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Page 38
"Miss Willoughby is, I think, far superior to the generality of her
sex, but she shall never have an idea of my partiality, till I am
thoroughly persuaded she can make me happy; for although she may
not come up to my standard of female perfection, she is far too
amiable and too forlorn to be trifled with; and, therefore, I will
not try to win her affections, till I know I can reciprocate them.
With regard to the Falkners, I will be guarded. I respect the old
man sincerely, and his family; farther, deponent sayeth not. He is
the beau ideal of a country squire, and I think you will like him!
They are all remarkably civil, and I must, for many reasons, keep
up an intercourse, or give room elsewhere of having my plans
suspected, The whole village, I believe have given me to one of the
Falkners. I do not wish even the worthy Dr. Sherman and his
excellent wife to suspect that I feel more than a common interest
in their protegee. I wish you would come down for a month, I think
you would like this part of the country, and I am sure you and Mr.
Falkner would get on together. Neither have I the slightest doubt,
but you would be pleased with the Shermans; they are gems, perfect
gems, in their way. And as to Miss Willoughby,--but come and judge
for yourself. You are engaged, or I might not, perhaps, be so
pressing.
"Just as I was concluding this, a letter was brought by the mail,
from a distant relative, who is just returned from India. It was
hastily written, and sent off while the ship was laying in the
Downs, requesting me, if possible, to meet him at Deal. So I am off
for a short time, and will write to you directly I return. Till
when, farewell.
"Ever faithfully yours,
"GEORGE."
Every meeting increased Helen's respect for Mr. Mortimer; she often
met him at Dr. Sherman's, but it seemed always the result of chance,
nor had she the slightest idea that he felt for her other, than the
esteem of a friend. The village gave him to one of the Misses Falkner,
and Helen took it for granted it was so. She rather regretted it, as
she thought him too good, and feared they could, neither of them,
appreciate his worth. She occasionally met the Falkners at Dr.
Sherman's, when the eldest young lady always took care to monopolize
him, which, for reasons of his own, he readily fell into. When he took
leave to go to Deal, Helen could not help fancying there was a
tenderness and peculiarity in his tone, as he addressed her, and yet
she thought she must be mistaken, and that it was only his natural
friendly warmth of manner, for she had none of that silly vanity, that
leads many girls to fancy, because a man is kind and attentive, he
must be in love.
She missed him greatly, for latterly he had accompanied her in her
songs, and supplied her with music and books; still, all was done
under the mask of friendship, and duplicates of these little presents
were generally procured for Falkner Villa. Also, Henry, too, was sadly
at a loss for his companion; all his out door amusements seemed to
have lost their interest, and he began to look anxiously for the time
proposed for his return. A room was prepared both for Mr. Mortimer,
and his cousin, at Mr. Falkner's. On his return, however, he preferred
going to his own quarters, leaving Sir Horace Mortimer, his relative,
to the hospitalities of Falkner Villa.
Sir Horace Mortimer's stay with them, opened a fresh field for Mrs.
Falkner's speculations, and not being either so fastidious or
clear-sighted as his cousin George, Sir Horace, at one time, bid fair
to set the former an example.
They were all assembled at Dr. Sherman's a few nights after Mr.
Mortimer's return, when Sir Horace was introduced, to Helen. He almost
started, but said nothing; however his eyes were so completely riveted
on her, that he became quite absent--in short, his fixed gaze became
painful. Dr. Sherman was, during the evening, called to the door, when
he received a parcel from London, carriage paid, which the man said he
had promised to place in the Doctor's own hand. The worthy man
wondering from whom it could possibly come, retired to his own room
and opened it. It contained Mrs. Willoughby's portrait and the pocket
book; the latter he locked up carefully; the former he was carrying to
Helen: who being engaged with Mrs. Sherman in the adjoining room, he
showed it to Sir Horace Mortimer, with whom he had just been
conversing about Helen, and her orphan charge.
"Can it be possible," said he "or do my eyes deceive me?"
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