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Page 57
Her heart beat rapidly,--she was conscious that a tide of crimson was
creeping up to her cheek, and felt herself tremulous in every limb, as
Mr. Lansdowne approached and drew a seat near her. But pride came to
her aid. One strong effort of the will, and the young creature, novice
as she was in the arts of society, succeeded in partially covering the
flutter and agitation of spirit caused by the sudden discovery of her
lover's secret.
"When do you expect your father's return, Miss Ad�le?" inquired Mr.
Lansdowne.
"In a day or two", was the reply.
"Do you know that my uncle and I will be obliged to leave our
newly-found friends here, soon after your father gets home?"
"I know", replied Ad�le, with apparent calmness, "that Mr. Somers's
health has greatly improved and I supposed you would probably go away
soon".
"Pardon me, Miss Ad�le", said John, in a voice that betrayed his
emotion, "but shall you miss us at all? Shall you regret our absence?"
Again Ad�le's heart bounded quickly. She felt irritated and ashamed of
its tumult.
By another strong effort, she answered simply, "Certainly, Mr.
Lansdowne, we shall all miss you. You have greatly enlivened our
narrow family circle. We shall be very sorry to lose you".
How indifferent she is, thought John. She does not dream of my love.
"Miss Ad�le", he exclaimed passionately, "it will be the greatest
calamity of my life to leave you".
For a moment, the young girl was silent. His voice both thrilled and
fascinated her. Partly proud, partly shy, like the bird who shuns the
snare set for it, only fluttering its wings over the spot for an
instant, and then flying to a greater distance, Ad�le bestirred her
powers and resolved not to suffer herself to be drawn into the meshes.
She felt a new, strange influence creeping over her, to which she was
half afraid, half too haughty to yield without a struggle.
"Mr. Lansdowne, I am happy yo learn you place some value on our
friendship, as we do on yours. But surely, your own home, such as you
have described it to me, must be the most attractive spot on earth to
you".
"Is it possible", said Mr. Lansdowne vehemently, taking her hand and
holding it fast in his, "that you cannot understand me,--that you do
not know that I love you infinitely more than father, or mother, or
any human creature?"
Surprised at the abruptness of this outburst, bewildered and
distressed by her own conflicting emotions, Ad�le knew not what to
say, and wished only to fly away into solitude that she might collect
her scattered powers.
"Mr. Lansdowne, I am not prepared for this. Let me go. I must leave
you", she exclaimed.
Suddenly drawing her hand from his, she fled to her own room, locked
the door and burst into a passionate flood of tears. Poor child! Her
lover with his unpractised hand, had opened a new chapter in her life,
too precipitately. She was not prepared for its revelations, and the
shock had shaken her a little too rudely.
John remained sitting, white and dumb, as if a thunderbolt had fallen
upon him.
"Gone! gone!" he exclaimed at length, "she does not love me! And, fool
that I was, I have frightened her from me forever!"
He bowed his head upon the table and uttered a groan of despair.
Mr. Lansdowne returned to the solitude of his own room, sufficiently
miserable. He feared he had offended Ad�le past healing. Looking over
the events of the week, he thought he could perceive that she had been
teased by his attentions, and that she wished to indicate this by the
coolness of her manner and words to him, during their recent
interview. And he had recklessly, though unwittingly, put the climax
to her annoyance by this abrupt disclosure of his love. He berated
himself unmercifully for his folly. For a full hour, he believed that
his blundering impetuosity had cost him the loss of Ad�le forever.
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