said Trevelyan, • again looking 
 at her with contending feelings of hope and 
 fear, " had you not better sit down and rest ? 
 There is an empty couch, let us take possession 
 of it." 
 
 Theresa directly assented to his proposal, 
 and they repaired to the unoccupied seat, fol- 
 lowed however by Lord Herbert, who, having 
 professed that he knew no creature in the room, 
 seemed by that declaration to intimate his right 
 and intention not to leave Theresa's side. The 
 dance began and ended, and another and another
 
 TREVELYAN^ 211 
 
 followed; still there Lord Herbert remained 
 fixed ; sometimes, with most provoking perse- 
 verance, endeavouring to force Trevelyan into 
 friendly conversation, but oftener, under covert 
 of the music's noise, carrying on a sotto voce 
 discourse with Theresa, who again soon forgot 
 her guardian's presence. 
 
 Trevelyan at last could no longer endure 
 this trial of his temper and feelings, and, dis- 
 covering Lady Wilhams at no great distance, 
 he proposed joining her in the hope of thus 
 putting an end to the earnest whisperings of 
 his companions. He, informed her that The- 
 resa had no partner, and, the hint being imme- 
 diately taken, a disengaged young officer was 
 speedily found, too happy to obtain an introduc- 
 tion to the most beautiful girl in the room. The 
 usual forms on such occasions were soon gone 
 through, and as Theresa, little practised in the 
 ways of the world, had no ready excuse to 
 make, she was obliged to accept the prof- 
 fered hand, and arm, of her new acquauitance,
 
 212 TREVELYAN. 
 
 and with him to join the dancers. Lord Her- 
 bert then instantly disappeared ; and Trevel- 
 yan^ thoroughly vexed, and out of humour, 
 sat down by Lady Williams. 
 
 " These public balls are very bad things," 
 said he, after a pause of some minutes. " I 
 wonder you patronise them." 
 
 "If they were often repeated, they would 
 certainly become tiresome," replied Lady Wil- 
 liams, " but occasionally they are amusing 
 enough, from that very mixture of company 
 of which poor Mrs. Hopkins complains so 
 bitterly, for she was here this minute in a ter- 
 rible taking, because she spied out Simpson, 
 the retired upholsterer." 
 
 " Are you much acquainted with him ?" 
 continued Trevelyan, after another pause, dur- 
 ing which, instead of listening to Lady Wil- 
 liams, he had been ruminating on Lord Her- 
 bert's intimacy with Theresa. 
 
 " Much acquainted with him ?" rephed Lady 
 Williams laughing j " no, I cannot say we
 
 TREVELYAN. . 213 
 
 have had much intercourse since he furnished 
 my house twenty years ago." 
 
 Trevelyan stared. " I was talking of Lord 
 Herbert Leslie ;" said he, with some embar- 
 rassment, " have you known him long ?'* 
 
 " Lord Herbert Leslie ! w^hy I never heard 
 you name him ! No, I can't say I know 
 much of him, for we only made his acquaint- 
 ance this last summer. Sir Henry fell in with 
 him one day when he w^as fishing, and as you 
 know we accuse him of knowing everybody's 
 father," she added, laughing, " of course he 
 soon discovered that he had once been ac- 
 quainted with Lord Falkirk, and so he asked 
 Lord Herbert to dinner. But I don't know 
 w4th whom he is here to-night, for I was not 
 even aware of his being in this part of the 
 world, or I should certainly have proposed to 
 him to join our party, for he seems a parti- 
 cularly gentleman-like, agreeable young man." 
 
 Trevelyan made no remark on the commen- 
 datory part of Lady Williams's speech, and they
 
 214 TREVELYAN. 
 
 continued together in silence -, the former en- 
 tirely engrossed by his reflections, and the 
 latter in that sort of trance into which unfor- 
 tunate chaperons are luUed towards the close 
 of a ball. — For it was now growing late, the 
 two dances for which Theresa had been en- 
 gaged to the young officer were over, but she 
 had not returned ; another set was immediately 
 formed, still Theresa did not appear. 
 
 " It is long past one," said Lady Wilhams 
 to.her companion. " Don't you think we had 
 better go in search of Miss Howard, as it is 
 time to be thinking of going home," and they 
 were just leaving their seats for that purpose, 
 when Mrs. Hopkins came bustling towards 
 them, and in a prodigious fluster, addressing 
 Lady Williams. 
 
 ^' God bless you, my dear madam, do tell 
 me if you can, who that very genteel-looking- 
 young man is who is dancing with Miss 
 Howard, for it is so odd, nobody seems to 
 know him. There they are — that's him ;
 
 TREVELYAN. 215 
 
 the gentleman in black just going down the 
 middle." 
 
 " Oh, it is Lord Herbert Leslie," replied 
 Lady Williams. 
 
 Trevelyan started, and it was all he could do 
 to contain his vexation, for it was but too true 
 Theresa was again dancing with his rival. 
 
 " Bless me ! Lord Herbert Leslie !" ex- 
 claimed Mrs. Hopkins, apparently quite over- 
 powered by the inteUigence. " Where in the 
 v\-orld does he live ? where is he to be found ? 
 
 " I really cannot tell," replied Lady Wil- 
 liams ; " but if you have any particular reason 
 for wishing to know, perhaps I could find 
 out." 
 
 " Could you? Your ladyship would be 
 doing me an incalculal)le favour — for I was 
 thinking," continued Mrs. Hopkins, her eyes 
 still following Lord Herbert, as if fearful lest 
 such a prize might escape her — " I was think- 
 ing that it was a great pity now that I have my 
 nephew. Lord I^adbrook's eldest son, with me,
 
 216 TREVELYAN. 
 
 and that there are so many nice (lancers col- 
 lected together, not to do a little something, 
 and so I was thinking of a quiet hop at 
 my house to-morrow evening ; and first and 
 foremost, I came to request the pleasure of 
 your ladyship's and Sir Henry's company. 
 As for Colonel Trevelyan and Miss Howard, 
 they come of course, for next-door neighbours 
 should not even wait for an invitation, but pop 
 in and out of each other's houses whenever 
 they like." 
 
 Had Trevelyan's mind not been otherwise 
 engaged, this intimate popping proposal of 
 Mrs. Hopkins would have made his blood run 
 coldj but at that moment he thought of, he 
 saw, but Theresa, who, on her part, was evi- 
 dently too entirely engrossed by her partner to 
 bestow one thought on any thing else. 
 
 " Everybody seems delighted at my plan," 
 continued Mrs. Hopkins; " so I reaUy hope 
 we shall have a cheerful little evening, and as 
 I shall be too happy to see any friend of your
 
 TREVELYAN. 217 
 
 ladyship's or of Colonel Trevelyan's," she 
 added, again smiling at him, " I will request 
 you to be so good as distribute these cards 
 among your acquaintance ;" and Mrs. Hopkins 
 put into Lady Williams's hands a whole pack of 
 ^ Mrs. Hopkins at home — 2, Paragon — a little 
 early dance.' — '^ As for Lord Leslie Herbert," 
 she continued, " since you are so very intimate 
 with him, perhaps you will do me the favour of 
 introducing me to his lordship, and I will 
 then ask him myself in person ; and now I must 
 just step down to the bottom of the room to 
 secure Mr. Osboume of the Guards, and Cap- 
 tain Jones from Hounslow barracks ; I shall be 
 back directly, and pray keep your eye on Lord 
 Leslie." 
 
 " Really, Mrs. Hopkins," said Lady Wil- 
 Uams, now for the first time able to get in a 
 word, " I fear neither Sir Henry nor myself 
 are equal to such dissipation as a ball two 
 nights running, so you must excuse us." 
 
 *' Oh no, my dear Madam, I can hear of no 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 TREVELYAN. 
 
 excuses ; why, you will meet all your friends, 
 and perhaps, indeed, as it is so near, even 
 Miss Trevelyan may be tempted to look in 
 upon us,'' continued the persevering Mrs. Hop- 
 kins, " and that would indeed be an honour, 
 for I know she is a sad invalid ; but just next 
 door, she can't catch cold, and it will be quite 
 a quiet, comfortable sort of hop. I shall not 
 even take up the carpet, and mean only to have 
 Matthews to play on the piano, and tea and 
 cakes, and that sort of thing ; so that it will be 
 but a sort of refreshment after to-night, and 
 serve only to unstiffen the young folk ; and 
 really it would be such a pity to let so many 
 nice young men pass through one's fingers in a 
 manner, would'nt it ? And there is no saying 
 what another evening may bring about in a 
 certain quarter," added Mrs. Hopkins, looking 
 significantly towards Theresa and her partner, 
 " for every one says they never saw so decided 
 a flirtation as that seems to be. Dear, preserve 
 me ! there is Captain Jones going, I fear ; I
 
 TREVELYAN. 219 
 
 must just go and speak to him, so mind and 
 secure Lord Leslie f and oiF went Mrs. Hop- 
 kins smiling and nodding, as if she had re- 
 ceived the most cordial acquiescence to her 
 proposals. 
 
 Just then the music stopped, and Theresa, 
 with the downcast looks of a conscious criminal, 
 returned to her party, accompanied by Lord 
 Herbert. Lady Williams hinted at departure, 
 a proposal to which Theresa dared not, and 
 her guardian certainly wished not to object; 
 the carriage was accordingly called, and as 
 Lord Herbert still resolutely maintained his 
 place at his partner's side, Trevelyan was com- 
 pelled to relinquish to him the privilege of 
 escorting her, and in no very satisfied mood 
 followed the^rty^^own stairs._> Theresa said 
 little going home, and her guardian uttered 
 not a word \ but Sir Henry, always gay and 
 good-humoured, made up for their silence by 
 descanting largely upon the company, and 
 L 2
 
 220 TREVELYAN. 
 
 success of the ball. When they reached home, 
 Trevelyan got out first. 
 
 " As the guardian was present/* said Sir 
 Henry, laughing to Theresa, and detaining her 
 by the hand, " I had no responsibihty to-night ; 
 otherwise, little Miss Fhrt, you should not 
 have gone on at the rate you did — one, two, 
 three, four dances, to my knowledge, with a 
 certain gentleman that shall be nameless, be- 
 sides whisperings and coquettings in corners, 
 for I had my eye upon you all the time. 
 I now give you up as a bad job, and the 
 bargain between us is fairly broken : so good 
 night, sleep soundly, and do not dream of 
 Highland chieftains more than you can help." 
 
 Theresa, forcibly mthdrawing her hand, 
 hurried out of the carriage, and had reached 
 her own apartment long before Sir Henry had 
 ceased his jokes about poachers, highwaymen, 
 and hens with young ducks, to which Trevelyan 
 was of course obliged to listen, but which
 
 TREVELYAN. 221 
 
 were not calculated to improve either his spirits 
 or his temper. 
 
 When Theresa next morning went down to 
 breakfast, she found that her guardian had 
 finished his repast, and, very unhke his usual 
 habit, had already left the drawing-room. 
 
 ^^ Well, Theresa !" said Miss Trevelyan, as 
 soon as she appeared, " what accounts shall 
 I have of the ball from you ? I do not think 
 Frederick gives a very favourable report of his 
 night's amusement, but possibly you and he 
 may have seen it in a different light — so what 
 do you say ?" 
 
 '' Oh ! you know I never was at a ball be- 
 fore," replied Theresa, " so I can be no judge 
 whether it w£is good or bad." 
 
 " But did you like it ? Did you find it 
 what you had expected ? " 
 
 Theresa coloured. " Oh ! yes, I suppose 
 so " 
 
 " And you danced a good deal ? enquired 
 Miss Trevelyan. " Who were your partners ?"
 
 222 TREVERYAN. 
 
 " I really do not remember their names ; 
 Mrs. Hopkin's nephew was one, but I forget 
 what she called him." 
 
 " And I find you met with our aquatic friend, 
 whom we made acquaintanoe with at Sir 
 Henry WiUiams's," continued Miss Trevelyan. 
 " Lord Herbert LesHe, I mean. Did you not 
 dance with him ?" 
 
 " Yes, of course he asked me,'' said Tlieresa, 
 averting her face to conceal her stiU more 
 heightened colour. "He could hardly help 
 doing so, when we had spent a whole evening 
 together." 
 
 Miss Trevelyan smiled at her young friend's 
 hasty explanation of a circumstance which had 
 not been called in question, but at the same 
 time that she was amused by this voluntary 
 apology, it roused her suspicions, and she felt no 
 doubt that Lord Herbert's attentions had, by 
 flattering her vanity, again exclusively engrossed 
 her. Colonel Trevelyan's very visible depres- 
 sion also corroborated the idea^ for the ball had
 
 TREVELYAN. 223 
 
 evidently been no scene of pleasure to him, 
 although he had not had courage to inform 
 his sister of all that had passed, as he felt 
 that, by embodying his fears in words, he 
 should impart to them a reality from which he 
 still shrank in dismay. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan prudently said no more to 
 Theresa on the subject of her unacknowledged 
 admirer, for, even if her fancy had been again 
 for a minute captivated, or her young head 
 turned by his flattering attentions, still she 
 hoped it would prove but a passing fancy, as 
 she could hardly conceive it possible that any 
 one could really be preferred to her all-perfect 
 Frederick. She therefore resolved, instead of 
 lecturing Theresa, to take him to task for 
 thus allowing trifles to torment him, and to 
 advise him, by treating her flirtation with 
 his supposed rival as a mere joke, to make 
 her consider it in the same light herself. 
 This advice, however, she had no opportunity 
 to give, before they again all three met, which
 
 224 TREVELYAK 
 
 was not till dinner time, when scarcely a word 
 was uttered, either by her brother or his ward, 
 although Miss Trevelyan more than once gaily 
 rallied them on their ill-humour, endeavouring 
 to restore them to their wonted spirits. As 
 soon as the repast was over. Colonel Tre- 
 velyan, pleading particular business, fmme- 
 diately returned to his own apartment, and 
 did not again join them during the whole 
 evening, while Theresa, on her part, under pre- 
 text of reading a book, whose pages she for- 
 got to turn over, passed it in silent abstrac- 
 tion. 
 
 Before long the sounds of music proceeding 
 from the next house, announced that Mrs. 
 Hopkin's " little hop " had begun. But how it 
 succeeded, whether Captain Jones or Mr. 
 Osbourne of the guards were secured, and 
 whether Lord Herbert, in the hope of meeting 
 Theresa, made Mrs. Hopkins happy by joining 
 her party, is not known, as neither Colonel Tre- 
 velyan and his ward, nor sir Henry and Lady
 
 TREVELYAN. 225 
 
 Williams were present. Miss Trevelyan was 
 half inclined to think that her young compa- 
 nion's very evident dejection might be occasion- 
 ed by their near neighbourhood to an entertain- 
 ment of which she did not partake, and with her 
 usual unselfish kindness, she was on the point 
 of proposing to Theresa to accompany her to 
 Mrs. Hopkins ; but, just as she was summon- 
 ing courage for the effort, Theresa, with her 
 eyes red and heavy, and complaining of a vio- 
 lent head-ache, came to wish her good night, 
 declaring herself to be quite knocked up, and 
 that nothing but a good night's rest would 
 restore her. 
 
 " Indeed, I think you can do no better than 
 go to bed," said Miss Trevelyan, kindly kissing 
 her, "and I trust to-morrow I shall see you 
 quite yourself again ; if not," added she, smil- 
 ing, " I give notice I shall not allow you or 
 Frederick to go to any more balls, as they 
 seem to be so particularly unwholesome to both 
 mind and body." 
 
 L 5
 
 226 TREVELYAN. 
 
 The next morning, however, matters had 
 very little mended, for the same coldness and 
 reserve still continued, and a sudden death-blow 
 appeared to have been mysteriously given to the 
 cheerfulness of this once happy party, their 
 former confidence and affectionate sympathy 
 being exchanged for silence and even suspicion. 
 Trevelyan longed to speak openly to Theresa, 
 in order at once to ascertain the ti;uth, and to be 
 j relieved from the torturing doubts under which 
 \ he laboured ; but he still felt restrained by 
 his self-inflicted vow of silence, as he did not 
 not consider himself at liberty, even as a 
 guardian, to pry into her sentiments without 
 making a confession of his own ; besides, if 
 he had been hitherto restrained from any such 
 disclosures by honour, he was now still more 
 powerfully deterred by fear, as he dreaded an 
 explanation which might totally crush all his 
 fondest hopes. 
 
 Thus passed many days, Lord Herbert was 
 never named, nor did he ever appear. The
 
 TREVELYAN. 227 
 
 morning following the ball, he did indeed 
 call, while Trevelyan had strolled out in or- 
 der to cool his feverish head after a sleepless 
 night, but whether he then asked for the ladies 
 of the family never transpired; for old John 
 knew his duty too well to let any one in to 
 his mistress without positive orders, and Tre- 
 velyan on his return home, seeing his card ly- 
 ing on the hall-table, in a moment of irritation, 
 and without asking any questions, threw it 
 hastily into the fire, and thus prevented its ever 
 reaching the drawing-room. Theresa, there- 
 fore, remained in total ignorance of Lord Her- 
 bert's endeavour to follow up his acquaintance 
 with her ; and this seeming neglect on his part 
 probably piqued her vanity, for by degrees 
 the impression which his flattering attentions 
 had evidently made upon her imagination, 
 seemed to wear off ; and, as her smiles gra- 
 dually returned, with them returned Tre- 
 velyan's spirits and good -humour. Thus insen- 
 sibly, as time passed on, the guardian and ward
 
 228 TREVELYAN. 
 
 resumed their former social habits, and once 
 more were Theresa's joyous laugh and melo- 
 dious voice heard gladdening their fire-side, but 
 still they could not return to that happy open 
 confidence which had formerly existed between 
 them, and in which the happiness of both 
 seemed then to consist. 
 
 Theresa's timid altered manner, which Tre- 
 velyan had a short time back fancied to be- 
 token feelings the most congenial to his own, 
 now pained and irritated him as a proof of dis- 
 Uke to himself, in consequence of preference 
 to another ; and if, still at times deluded by 
 his passion, he momentarily gave way to hope, 
 it was of too feeble, too transient, a nature to 
 subdue his apprehensions, and therefore only 
 increased the nervous excitement in which he 
 lived. He had on principle tutored his tongue, 
 but he could not exercise equal power over 
 his eyes, and he was well aware that they 
 often spoke a language which now could not 
 possibly be mistaken by Theresa ; but yet he
 
 TREVELYAN. 229 
 
 hardly knew how to interpret the downcast 
 looks and varying colour with which she rephed 
 to it, or what meaning to give to the deep-drawn 
 sighs which he observed invariably to follow 
 these their silent conversations.
 
 230 TREVELYAN. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Meanwhile the generous glowing breast. 
 Where nature mail's high name imprest. 
 
 Where honour tramples fraud ; 
 Superior to the sing-song lyre. 
 Shall swell in secret, as the choir 
 
 Deludingly applaud. Old Song. 
 
 The severity of the winter was now over, 
 and one day towards the end of February, 
 Trevelyan received the following letter from 
 his uncle Lord Launceston. 
 
 " My dear Frederick, — Of course you 
 are aivare that on the 26th of next month my 
 son comes of age. It is my particular wish to 
 celebrate this event ^^'ith all the distinction
 
 TREVELYAN. 231 
 
 which I consider to be due to the future head 
 of our family, and, flattering myself that you 
 and my niece have inherited with the name a 
 sufficient share of the old fashioned aristocratic 
 feeling of the House of Trevelyan, to be in- 
 clined to make some exertion for the sake 
 of doing honour to your cousin, I am induced 
 to hope that neither the length of the journey 
 nor Miss Trevelyan's delicacy of health, will 
 deprive us of the pleasure of your company at 
 Trevelyan Castle on that auspicious day. 
 
 '^ St. Ives is anxious to make your ac- 
 quaintance, and I think I may venture to 
 promise you some degree of personal grati- 
 fication in his, since, independently of any feel- 
 ings of parental partiality, he is generally con- 
 sidered, I am proud to say, as bidding fair 
 to be a worthy representative of the distin- 
 guished, indeed I may add, historical family 
 of Trevelyan ; my neighbours both in this 
 and the adjoining county, (in which you know 
 I have also much property), have all expressed
 
 232 TREVELYAN. 
 
 the pleasure with which they will obey my 
 summons, and of course all my relations and 
 connexions will attend on the 26th. So that 
 you will find no contemptible party to meet 
 you. 
 
 " As I learn that my niece still retains with 
 her that young person whom she has, I must 
 say, so injudiciously, taken under her pro- 
 tection, and understanding that she does not 
 like to be long absent from home on her 
 account, I beg to include her in the invitation, 
 as I trust you and your sister vnW make us 
 a visit proportionable in length to the journey 
 you have to take. Augusta begs her kind 
 remembrances to you and her cousin — and I 
 am your sincere 
 
 " Lauxceston." 
 
 This letter might have been considered bv 
 many, less acquainted with the peculiarities of 
 Lord Launceston's character than Trevelyan, 
 as an affront rather than a civilit}^, for it cer-
 
 TREVELYAN. 233 
 
 tainly appeared by it as if he thought the 
 honour and gratification to result from the pro- 
 posed meeting between the relatives would be 
 entirely on the side of Colonel Trevelyan and 
 his sister. But the former was well aware that, 
 when dwelling thus on his own importance, 
 distinctions, and possessions, his uncle meant 
 to do honour to those who had the good for- 
 tune to be so nearly allied to him, and he also 
 felt, that it was impossible, without very 
 good reasons, to refuse compliance with Lord 
 Launceston's wishes on such an occasion. But 
 at the same time that he made up his mind 
 to accept the invitation, he resolved upon 
 not going alone, as he was quite determined 
 that he would not a second time leave Theresa 
 at the mercy of highwaymen and river-pirates. 
 The ungracious manner in which she was 
 named by Lord Launceston was what most 
 irritated his feelings and his pride ; but, si- 
 tuated as he was, he had but a choice of 
 evils, and he therefore preferred overlooking
 
 234 TREVELYAN. 
 
 the affront both for hunself and Theresa, to 
 parting with his precious charge. It was no 
 easy task to persuade Miss Trevelyan to accede 
 to this proposed journey into Cornwall, for her 
 health was so much impaired, and her spirits 
 were in consequence so weak, that she shrank 
 from such exertions, dreading every thing 
 which disturbed the monotonous repose of her 
 life ; but Trevelyan urged his suit so vehe- 
 mently, representing in such strong terms what 
 was due from them to their uncle, and the 
 great advantage that might accrue to Theresa 
 from the good will of Lord Launceston and 
 his daughter, which he was sure could not 
 fail to be the consequence of their acquaint- 
 ance with her, that Miss Trevelyan, who was 
 the most unselfish of mortals, at length gave 
 way. 
 
 Theresa was duly informed of this general 
 invitation from Lord Launceston and Lady 
 Augusta, and of the intention of accepting it, 
 without, however, being permitted to peruse
 
 TREVELYAN. 235 
 
 the letter itself. She did not appear, at first, 
 at all to rejoice at this projected expedition, 
 as neither the aristocratic father, nor his well- 
 educated daughter, had found particular favour 
 in her eyes, and she therefore anticipated 
 little pleasure in the intended visit; but, 
 when Trevelyan mentioned that Lord Laun- 
 ceston's object in collecting all his friends 
 and relations together on the 26th was to 
 celebrate his son's coming of age, and that a 
 large party, and gay doings would in conse- 
 quence take place, Theresa seemed on a sudden 
 to see the aifair in a new light, and now, 
 instead of bringing forward difiiculties and ob- 
 jections, she assisted her guardian in over- 
 coming those of his sister. 
 
 Time was, when Trevelyan would have 
 boldly inquired into the secret cause of such 
 a sudden change of inclination ; time was when 
 Theresa herself would have volunteered reveal- 
 ing her motives — when, indeed, Trevelyan 
 would have read them in her open heart, and
 
 ^36 TREVELYAN. 
 
 artless countenance without the help of expla- 
 natory words — ^but such delightful confidence 
 no longer existed between them. Indeed, Tre- 
 velyan himself now as carefully shunned all 
 such explanations as Theresa appeared to elude 
 them. And at last^ after in vain seeking in his 
 own mind some reason for her present un- 
 looked-for zeal and anxiety on the subject, he 
 (although not without a sigh at thus detecting 
 in her character a degree of frivolity to which 
 he had thought her superior) attributed her 
 apparent strong anticipation of pleasure in 
 this visit solely to that love of amusement 
 and novelty, which is, after all, but natural in 
 youth; and ended by rejoicing at the bright 
 smiles and joyous spirits which, indicating, he 
 hoped, an unscathed heart, once more cheered 
 his soul. 
 
 Thus, in restored gaiety and good humour, 
 the guardian and ward set off on their expe- 
 dition to Cornwall. Miss Trevelyan's spirits 
 could not at all keep pace with those of
 
 TREVELYAN. 237 
 
 her two companions. She had not been at 
 Trevelyan Castle since quite a girl, the un- 
 fortunate coolness between her father and Lord 
 Launceston having put an end to all friendly 
 intercourse between the families for many 
 years previous to the death of the former; 
 and as she drew near the end of her journey, 
 and each, once well-known hill, valley, and 
 turn of road met her eye, she became more and 
 more affected. How strange ! how dreamy 1 
 are our feehngs when we thus, after an inter- 
 val of many years, revisit the haunt of our 
 first youth. Every inanimate object so pre- 
 cisely the same, and yet every thing (and most 
 of all ourselves) so changed ! 
 
 To one as prone " to chew the cud of sad re- 
 flection" as Miss Trevelyan, this return, at 
 forty-five, to what had been to her a second 
 home when fifteen, could not fail to produce 
 abstraction and depression. The forms of 
 parents, sisters, friends (now all mouldering 
 in the dust), who had once been the inhabi-
 
 238 TREVELYAN. 
 
 tants of that home which she now saw filled 
 by another race, rose up before her in sad 
 array — intervening years and events all va- 
 nished, and, as she entered each weU-remem- 
 bered apartment, she unconsciously looked 
 round for those who had formerly occupied 
 them, and could almost have fancied she heard 
 their voices, recognised their very footsteps. 
 Thus wholly engrossed by the recollections of 
 by-gone years, her mind was at liberty to 
 attend to what was passing around her, nor 
 could she for long bring herself to feel any 
 degree of companionship with those by whom 
 she was then surrounded. 
 
 Lady Augusta was courteous to all, because 
 it was right and proper that she, as mistress 
 of the house, should be hospitable, but as 
 such attentions appeared to be rather the 
 effects of calculation than of feeling, they were 
 generally bestowed in exact proportion to the 
 claims which her guests had upon her ci\dlity, 
 either in consequence of their rank or consan-
 
 TREVELYAN. 239 
 
 guinity. Her welcome of her cousin Colonel 
 Trevelyan was of course particularly flattering, 
 and his sister, being likewise one of her nearest 
 relations, also came in for an unusual share of 
 her kindness ; but as for poor Theresa, a cold, 
 distant curtesy was all she obtained. Lady Au- 
 gusta having, to all appearance, in her recep- 
 tion of the despised orphan, followed the ex- 
 ample set by Lord Launceston, who after 
 shaking his nephew and niece heartily by the 
 hand, turned formally to Theresa, and inquir- 
 ing in a very audible whisper of Trevelyan her 
 name, which he affected to have forgotten, 
 dryly " hoped Miss Howard was well/' 
 
 At the sight of Theresa's confusion Tre- 
 velyan had nearly again darted out at the 
 hall-door, but, certain that before long all this 
 proud systematic coldness would give way to 
 the charm of her beauty and manner, he re- 
 solved to take all in good part; and lecture his 
 sensitive charge with regard to exercising the 
 same forbearance herself. The fatigue of the 
 journey, and the still more fatiguing bustle of
 
 240 TREVELYAN. 
 
 a large assemblage of company, affected Miss 
 Trevelyan's health so much, that she was be- 
 fore long compelled to seek quiet and repose 
 in the solitude of her own apartment ; for the 
 party collected at the castle was already nume- 
 rous, although neither the hero of the moment, 
 young Lord St. Ives, nor many a still expected 
 guest, had yet arrived. 
 
 This indisposition of Miss Trevelyan, which 
 confined her for several days, naturally threw 
 her brother and his ward still more together 
 than they otherwise would have been, for she 
 now clung to him as to her only friend. To 
 him she addressed all her observations, to him 
 confided all her little distresses. He was her 
 constant companion in their walks, her squire 
 in their rides ; and when her speaking eyes in- 
 vited him to the seat next to her at dinner, he, 
 nothing loth, obeyed their bewitching summons, 
 often relinquishing for it the place dlionneur 
 at his cousin's side, in seemingly total uncon- 
 sciousness of her very decided partialit)^ 
 And this additional degree of intercourse,
 
 TREVELYAN. 241 
 
 with her guardian, into which Theresa was by 
 circumstances thrown on their first arrival at 
 Trevelyan Castle, she seemed voluntarily to 
 continue even after her peculiarly prepossessing 
 manners and appearance had interested every 
 one (excepting Lady Augusta) in her favour. 
 For a very short time had elapsed before 
 she had many an admirer, and might have had 
 many a declared lover, had she given them 
 any encouragement ; but such admiration, in- 
 stead of gratifying, seemed rather to annoy, 
 and its only eiFect was to provoke her ridicule, 
 and induce her to avoid those who professed 
 it. In short, Trevelyan, the now again happy 
 Trevelyan, appeared to be the only being who 
 found favour in her eyes, the only one whose 
 attentions did not seem to be positively dis- 
 agreeable to her. With what pleasure did he 
 then listen to his sister's raillery on his former 
 jealous fancies, and her fond encomiums on her 
 young charge for being thus superior to that 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 242 TREVELYAN. 
 
 heartless vanity which ever aims at inspiring 
 feelings that cannot be returned. 
 
 Had Trevelyan, however, had courage to exa- 
 mine the ground on which his present happi- 
 ness rested, he would have been forced to 
 acknowledge to himself that his hopes were 
 built but on an unsteady foundation. For kind, 
 friendly, and communicative as Theresa was 
 now to him, yet he could not but be aware 
 that even in his seemingly preferred society 
 she was not happy. Her lately restored gaiety, 
 had gradually died away; she was often for 
 hours silent and abstracted, while a certain 
 restlessness of look and manner plainly indi- 
 cated the constant expectation of a something 
 which was never realized ; and if at first the 
 Richmond ball had fallen short of what she had 
 anticipated, still more did the visit to Tre- 
 velyan Castle appear to have ended in disap- 
 pointment. 
 . Above a week had now elapsed since their
 
 TREVELYAN. 243 
 
 arrival, each day having brought some change 
 or addition to the society at the castle, but 
 Lord St. Ives had not yet made his appear- 
 ance, being still at a friend's house in the 
 neighbourhood. At last, one afternoon, when 
 the whole party had gone up stairs to dress 
 for dinner, a carriage drove up to the door, 
 and on enquiring of his servant what new 
 visiters were come, Trevelyan was informed 
 that it was the young heir and two other 
 gentlemen with him. As soon as he was 
 dressed, Trevelyan hastened down stairs in 
 order to be introduced to his cousin, whom 
 he had not seen since he was quite a child. 
 
 He had not been in the drawing-room long, 
 before the door leading from Lord Launces- 
 ton's private apartment opened, and the father 
 and son entered arm-in-arm. " Well, here he 
 is— here he is !" exclaimed the former as he 
 exultingly looked around for the congratula- 
 tions of all his friends. " And first and fore- 
 most, Frederick," said he, beckoning to Tre- 
 
 M 2
 
 244 TREVELYAN. 
 
 velyan, " come here to me, that I may regu- 
 larly introduce you to my boy." 
 
 The cousins heartily shook hands, and said 
 and did all that cousins should or could say 
 and do on such an occasion. " Now, have 
 I said too much about him?" demanded the 
 proud parent, as he observed a smile of satis- 
 faction on Trevelyan's countenance, " and I 
 assure you the more you know of him the 
 more you will approve." 
 
 " Oh ! spare me, my dear sir," said St. 
 Ives, '^ it is really not fair to begin by making 
 my relations laugh at me, and now that Colonel 
 Trevelyan and I are acquainted, allow me to 
 introduce my two friends to you ;" and so 
 saying he went in search of his companions, 
 while Trevelyan turned to speak to Mr. Pen- 
 rh)Ti, a distant connection of the Launceston 
 family, who had also arrived that afternoon 
 at the castle. 
 
 They were discussing the young heir's ap- 
 pearance, prospects, and attainments, when
 
 TREVELYAN. 245 
 
 suddenly a name caught Trevelyan's attention, 
 which seemed instantly to act like an electric 
 shock upon all his senses ; he turned hastily 
 round in hopes that his ears might have de- 
 ceived him, but was not allowed to doubt an 
 other minute, for, as his eyes searched eagerly 
 in the direction from which the sound had pro- 
 ceeded, they fell on the dreaded Lord Herbert 
 Leshe, whom St. Ives was at that moment pre- 
 senting to his father. Theresa herself did not 
 start more violently on recognising him at the 
 Richmond baU than Trevelyan did now. In 
 vain Mr. Penrhyn continued addressing him ; 
 he heard not a word but continued staring 
 at his hated rival in stupified vexation. Lord 
 Herbert at length turned towards Trevelyan, 
 and, immediately recognising him, accosted him 
 with the familiarity of an acknowledged ac- 
 quaintance. 
 
 " I believe you two need no introduction," 
 said St. Ives, who had, with some surprise, 
 observed Trevelyan to draw back, " for I
 
 246 TREVELYAN. 
 
 understand you and my friend Leslie have 
 met before at Richmond." 
 
 Trevelyan murmured something about the 
 pleasure and honour of a former acquaintance, 
 but the words seemed to stick in his throat. 
 
 " You have been here some time, I believe,'' 
 said Lord Herbert, with most provoking ease 
 of manner. " I too hoped to have come much 
 sooner, but St. Ives is so dreadfully popular, 
 it was impossible to get him away from his 
 friends before. Miss Howard is quite well, I 
 trust, for I believe she accompanied you into 
 ComwaU?" 
 
 Trevelyan dryly assented, and then, taking 
 the first opportunity to disengage himself from 
 his companion, fell back into a more distant 
 part of the room, in order to compose his 
 agitated feelings, and also, unobserved, to judge 
 of the effect produced upon his ward by this 
 unexpected appearance of her admirer. 
 
 Before long she entered, accompanied by 
 Miss Trevelyan. As her quick eyes eagerly
 
 TREVELYAN. 247 
 
 glanced round the room, they immediately fell 
 upon Lord Herbert, and in their unequivocal 
 expression Trevelyan read the death-warrant 
 to all his happiness. So violent was the agita- 
 tion occasioned by this sudden apparition, that, 
 for an instant, the blood entirely forsook The- 
 resa's cheeks, but when Lord Herbert, on re- 
 cognizing her, instantly hastened to her side 
 it returned with a glow such as Trevelyan had 
 never before witnessed. — His heart sickened — 
 his head became confused — and he stood fixed 
 in his place, unconscious of every thing around 
 him. 
 
 He was at last roused from this painful 
 trance by the announcement of dinner, and 
 mechanically followed the rest into the adjoin- 
 ing apartment. Whether Theresa that day 
 looked round for her usual companion we 
 cannot tell, but when Trevelyan, in fearful 
 anxiety to ascertain his fate, glanced his 
 eyes round the table, he beheld her at the 
 further end. Lord Herbert at her side, and
 
 248 TREVELYAN. 
 
 her countenance brilliant with happiness. 
 Once^ and but once, during dinner, their eyes 
 met; — a burning blush instantly confessed 
 that Theresa was aware of all that his 
 might say' — that she merited their keenest 
 reproaches. And, in that one hasty glance, 
 they who but a few hours before had appeared 
 to live only for each other now seemed by mu- 
 tual consent to take a final leave ; for Tre- 
 velyan never again looked towards her, nor 
 ever, during the evening which followed, ap- 
 proached the spot where she was; Lord 
 Herbert the while so entirely and determi- 
 nately monopohsing her societ)', that, even had 
 she wished for any intercourse with another, it 
 would have been next to impossible. 
 
 What a change had those few hours made in 
 Trevelyan's existence ! He had risen that 
 morning, welcoming with gratitude the sun 
 which was to shine on Theresa's beloved coun- 
 tenance, counting the hours of ecstasy which 
 he was to pass at her side; and ere that sun had
 
 TREVELYAN. 249 
 
 set, all his hopes of happiness seemed about to 
 set for ever with it, and to leave him in the 
 darkness of despair. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan was not blind to all that 
 was now passing: she had with pain ob- 
 served Theresa's emotion on the appearance of 
 Lord Herbert, and, although inexperienced 
 in such matters, she began to suspect that he 
 had made a deeper impression on her young 
 friend's heart than she had before been willing 
 to think possible. But still she trusted to her 
 brother's undoubted superiority and to the 
 power which he had evidently gained over his 
 ward's better feelings. 
 
 Each day, each hour, however, which now 
 passed, instead of lessening her fears only con- 
 firmed them. She tried every expedient to 
 interrupt the intercourse between Theresa and 
 her lover, and attract her attention to other 
 objects; but it is as easy to stop the impe- 
 tuous course of a mountain-torrent as to check 
 that of passion, when once the soul has un- 
 awares yielded to its influence.
 
 250 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan even ventured so far as to 
 speak to the infatuated girl on the subject, 
 warning her to be on her guard against a spe- 
 cies of admiration, which, often prompted by 
 the mere vanity of him who professes it, only 
 lures into mortification and misery the un- 
 conscious dupe to whom it is addressed. But 
 to all this Theresa listened with impatient 
 increduhty 5 her heart told her a very different 
 tale, and, impelled by a fascination which she 
 was both unwilling and unable to resist, she 
 each day became more and more entangled in 
 the snare, and more estranged from him whose 
 whole soul was devoted to her, and whose 
 heart she was breaking. Of this Theresa could 
 not now but be aware, for one single page 
 in the history of love, when perused by our- 
 selves, teaches us volumes as to the feehngs of 
 others. He too, whom she was thus afflict- 
 ing, was one, who until her every feeling was 
 engrossed by a more powerful sentiment, had 
 been the object of her dearest affections, her 
 warmest gratitude, and most ardent admira-
 
 TREVELYAN. 251 
 
 tion ; one for whose happiness she would have 
 fancied, she could have sacrificed her own, 
 and whose altered suffering countenance, when- 
 ever it met her eye, spoke daggers to her heart, 
 even while her deluded ear rang with Lord 
 Herbert's professions. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan often sought opportunities 
 to speak to her brother, but he shunned all 
 conversation with her, nearly as much as 
 with Theresa, for, although what he most 
 dreaded was hearing from her lips a confirma- 
 tion of his fears, yet in his present state of 
 mind, he felt that even their contradiction 
 would irritate his feelings. He, therefore, 
 in order to avoid as much as possible all inter- 
 course with those who had but a short time 
 back formed his whole felicity, took violently 
 to every species of country-sport, and thus, 
 in desperation, abandoned the field to his rival.
 
 i^52 TREVELYAN. 
 
 CHAPTER IX, 
 
 The crew with many a mimic strain. 
 Will mock, perchance, his honest pain ; 
 
 And thou, bewildered thou. 
 Drunk with the cup thou long'st to taste. 
 Ruled by thine evil planet, haste 
 To spurn a precious vow. 
 
 Old Song. 
 
 The whole scene and society at Trevelyan 
 Castle seemed on a sudden to be as much 
 changed since the arrival of Lord St. Ives 
 and his young companions, as Trevelyan 
 himself, and the part which he played in it. 
 Lady Augusta, as mistress of the house, 
 was attentive to the amusement of her guests, 
 but, beyond driving them out in the morn-
 
 TREVELYAN. 253 
 
 ing, and setting them down to cards in the 
 evening, she had Uttle power of entertaining 
 them, and the party had, in consequence, 
 hitherto been dull and formal enough. But 
 now all was life and gaiety; every possible 
 game and pastime was immediatly set a-go- 
 ing, and the evening generally closed with music 
 and dancing. Augusta had always before, 
 herself made up her father's whist-party, but 
 her brother, ridiculing her old-fashioned 
 gravity, and insisting on her joining the 
 dancers, she at last applied to Trevelyan to 
 take her place at the card-table. To refuse 
 was impossible; besides, in his present me- 
 lancholy mood, he rather welcomed an occu- 
 pation which afforded him an excuse for silence 
 and abstraction. 
 
 Many an evening, therefore, did Trevelyan 
 now thus pass, fixed at his post, while Theresa, 
 in the adjoining room, was freely partaking of 
 that gaiety with which all but himself seemed 
 inspired. At times, when his ear caught the
 
 254 TREVELYAN. 
 
 sounds of her well-known voice, or he heard 
 that joyous laugh which had once cheered his 
 very soul, forgetting for a moment all that had 
 occurred, he still experienced a passing thrill 
 of deUght; but such flattering illusions were 
 soon dispelled, and a deep-drawn sigh was ge- 
 nerally the sad echo to her hght-hearted merri- 
 ment. 
 
 One evening, while the usual whist-party 
 was going on in the inner drawing-room, 
 the dancing in the next seemed suddenly 
 to cease, and at length, even the din of 
 voices dying away, scarcely a sound was to 
 be heard. 
 
 "Why, surely St. Ives must be gone to 
 sleep," said Lord Launceston, " and I suppose 
 the whole party has followed his example, for 
 I have not heard the house so quiet since his 
 arrival. What can they be all about ?" 
 
 In an instant, however, Theresa's rich melo- 
 dious voice, carolling the Neapolitan " Barca- 
 rola,'' broke the silence. At the first well-
 
 TREVELYAN. 255 
 
 known chord of that song, Trevelyan gave 
 such a sudden and violent start, that his hand 
 actually sounded on the table. 
 
 "Why, my dear Colonel, what are you 
 about?" said Lord Launceston. "It is not 
 your turn, for you know you are last in 
 hand." 
 
 Trevelyan, much confused, hastily took up 
 his card, but the next moment being called 
 upon to play, he again laid it down, without 
 having ever looked at it, or even noticed 
 those already on the board." 
 
 " What ! no trumps, Frederick ?" again ex- 
 claimed Lord Launceston, who was his jDartner. 
 " That's very strange ! And now I think of 
 it you must have one, for you were dealer, 
 and this is the first time they have been led ;" 
 and Lord Launceston looked in much astonish- 
 ment at the perturbed countenance of his 
 nephew, who in vain endeavoured, by pressing 
 his hand on his brow, to collect his wandering 
 thoughts, for still those cruel notes rang in
 
 256 TREVELYAN. 
 
 his ears, and seemed to deprive him of his 
 senses. 
 
 "I suspect you have knocked yourself up 
 shooting, Colonel," continued his uncle, " for I 
 understand you have been out all day, and this 
 passion is new, 1 think, for I do not remember 
 that you used to be so keen a sportsman ; in- 
 deed, till St. Ives came, you appeared con- 
 tented with the more quiet occupation of gal- 
 lanting the ladies out riding. But I suspect," 
 he added laughing, 'Hhat Miss Howard has 
 found another squire — ^hey ? It is no business 
 of mine," he continued, "but I must say I 
 think your young lady seems to be but a dange- 
 rous sort of person in society, as she appears 
 to have a prodigious turn for what is called 
 flirting." 
 
 Trevelyan said nothing, pretending to be 
 whoUy engrossed by the game, but continued 
 to make all sorts of strange blunders. 
 
 "Well, my good friend," said liis uncle to 
 him when the party brolj^ up, " I certainly can-
 
 TREVELYAN. 257 
 
 not compliment you on your skill at cards to- 
 night, and yet, I should say, that whist is a sort 
 of hereditary game in our family. My father 
 was a capital player, and I must confess I 
 think it a very gentlemanlike amusement, and 
 one in which no one need be ashamed to 
 excel. But come, let us now go and see 
 what these madcaps are doing in the next 
 room/' 
 
 So saying, Lord Launceston took his ne- 
 phew's arm, and led him towards the piano- 
 forte, at which Theresa was still seated, Lord 
 Herbert at her side. This was more than Tre- 
 velyan could endure, and suddenly disengag- 
 ing himself from his uncle, he left the apart- 
 ment before the gay songstress was even aware 
 of his presence. 
 
 In the hall he was met by his sister — she 
 eagerly came up to him, and taking his arm, 
 " Come to my room, Frederick," said she, 
 " for I want to speak to you, and I never now 
 can find an opportunity."
 
 -'00 TREVELYAN. 
 
 " I know what you would say/' said he, 
 drawing away. " I know it all but too well, 
 so spare me, I implore you." Still Miss Tre- 
 velyan urged him to a few minutes' conversa- 
 tion, and he at last compHed. 
 
 " Frederick," said she, as soon as they had 
 reached her apartment, "let us immediately 
 return to Richmond — I see the misery you 
 are enduring. But, perhaps, it may still not 
 be too late ; for beheve me, it is but a momen- 
 tary infatuation, which will pass away, and be 
 forgotten; and indeed, I must say, you are 
 yourself very much to blame, for why do you 
 so entirely mthdraw yourself, and quietly 
 abandon Theresa to your rival ?" 
 
 '' Because, Louisa," said he, with veliemence, 
 '' my heart is too proud to dispute her's with 
 another — too weak to combat with her very 
 evident partiality for that other. Besides, what 
 can I say to her, of which she is not fully 
 aware already. I surely need not now tell her 
 what she must long since have read in my every
 
 TREVELYAN. 259 
 
 look and action — that my whole soul — my very 
 existence is her's. Is such an affection as mine 
 to be expressed by common-place flattery and 
 empty protestations ? No, no, if her own 
 heart does not yet plead for me, it is useless 
 to plead for myself/* 
 
 " Then let us immediately leave this place," 
 said Miss Trevelyan, hastily interrupting him, 
 '^ and rescue Theresa from the danger to which 
 she is exposed; I will make any excuse you 
 like for returning home — plead illness — take it 
 all, in short, on myself." 
 
 " No," repHed Trevelyan, " we cannot possi- 
 bly go away till after the celebration of St. 
 Ives' birthday; but that event will now take 
 place in a very few days — ^and then — Heaven 
 knows what then may happen !" 
 
 " Oh ! Theresa will then soon forget all 
 this bewildering adulation," resumed Miss 
 Trevelyan ; " her head is certainly at this mi- 
 nute turned by it, yet I cannot but hope that 
 her natural good sense will finally get the
 
 260 TREVELYAN. 
 
 better, and that this foohsh fancy of her's will 
 again die away, as it did before, when no 
 longer in Lord Herbert's society ; for after all 
 it is merely one of those passing flirtations 
 into which any inexperienced girl may be 
 drawn." 
 
 "No, Louisa, no," rejoined Trevelyan with 
 quickness ; " it is no passing flirtation ; would 
 to heaven I could hope it were ! I could almost 
 add, would to heaven I could think so poorly of 
 her as to beheve it to be possible ! but I can 
 read her very inmost soul, and there trace but 
 too plainly the strong, the indehble characters 
 of passion." 
 
 And Trevelyan was right — ^Theresa was no 
 flirt. She was too artless even to attempt to 
 conceal with what heartfelt pleasure she re- 
 ceived Lord Herbert's attentions, but she as 
 decidedly showed she cared for no other. And 
 her vanity had been put to many a trial ; for 
 even St. Ives, captivated by her beauty and 
 fascinating manners, soon entered the Usts
 
 TREVELYAN. 261 
 
 against his friend, and so boldly, that many a 
 bet was laid that the light-hearted young heir 
 of all those rich domains would undoubtedly 
 remain conqueror. 
 
 But those who thus judged of Theresa by 
 the common calculations of the world had to 
 pay for their want of discernment, for, after 
 a short ineffectual contest, St. Ives, in despair 
 of success, rehnquished the prize to his more 
 favoured antagonist, and thus relieved his 
 father from the most dreadful anxiety; for, 
 ever on the watch with regard to what con- 
 cerned his family importance. Lord Launces 
 ton had soon taken alarm on observing his 
 son's admiration for the illegitimate orphan, 
 and was beginning to tremble for the as 
 yet untainted Right Honourable blood of the 
 Trevelyans. 
 
 The day at length arrived on which the 
 young heir's majority was to be celebrated; 
 the sun shone with peculiar brightness, the 
 bells rang gaily, and from early mom all was
 
 262 TREVELYAN. 
 
 preparation and bustle. The tenants and their 
 famihes were to partake of a plentiful repast 
 on the lawn before the house, where tents 
 had been pitched for that purpose. Oxen 
 were roasted whole, barrels of ale flowed in all 
 directions, and, in short, every species of old 
 English hospitality and profusion, usual on 
 such occasions, was liberally displayed. By 
 two o'clock the whole front of the house, pre- 
 sented a gay scene of joy and festivity, all the 
 company then at the castle being assembled on 
 the great flight of steps to witness the sight. 
 As soon as the solid part of the repast was over, 
 the health of the young heir was of course 
 drunk with three times three and every de- 
 monstration of joy. As Lord Launceston heard 
 the shouts of all around, and felt in conse- 
 quence that emotion which a parent must on 
 such occasions feel, he, unwilling to attribute the 
 general enthusiasm in any degree to the eff'ects 
 of beef and ale, seemed to forget that there 
 were other peers, or heirs to peerages, besides
 
 TREVELYAN. 263 
 
 himself and his son, and in fancied superiority 
 looked proudly around for the congratula- 
 tions of his friends, and the adulation of his 
 dependents ; in short, to use the phraseology 
 of the East, the loud hurras entering in at the 
 gate of his titles, proceeded up the long avenue 
 of his ancestors and thus reaching his heart, 
 brought tears to his eyes. Of course the 
 health of Lord Launceston and the Lady Au- 
 gusta followed, and were noticed with due 
 honours . 
 
 A pause then took place in the toast-giving 
 business of the day; and St. Ives, leaving 
 his father's side, joined the party in the tent, 
 where, after a short parley between him and 
 the land-steward, who had hitherto presided at 
 the festive board, he took his place at the head 
 of the table. All now looked with encreased 
 spirit to their young Lord. " Come, my 
 friends," said he, " a bumper up to the brim, 
 for I am going to give you a toast, in which I am 
 sure you will all most heartily join." There
 
 264 TREVELYAN. 
 
 was a moment's dead silence, St. Ives holding 
 his glass in the air. Then, while his cheek 
 crimsoned with emotion, he called aloud — 
 
 " Colonel Trevelyan, and the brave army of 
 England V' 
 
 Whether the additional glasses of good home- 
 brewed ale which had been quaiFed since the 
 last health was given had added to the 
 general excitement, or whether the hearts of 
 Englishmen are always most powerfully af- 
 fected by any reference to the services of their 
 gallant countrymen, we cannot pretend to say, 
 but the cheers which followed this toast were 
 still more loud, more reiterated, and more 
 enthusiastic, than any of those which had pre- 
 ceded it, and young St. Ives, now standing on 
 his chair, encouraged the joyous din by his 
 hearty vehemence. Every inhabitant of the 
 castle and neighbourhood having been assem- 
 bled, in order to be present at this long- 
 looked-for f^te, Theresa and Trevelyan were of 
 course both among the number, and as these
 
 TREVELYAN. 265 
 
 shouts rent the air, forgetting in the pride of 
 the moment what had lately occurred, and 
 her heart swelling with grateful aiFection to- 
 wards the object of all this enthusiasm, Theresa 
 instinctively looked round towards her guardian. 
 Their eyes met — ^his too were moistened by 
 emotion — ^but his cheek was pale, his lip 
 quivered, and, shrinking hastily back among 
 the crowd, he disappeared in a moment. 
 
 " Where is he ? where is Colonel Trevelyan ?" 
 shouted the gay St. Ives. " What a shabby 
 dog not to show himself, and face his well- 
 deserved honours ! A price on his head ; dead 
 or alive bring him before me." 
 
 But no Trevelyan appeared, and he was 
 searched for in vain. 
 
 " I know this is quite according to the new 
 school of military modesty," said Lord Herbert 
 to Theresa with a smile of contempt. " But 
 for modesty, in such cases, I would read pride, 
 abominable selfish pride. Why should Colonel 
 Trevelyan be above returning thanks for the 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 266 TREVELYAN. 
 
 hearty expressions of good-will and respect 
 from these honest people ; not to mention St. 
 Ives' very flattering compliment to him ? Why 
 seem to take offence at distinctions which^ 
 after all, every military man is prodigiously 
 affronted if he does not obtain ?" 
 
 Theresa's accusing heart told her that the 
 strong emotion which she had seen painted in 
 Trevelyan's countenance was the effect neither 
 of pride nor humility, but that she herself had 
 been its cause ; and this unjust attack upon one 
 whom she loved and admired, although made 
 by Lord Herbert himself, roused all her better 
 feelings. " You httle know Colonel Trevel- 
 yan," said she warmly, her heart still beating 
 with emotion; " if you can suppose him capable 
 of any other feehngs than those of kindness and 
 good-will to every one." 
 
 " No, indeed, I certainly do not know him," 
 replied Lord Herbert sarcastically, " if yonr 
 description of him is a true one, for kindness 
 and good- will are certainly not what I have
 
 TREVELYAN. 267 
 
 ever experienced from him ; on the contrary, 
 from the very first he has treated me with the 
 most marked coldness and disHke — met me 
 armed with prejudice against me, and all this 
 without the slightest cause, or any provocation 
 on my part whatever, except, indeed, that 
 I have presumed (if that is a crime) ' to gaze 
 on the same bright particular star,' and to ad- 
 mire what he admires ; for such is his reserve, 
 (as you call it) in other words, his pride and 
 selfishness, that it seems he expects to mono- 
 polize to himself everything that is charming, 
 and will allow no one to have ears or eyes but 
 himself: now is it not so. Miss Howard?" 
 
 Theresa was silent. She was well aware of 
 the full meaning of these words, but, her best 
 feelings being just then uppermost, her thoughts 
 in self-condemnation still dwelt on the ghastly 
 smile and contracted brow which had spoken 
 such daggers to her heart, and she was, in 
 consequence, at the moment half inclined to 
 be angry even with Lord Herbert. 
 
 N 2
 
 268 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Her stricken conscience had given her the 
 true interpretation of Trevelyan's feehngs. 
 Amid the joyousness which surrounded him, 
 he had thought so Uttle of himself as Hkely 
 to have any individual concern in the scene, 
 that, when his own name and the shouts which 
 followed it suddenly sounded in his ears, he 
 was for an instant bewdldered, and, impelled 
 by the emotion of the moment, naturally turned 
 towards her who had now for so long been 
 associated in his mind with his every feeling 
 of personal pride and exultation. When his 
 eyes, then, met those of Theresa fixed upon 
 him, and he fancied he read in them the 
 kindest expression of aifection, a gleam of 
 happiness for an instant again flashed over his 
 soul ; but the sight of his hated rival at her 
 side as quickly dissolved that momentary il- 
 lusion, and the revulsion of feehng which he 
 then experienced was more than he could en- 
 dure. He forcibly made his way through the 
 crowd, and long before the sounds of the
 
 TREVELYAN. 269 
 
 reiterated cheers had died away, dashing down 
 a path which led to the wood, he was lost in 
 its solitude, giving free vent to the bitterness 
 of his souL 
 
 Every one surely must have experienced at 
 some period or other of their lives the almost 
 unbearable effect of such an exciting scene 
 as that at which Trevelyan had just been 
 present, when the mind is suffering from some 
 secret sorrow. For each gay shout of enthu- 
 siasm which strikes the ear, then vibrates pain- 
 fully on the heart, rousing it to a keener 
 sense of its own wretchedness. So it was with 
 Trevelyan ; and, not having courage again to 
 expose himself to the trial, he wandered about 
 alone till dinner-time, a prey to the most 
 gloomy reflections. Every path, every road, 
 every habitation, seemed totally deserted ; and 
 had it not been for the faint sound of the dis- 
 tant hilarity occasionally borne on the wind, 
 and still more for the painful impression left
 
 270 TREVELYAN. 
 
 on his mind, the gay busy scene at which he 
 had so lately been present would have ap- 
 peared to him as the mere phantasy of a dream. 
 He did not enter the dining-room until the 
 company had assembled, when he at once took 
 possession of the first vacant chair : and, chance 
 placing him at a different table from that at 
 which Theresa and Lord Herbert were seated, 
 and where St. Ives presided, he avoided all 
 remarks on his sudden disappearance in the 
 morning, the party being that day so large 
 that it was not difficult to avoid observation. 
 More than once, at the beginning of dinner, 
 Theresa had inquired after Trevelyan, for she 
 felt him as a weight at her heart ; but when 
 relieved from all actual anxiety about him by 
 hearing that he was in the dining-room, her 
 mind then returned to the joyous scene in 
 which she was engaged ; and when thus placed 
 at the side of him to whom her whole soul was 
 devoted, and to whom she was conscious of
 
 TREVELYAN. 27 1 
 
 being the object of the most ardent admiration — 
 was it wonderful that, before long, she again 
 thought no more of her absent friend ? 
 
 As soon as the repast was over, Trevelyan 
 had again recourse to his solitary walk, finding 
 a strange sort of pleasure in the nervous shiver 
 which crept over his frame when exposed to the 
 keen night air, as he felt it to be in chilling uni- 
 son with the misery of his heart. The lateness 
 of the hour at length warned him to return 
 to the house. As he approached it, he be- 
 held each window glittering with the gay 
 illumination within and without, and heard 
 the sounds of music and dancing. Half 
 ashamed of his sullenness, he entered the 
 ball-room, and, concealing himself amid the 
 crowd of spectators, looked anxiously around 
 for her whose image had never once that 
 day been absent from his mind. But although 
 he examined each set of dancers, still Theresa 
 was no where to be seen. He crossed the 
 ball-room, and entered the adjoining apart-
 
 272 TREVELYAN. 
 
 ment; near the door he suddenly discovered 
 her, and his sister at her side. He was nearly 
 close to them before he was aware of their 
 vicinity ', and now, actually startled at the sight 
 of the very person who had been the object of 
 his eager search — he stood fixed to the spot 
 without courage either to advance or retire. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan*seemed in earnest conversa- 
 tion with her companion, whose eyes were fixed 
 on the ground, but whose countenance and de- 
 meanour plainly indicated agitation and em- 
 barrassment. Oh, how Trevelyan longed to 
 read in her heart, and ascertain whether it 
 was one feeling of compunction, of pit}^, for his 
 sufferings which then saddened her lovely brow. 
 Still their conversation continued, and at length 
 Miss Trevelyan, speaking with increased ear- 
 nestness, but in so low a voice that he could 
 not catch the words, laid her hand on her 
 young ftiend's arm. Theresa raised her head 
 as if to reply, but as^ she then turned her eyes 
 towards Miss Trevelyan, they fell upon her
 
 TREVELYAN. 273 
 
 guardian. At the sight of him, she instantly 
 averted her face, and, the next minute covering 
 it with her hands she abruptly rose from her 
 seat, and left the room. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan, who had not observed her 
 brother's entrance, and who was therefore 
 ignorant of the cause of this sudden flight, 
 immediately followed, leaving him bewildered 
 by contending feelings ; at one minute resolv- 
 ing to seek his ward, and demand the expla- 
 nation of an emotion, which, in spite of him- 
 self, had again revived his hopes ; at another, 
 almost tempted, in the character of her guar- 
 dian, to speak to Lord Herbert, and thus bring 
 his own fate to a crisis. 
 
 Above an hour elapsed, and still neither 
 Theresa nor his sister appeared. Trevelyan at 
 length returned to the ball-room, and, at the 
 further end, seated in the recess of a window, 
 he immediately distinguished the object of 
 his anxious thoughts. Lord Herbert was at 
 her side, and he seemed to be earnestly ex- 
 
 N 5
 
 274 TREVELYAN. 
 
 • 
 
 postulating with her, while Theresa's evident \ 
 perturbation, told but too plainly the subject | 
 of their conversation. Trevelyan felt that he"^ 
 now needed no further explanation, and, hastily 
 leaving the scene of gaiet)^, he took refuge in • 
 the sohtude of his own room. 
 
 Few of the performers in the entertainment, 
 which was protracted to a late hour, appeared 
 at breakfast next morning, and, on inquiring 
 for his sister, Trevelyan was informed that 
 she was too unwell to leave her bed. He 
 and Theresa did not meet till dinner-time, 
 when not a word, not a look, was exchanged 
 between them ; indeed, as if by mutual con- 
 sent, they both seemed to avoid all possibihty 
 of intercourse. Determined on concealing, 
 if possible, the state of his mind, Trevelyan 
 assumed a gaiety which he certainly did not 
 feel, and, the better to play his self-imposed 
 part, freely joined in the hilarity of all around. 
 More than once Theresa was startled by his 
 unusually elevated voice and unnatural laughter^
 
 TREVELYAN. 275 
 
 for such false spirits could not deceive her, 
 whatever they might others, as she was but 
 too well aware both of their nature and cause. 
 At each burst of forced merriment, a pang of 
 remorse shot through her heart; but still she 
 had not courage to free herself from the bon- 
 dage of passion, and cease to torture one whom 
 yet she loved with even more than a sister's 
 tenderness. 
 
 The whole party that evening declared them- 
 selves to be too completely knocked up by the 
 fatigues of the preceding day to attempt any 
 active amusements. Some took to their books, 
 over which they slumbered ; others yawned 
 through the newspapers, or lounged in total 
 idleness on the sofas. Trevelyan was, as usual, 
 summoned by Lady Augusta to her father's 
 whist- table, and Lord Herbert challenged The- 
 resa at chess. The men were all set in due 
 order, and the game began, but, though the 
 hands of both combatants shaded their brows 
 in the attitude of deep calculation, it was
 
 276 TREVELYAN. 
 
 soon very evident that the game before them 
 had ceased to be the object of speculation^ 
 and that it was no longer to his enemy's King 
 that Lord Herbert was offering check. His 
 eyes were eagerly fixed on the varying counte- 
 nance of his antagonist, as in unconscious ab- 
 straction, she hurried the monarch of the board 
 from place to place, with a degree of indeco- 
 rous activity, which would have made Phili- 
 dor's hair stand on end. 
 
 Such was the position of the game when 
 the whist-party broke up, and one glance at 
 the supposed contending chess-players sufficed 
 to inform Trevelyan that his doom was finally 
 sealed.
 
 TREVELYAN. 277 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Farewell thou false fair, whom I will not upbraid, 
 I 've loved thee too long to be loud when betrayed ; 
 Live rage in the bosom where triumph could reign. 
 When I trusted thy smiles, I was happy, not vain ; 
 My peace thou hast injured, not wounded my pride. 
 And aflfection as yet cannot learn to subside. 
 
 Old Song. 
 
 Miss Trevelyan was so much indisposed 
 for some days after the birth-day festivities, 
 as to be unable to leave her room, and her 
 brother felt too well convinced that neither 
 of them Could have any thing agreeable to 
 communicate to the other, to run the risk 
 of uselessly agitating her by seeking an inter- 
 view. Hearing, however, at length that she 
 was much better, he repaired one morning
 
 278 TREVELYAN. 
 
 to her apartment in order to make some 
 arrangements with her respecting their return 
 home, the day on which they had fixed for 
 leaving Trevelyan Castle being now nearly 
 arrived. 
 
 On opening the door Trevelyan started back, 
 for the first object which met his eyes was 
 Theresa — and Theresa alone! — She changed 
 colour and seemed much embarrassed, but, 
 after a moment's silence, while stiU continuing 
 to stoop over the table as if bnsily engaged 
 folding up some letters, " Miss Trevelyan," 
 said she, " is a great deal better to-day ; she 
 is gone down to speak to Lady Augusta, but 
 wiU, I dare say, be back directly." 
 
 Trevelyan stood for a minute at the door, 
 irresolute what to do; but at last he entered 
 and closed it after him. It was itiany a day 
 since he and Theresa had been t4te-a-t4te ; 
 many a day, indeed, since they had even 
 spoken to each other, and the hearts of both 
 beat nearly to suiFocation, There was a dead
 
 TREVELYAN. 279 
 
 silence for some minutes. At length Theresa 
 appearing in some degree to recover herself, 
 although speaking with unusual hurry, said. 
 " Treevy is gone, I believe, to ask Lord 
 Launceston to alter a frank which he has by 
 mistake dated for the second, to-day being the 
 third of April. 
 
 " The third of April," repeated Trevelyan 
 with quickness; " true, true, so it is," and 
 there was again a pause. 
 
 " Theresa !" said he at length in an agitated 
 tone, " are you aware of what event this day 
 is the anniversary?" 
 
 " No," she replied, somewhat astonished at 
 his question, " I did not know that the third 
 of April was marked by any particular cir- 
 cumstance." 
 
 And she spoke truly, for to poor Theresa, 
 who was the solitary child of sin and shame, 
 the anniversary of her birth had hitherto been 
 a blank in the calendar. Her natal day liad 
 never been marked to her as one of joy and
 
 280 TREVELVAN. 
 
 congratulation; she had never been the happy 
 heroine of a Httle yearly fete, had never on 
 that day received a grateful mother's blessing. 
 
 It is your birthday, Theresa," continued 
 Trevelyan; '^ you are now eighteen, you are 
 of age — released from my control," he added 
 with a bitter smile. 
 
 Theresa's colour went and came, and her 
 eyes filled with tears; Trevelyan for an in- 
 stant fixed his upon her, but she did not 
 speak, and he was again silent. It needed 
 not words however to prove that the same 
 feehngs at that moment occupied them both, 
 for it was evident that the thoughts of each 
 had instantly reverted to that day when, a 
 year before, Theresa had first been informed of 
 her father's wishes and dispositions respecting 
 her, and that they both also well remembered 
 with what diiferent feehngs they had then 
 dwelt on the last clause in his will. That clause, 
 which seemed almost to bestow upon Trevelyan 
 a right to claim her as his own, in the sacred
 
 TREVELYAN. 281 
 
 character of a husband ; that clause, to which 
 she had then listened in such unsuspecting 
 ignorance of all the pangs which it might entail 
 either on herself or her guardian. 
 
 Theresa walked hastily to the window to 
 conceal her emotion, while Trevelyan, heaving 
 a deep-drawn sigh, leaned his head against 
 the mantel-piece. He felt as if he must now 
 at length break silence and at once confess 
 the feelings of his bursting heart. But, alas ! 
 what could he expect to hear in return, ex- 
 cept that of which he was already but too 
 certain ? And why, therefore, while exposed 
 to the unfeeling observation of many, add to 
 the already miserable constraint of their in- 
 tercourse by an useless disclosure, which might 
 hasten, but apparently could not now alter, 
 the fate of either? 
 
 These considerations made him therefore re- 
 solve on still persevering for a time in that reserve 
 to which he had hitherto, on principle, adhered. 
 He again turned towards Theresa, who stoodgaz-
 
 282 TREVELYAN, 
 
 ing vacantly from the window in evident dread 
 of encountering Ms eyes. " I suppose you are 
 aware," he continued, " that we propose 
 leaving this the day after to-morrow ? I 
 trusted to my sister for informing you. Would 
 to heaven we had never come V he added with 
 vehemence. " For her sake I mean — for she, 
 at all events, has not benefited by the expe- 
 dition ; her health is not equal to the fatiguing 
 life of gaiety which is here led, and it is 
 therefore on her account that I do not wish 
 to prolong our stay." 
 
 Theresa signified, by an acquiescing motion 
 of her head, that she was content with the 
 arrangement ; but Treveiyan saw big tears 
 following each other down her cheeks. Were 
 they for his rival ? Were they tears of con- 
 trition for all the misery she was inflicting on 
 himself ? Some minutes elapsed, still those 
 tears continued to flow : at last she covered her 
 face with her hands, and Treveiyan heard her 
 endeavouring, but in vain, to stifle her sobs.
 
 TREVELYAN. 283 
 
 Oh ! how ardently did he then long to invite 
 her back to that fearless confidence which had 
 once been his happiness — to that full reliance 
 on his affection which had seemed once 
 to constitute her's ! Trevelyan left his place 
 and approached Theresa, but before he 
 had reached her side the image of Lord 
 Herbert seemed to rush between them, and 
 that image so adored by the one, so hated 
 by the other, closed the hearts and lips of 
 both. 
 
 Just then Miss Trevelyan entered, and 
 Theresa, taking advantage of the supposed 
 private business which had brought Colonel 
 Trevelyan to his sister's apartment, hastily 
 brushed away her tears, and darting towards 
 the door left them together^ Miss Trevelyan 
 immediately perceived that something painful 
 had occurred ; she kindly took her brother's 
 hand, and gave him all the comfort in her 
 power, bidding him trust to the effects of
 
 284 TREVELYAN. 
 
 separation, and to the probably transient nature 
 of Lord Herbert's fancy for his ward ; for she 
 was, she said, convinced that he was not what 
 is called a marrying man ; that he could, 
 therefore, have no object in pursuing the 
 acquaintance, and that, when once Theresa had 
 left Trevelyan Castle, there was little chance of 
 their ever again coming in each other's way. 
 She concluded, therefore, by proposing an 
 immediate departure, declaring herself to be 
 now quite equal to the journey, and urging that 
 they should keep to their first intended day for 
 setting out. 
 
 That day at last, to Trevelyan's inexpressible 
 relief, arrived ; he anxiously watched the lovers 
 in order to ascertain the state of their feelings, 
 and to form some idea of the degree of 
 understanding which existed between them. 
 Not a word was exchanged at parting, but that 
 silence spoke volumes, and only confirmed his 
 fears as to their mutual intelligence.
 
 TREVELYAN. 285 
 
 The gay St. Ives had many a mysterious, 
 significant joke with Theresa on taking leave 
 of her, and expressed unfeigned regret at the 
 departure of his cousins. Lord Launceston 
 trusted that before long he should have the 
 honour of another visit from those so nearly 
 related to him ; and the Lady Augusta, re- 
 laxing somewhat from her usual coldness and 
 formahty, shook Miss Trevelyan cordially by 
 the hand, and in a most flattering manner 
 invited her cousin Frederick to visit them 
 without delay in town, as she and her father 
 were, before long, to take up their residence in 
 Cavendish Square for the season. Trevelyan, 
 having signified his intention of travelling 
 outside, his sister and Theresa entered the 
 carriage, and they drove off* amid the kissing 
 of hands and waving of hats of the part)^ 
 assembled on the steps of the house. 
 
 How different did the journey now appear, 
 when retracing the same road, from wliat it 
 had been but a few weeks before, when they
 
 2S6 TREVELYAN. 
 
 had gaily travelled it together in hope and 
 cordiahty ! Theresa, pretending to be entirely 
 engrossed by a novel which she had borrowed 
 for the journey, seldom took her eyes from 
 the page before her, except to stare vacantly 
 out of the carriage-window, when an occasional 
 tear, which she hastily wiped away, stole down 
 her cheek. Miss Trevelyan, on her part, 
 suffering in bod}^ and depressed in spirits, was 
 as little disposed for conversation as her com- 
 panion, so that mile after mile was now 
 travelled by them in unbroken silence. During 
 the three melancholy days which their journey 
 lasted, Trevelyan, after much torturing rumi- 
 nation on the subject, resolved at last on 
 bringing his fate to a crisis as soon as they 
 should arrive at Richmond by seeking that 
 full explanation of Theresa's sentiments which 
 he had hitherto so carefully avoided. But 
 as he drove up to what had so lately been 
 to him such a happy home, and thought on 
 the trial which probably there awaited him.
 
 TREVELYAN. 287 
 
 his courage once more gave way, and fear and 
 doubt got the better of all his resolutions. 
 The very sight of those well-known scenes, 
 now again newly dressed in the first fresh 
 green of spring, helped to divert him from 
 his purpose. Was it possible that, when all 
 around was still so bright, so placid, so lovely, 
 the moral world within could be so totally 
 changed ? Might it not all be some dreadful 
 phantasy of his brain, from which, when 
 restored to what had hitherto been to him an 
 earthly paradise, he should again awaken and 
 find the happiness he had left ? 
 
 When the carriage stopped, Trevelyan, still 
 half-bewildered by these contending feelings, 
 sprang from it in order to assist his com- 
 panions to alight. One glance in Theresa's 
 countenance, however, as she darted past him, 
 sufficed to recall his senses to the sad reality 
 of his situation ; for this return to her home 
 had evidently affected her not less than him- 
 self. She hurried into the house, equally
 
 288 TREVELYAN. 
 
 regardless of the joyous welcome of little 
 Oscar, and the smiling obeisances of the ser- 
 vants — and, hastening up stairs, took imme- 
 diate refuge from observation in the solitude 
 of her own room. Trevelyan was now finally 
 resolved. He paced the garden for some 
 time in abstracted agitation, and then, his 
 heart and head both throbbing with nervous 
 agitation, he repaired to his own apartment, 
 and there wrote the following letter to 
 Theresa : — 
 
 " It is vain any longer to make a secret of 
 the state of my mind. Indeed, I fear your 
 own heart must now but too well assist you 
 in reading mine. I will no longer conceal 
 from you that I have long loved you — not as 
 a father — not as a guardian — ^but as the most 
 passionate, devoted of lovers. Honour has 
 restrained me from sooner making this decla- 
 ration, and now, I fear, it comes too late. But 
 surely it did not require words to make you
 
 TREVELYAN. 289 
 
 aware of the devotion of my heart ? Perhaps I 
 was wrong — vain — led away and deceived by 
 my wishes ; but at one time I could not help 
 indulging in the blessed hope of a return. 
 You were once kind to me^ Theresa — you once 
 confided in me ; but now all is changed, and 
 we seem to have become total strangers to 
 each other. 
 
 " There is no use, however, in upbraiding 
 or recurring to the past. You have now my 
 fate, my very existence, in your hands. If 
 still it were possible that my jealous fkncy 
 could have deceived me to my present misery 
 
 — ^if still your affections should be Oh ! 
 
 answer me, Theresa — one word, and I am the 
 happiest of beings ; one word, and my lips are 
 closed for ever, never again to pain you by 
 the avowal of feelings which you cannot re- 
 turn." 
 
 With a trembling hand Trevelyan sealed and 
 directed this note ; then ringing for the ser- 
 
 VOL. I. O
 
 290 TREVELYAN. 
 
 vant he bade him take it directly to Miss 
 Howard. When the door was shut, and that 
 he heard his messenger's footsteps on the 
 stairs, leading to Theresa's apartment, a cold 
 sweat bedewed his forehead. It seemed to 
 him as if he was thus hastening his fate — 
 voluntarily plunging himself into despair.— 
 In violent nervous agitation he paced his room, 
 counting every minute, hstening to every 
 sound, and more than once he hurried to the 
 door, fancying he heard some one approaching. 
 An hour elapsed, and still no answer came. 
 — He rang the bell with increased perturbation, 
 and desired that Miss Howard's maid might 
 go to her and inquire whether she had any 
 letter for him. There was another long inter- 
 val. — At length he heard a gentle knock at 
 his door — ^he concluded it was the maid 
 bringing him the long-wished for, but dreaded, 
 reply, and he. bade her enter. — The door slow- 
 ly opened — and Tlieresa herself appeared. — 
 Her face at once told him his fate — she was
 
 TREVELYAN. 291 
 
 deadly pale, and her eyes were red with 
 weeping. She rushed up to him, and falling 
 on her knees by the couch into which he had 
 sunk, she buried her face in her hands, and 
 sobbed aloud. 
 
 Much as Trevelyan had anticipated- the end 
 of all his hopes ; fully prepared, as he thought 
 he was, for the truth, yet the blow stunned 
 him, and he stared wildly at her, unable to 
 speak or move ! They thus remained for a mi- 
 nute in total silence. At length holding out 
 a letter towards Trevelyan, " This will explain 
 all to you," said Theresa, in a faltering voice, 
 and then clasping her hands in an agony of 
 grief and remorse, " Oh, forgive me ! forgive 
 me !" she exclaimed, " for being the involun- 
 tary cause of suiFerings which, believe me, are 
 not greater than my own." 
 
 Still Trevelyan did not speak, and he averted 
 his face to conceal the tears which bitter disap- 
 pointment wrung from his manly heart. At 
 length, making an effort to subdue his agita- 
 
 o 2
 
 292 TREVELYAN. 
 
 tion, and taking her hand, as if in token of 
 pardon, while he endeavoured to raise her from 
 the ground, " I understand you, Theresa," 
 said he, in low broke n voice ; " so leave 
 me — ^for God's sake leave me — in a short time 
 I shall be better — I will then speak to you — 
 but now, I cannot," and he again con^allsively 
 pressed her hand. 
 
 Theresa rose to obey him, but the sight of 
 his affliction quite overpowered her, and she 
 still remained as if speU-bound at his side, 
 feeling at that minute as if she could have 
 renounced Lord Herbert and all her most ro- 
 mantic visions of felicity to make Trevelyan 
 happy. Again he stammered out his entreaties 
 to be left alone, and at last, conscience-stricken, 
 torn by contending feelings, she complied -with 
 his request, and returned to her own aj^art- 
 ment. 
 
 When there, her sufferings were in truth fully 
 equal to those of her guardian, for they were 
 sharpened by remorse. She felt that she had
 
 TREVELYAN. 293 
 
 wounded and deceived one from whom she had 
 received every kindness, whose heart was de- 
 voted to her, and on whose steady affection 
 through good report and evil report she might 
 ever have rehed. 
 
 In the violence of her remorse, and the vir- 
 tuous zeal of the moment, Theresa again fan- 
 cied that she had come to the resolution of giv- 
 ing up her own happiness in order to secure 
 that of her guardian ; and, with a flushed cheek 
 and throbbing heart, she actually rose from her 
 seat in order to complete the sacrifice, by the 
 voluntary renunciation of Lord Herbert. But 
 ere she had reached the door, his image rushed 
 to her imagination, and with it returned all 
 those enthusiastic feelings of love and admira- 
 tion with which he had inspired her. Little in 
 deed did Theresa know her own weakness, 
 when even contemplating the possibility of 
 such self-devotion ; little was she aware of the 
 overpowering influence of passion on a mind so 
 undisciplined as hers.
 
 294 TREVELYAN. 
 
 In about an hour another packet was 
 brought her from Trevelyan ; on breaking the 
 seal she found that it contained the letter, which 
 she had at their recent interview put into his 
 hands. That letter was, as may be supposed, 
 from Lord Herbert, being the passionate de- 
 claration of love and constancy, by which he 
 had, on the morning of Theresa's departure from 
 Trevelyan Castle, confirmed his former profes- 
 sions of devotion, and her own rapturous ex- 
 pectations ; at the end of the letter she had 
 herself added these few words addressed to 
 Trevelyan, " I have referred him to my 
 guardian for a final answer." 
 
 After having again and again feasted her 
 eyes on the adored characters in this letter of 
 her lover's, though every word they formed 
 was already known by heart, and every 
 sentiment those words expressed engraven on 
 her soul ; Theresa, with a passionate sigh, 
 was returning it to the envelope, when some 
 writing within, which she had not before ob-
 
 TREVELYAN. 295 
 
 served, caught her eye. It was evidently that of 
 her guardian, but so changed, it was with diffi- 
 culty that she deciphered the words, which 
 were as follows : 
 
 " Let your mind be at rest ; trust to me, I 
 will do all in my power to secure your happi- 
 ness. I intend immediately to leave home for- 
 a short time, therefore do not let any repug- 
 nance at the idea of meeting me, when in 
 my present agitated state offeehng, prevent 
 you from joining my sister as usual. She 
 knows all, for I thought you might wish to 
 be spared the pain of informing her of what 
 has passed between us. You may therefore 
 speak to her on the subject, or not, as you 
 like best. F. T." 
 
 " Excellent ! generous Trevelyan," exclaimed 
 Theresa, as she read these words, and again all 
 her self-upbraidings and doulits returned ; but 
 need it be added, that love — all-powerful love, 
 again interposed, and finally triumphed.
 
 296 TREVELYAN. 
 
 Theresa delayed leaving her own apartment 
 as long as possible, but, being at length in- 
 formed that dinner was ready, and knowing that 
 Miss Trevelyan was now alone, she felt obhged 
 to join her. She entered the room with the 
 feehngs of a criminal, not daring even to look 
 towards her friend ; and never since that day on 
 which Theresa had first been received under 
 her hospitable roof, had their t^te-a-t^te repast 
 been eaten in such comfortless silence. 
 
 When at last Theresa ventured to raise her 
 eyes towards her dear Treevy, the sight of 
 her's, red and heavy with recent tears, gave a 
 fresh pang to her heart, for she could well 
 guess at their cause, and again took herself 
 to task for thus afflicting all those who had 
 been most kind to her. The instant dinner 
 was over the friends separated (not a word 
 having passed between them with reference to 
 that subject which filled both their minds,) and 
 Theresa hastily escaped to the garden, hoping 
 that the fresh air might compose her nerves 
 and cool her aching head. Bnt there every
 
 TREVELYAN. 297 
 
 object which she saw brought to her recollec- 
 tion some trait of her guardian's kindness, 
 and again renewed the struggle between love 
 and gratitude ; for her mind recurred to those 
 peaceful evenings when, a few months back, 
 before a stronger feeling had taken posses- 
 sion of her soul, she in happiness and con- 
 tentment had wandered with her two friends 
 on the lovely Thames, marking with pleasure 
 returning cheerfulness on Miss Trevelyan's 
 countenance — that much-loved countenance, 
 now again saddened, and by her means ! 
 She remembered too (and now full weU under- 
 stood) each trait of devoted affection on the 
 part of Trevelyan ; the expression of his 
 eyes, when fixed upon her while she sang his 
 favourite songs, or when, in mock contention, 
 they had gaily argued some disputed point. 
 
 But then another actor in the scene rose to 
 her imagination. The unknown boatman ! — he 
 who, from that moment when he first heard
 
 298 TREVELYAN. 
 
 her voice, and through the twilight caught a 
 ghmpse of her features, had sought her wdth 
 such flattering perseverance. 
 
 For it was not chance that, day after 
 day, directed his little shallop beneath their 
 garden- wall ; it was not chance that brought 
 him to Sir Henry Williams's, to the ball, 
 and, finally, to Trevelyan Castle. And much 
 more than all this, would his enterprising 
 passion have attempted to win the valued 
 prize, had he not seen that she was under 
 the guardianship of a sentinel whose jealous 
 vigilance would have taken quick alarm at 
 any open premature attack, and with whom 
 therefore, it was necessary to be cautious ? 
 
 How resist such devotion ? proceeding too 
 from one gifted by nature with every attrac- 
 tion calculated to turn a young head. Thus 
 the reverie, of which the kind, the gener- 
 ous Trevelyan had been the original object 
 had soon Lord Herbert alone for its hero.
 
 TREVELYAN. 299 
 
 and terminated in all those vague, rapturous 
 anticipations of perfect happiness, into which 
 the young are ever deceived by passion. 
 
 END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 L O N D N i 
 G. SCHULZB, 13, POLAND STREEt.