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Page 46
"Foolish boy!" muttered Charles; "this is no time to quarrel about
trifles. The fact is, Mary, that the sooner you are all out of this
house the better; there are one or two creditors, not for large sums
certainly, but still men who will have their money; and if we do
not quietly sell off, they will force us. The house might have been
disposed of last week by private contract, but your mother would not
hear of it, because the person who offered was a medical rival of my
poor brother."
Mary did not hear the concluding observation; her eyes wandered from
object to object in the room--the harp--the various things known from
childhood. "Any thing you and your mother wish, my dear niece,"
said her kind uncle, "shall be preserved--the family pictures--your
harp--your piano--they are all hallowed memorials, and shall be kept
sacred."
Mary burst into tears. "I do not," she said, "shrink from considering
those instruments the means of my support; but although I know the
necessity for so considering, I feel I cannot tell what at quitting
the home of my childhood; people are all kind; you, my dear uncle,
from whom we expected so little, the kindest of all; but I see, even
in these early days of a first sorrow, indications of falling off. My
aunt's husband has really behaved very badly about the appointment of
my eldest brother; and as to the cadetship for the second--we had such
a brief dry letter from our Indian friend--so many first on the list,
and the necessity for waiting, that I do not know how it will end."
"I wish, my dear, you could prevail on your mother, and sister, and
all, to come to Repton," said Mr. Adams. "If your mother dislikes
being in my house, I would find her a cottage near us; I will do all
I can. My wife joins me in the determination to think that we have six
additional children to look to. We differ from you in our habits; but
our hearts and affections are no less true to you all. My Mary and you
will be as sisters."
His niece could bear no more kindness. She had been far more bitterly
disappointed than she had confessed even to her uncle; and yet the
very bitterness of the disappointment had been the first thing that
had driven her father's dying wail from her ears--that cry repeated
so often and so bitterly in the brief moments left after his
accident--"My children! My children!" He had not sufficient faith
to commit them to God's mercy; he knew he had not been a faithful
steward; and he could not bring himself from the depths of his
spiritual blindness to call upon the Fountain that is never dried up
to those who would humbly and earnestly partake of its living waters.
It was all a scene as of another world to the young, beautiful,
petted, and feted girl; it had made her forget the disappointment
of her love, at least for a time. While her brothers dared the
thunder-cloud that burst above their heads, her mother and sisters
wept beneath its influence. Mary had looked forth, and if she did
not hope, she thought, and tried to pray; now, she fell weeping upon
her uncle's shoulder; when she could speak, she said, "Forgive me;
in a little time I shall be able to conquer this; at present, I am
overwhelmed; I feel as if knowledge and sorrow came together; I seem
to have read more of human nature within the last three days than in
all my past life."
"It all depends, Mary, upon the person you meet," said Mr. Adams, "as
upon the book you read; if you choose a foolish book or a bad book,
you can expect nothing but vice or foolishness; if you choose a
foolish companion, surely you cannot expect kindness or strength." The
kind-hearted man repeated to her all he had before said. "I cannot,"
he added, "be guilty of injustice to my children; but I can merge all
my own luxuries into the one of being a father to the fatherless."
But to all the plans of Charles Adams, objections were raised by his
eldest nephew and his mother; the youth could not brook the control
of a simple straight-minded country man, whose only claim to be
considered a gentleman, in his opinion, arose from his connexion
with "his family." He was also indignant with his maternal uncle for
his broken promise, and these feelings were strengthened by his
mother's folly. Two opportunities for disposing of the house and its
magnificent furniture were missed; and when Mrs. Adams complained to
her nearest and most influential connexions that her brother-in-law
refused to make her any allowance unless she consented to live at
Repton--expecting that they would be loud in their indignation at his
hardness--they advised her by all means to do what he wished, as he
was really the only person she had to depend upon. Others were lavish
of their sympathy, but sympathy wears out quickly; others invited her
to spend a month with them at their country-seat, for change of air;
one hinted how valuable Miss Adams' exquisite musical talent would
be _now_. Mary coloured, and said, "Yes," with the dignity of proper
feeling; but her mother asked the lady what she meant, and a little
scene followed, which caused the lady to visit all the families in
town of her acquaintance, for the purpose of expressing her sympathy
with "those poor dear Adamses, who were so proud, poor things, that
really there was nothing hut starvation and the workhouse before
them!" Another of those well-meaning persons--strong-minded and
kind-hearted, but without a particle of delicacy--came to poor Mary,
with all _prestige_ of conferring a favour.
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