3. CHAP. III.
SUSPICION.
“Well, Miss, what success?” cried Mrs.
Littleton, as Rebecca entered the room: “I
hope you are convinced I was right, in supposing your
vanity incited you to hope without foundation.”
“Indeed, my dear mamma, for once you were mistaken:
Lady Mary has received me kindly, and more
than granted my request.”
She then, with the most bewitching simplicity, related
her interview at the Park, while Mr. Littleton
looked exultingly happy; but good mamma contracted
her brow, and, drawing herself up, as was her custom
when any thing displeased her, said:
“I hope, Mr. Littleton, you will not think of letting
the girl go: Lady Mary certainly does not mean
to take her entirely, and it will only be filling her head
with idle notions, of which, heaven knows, she has
plenty already. Besides, what do we know of Lady
Mary? It is true, she came down here last year, and
remained about three months; but who can tell any
thing of her character and morals? She may lead the
girl into all manner of folly.”
Now the case was exactly this: the late Sir George
Worthy had purchased this estate but a few months
before his death, and as Lady Mary was a woman of a
very retired turn, the short time she remained in the
country she visited but few families, and those without
ceremony. Lady Mary was truly benevolent, but she
performed those acts herself, and not unfrequently made
the silence and secrecy of the persons benefitted, the
only terms on which they were to hope a continuance
of her favours.
She in general resided at a seat about twenty miles
from London, to the end that she might strictly scrutinize
the conduct of a daughter who was married to a
young dissipated nobleman, and who, though blessed
with a mother, whose example might have led her on
to every laudable pursuit, was so entirely swallowed up
in the vortex of folly and dissipation, that she had not
time to attend to the essential duties of a wife, mother,
and mistress of a family.
In the place where Lady Mary usually resided, she
was considered as a proud, unsocial woman, by the
midling kind of gentry; by her equals as an oddity,
and by her dependants as something superiorly good,
and was by them beloved, respected, nay, almost
adored as an angel of benevolence.
But Mrs. Littleton seldom gave people credit for
virtues which she had not the penetration to discover,
though she could easily imagine them capable of practising
deceit, inhumanity, or almost any vice that can
disgrace human nature: she therefore thus continued
her discourse to her husband.
“People are not always what they seem to be; this
lady may make very fair promises, and when once the
girl is in her power, treat her as a common servant. I
beg Mr. Littleton, you will not let her go.”
“I am sorry my dear love,” cried Mr. Littleton,
“to differ from you in my opinion concerning Lady
Mary's offer; I think our dear girl will be highly honoured
in her friendship and protection. You know
my dear if she should find herself unhappy, she has a
home, however homely, where she will be sure of being
received with transport. I am growing old; when
I am gone all is gone; it would be some comfort to
me to reflect in my last moments, that my dear Rebecca
was not likely to feel the pangs of want. The small
annuity I have purchased for you will supply the necessaries
of life to one, but not to both of you. I am as
unwilling as you can be to part with her; but it is necessary
she should be in some way of earning a support,
and, I trust, she has sense and fortitude sufficient to
withstand every temptation to evil.”
“Oh! my father,” cried Rebecca, taking his hand,
“you may, indeed, depend on a child whose heart
your precepts have trained in the love of virtue. Methinks,
should I ever be tempted to stray in the paths
of vice, your blest image will rise to my imagination;
methinks I shall hear your persuasive voice say “Rebecca,
wilt thou break thy father's heart?” Will
it be possible, then, for me to proceed? Oh! no;
the remembrance of you, like a talisman, will shield
me from every danger.”
“Why, how the girl talks!” said Mrs. Littleton:
“I declare she learns these things out of the books she
is for ever reading; for 'tis not the language of the
world; there is nobody hardly can understand her”.
“It is the language of the heart,” replied the father.
“Well, Sir, you are to act as you please; but if
any ill come of it, don't blame me; don't say I drove
her from home.”
“My dear, you talk of things which never could
enter my mind. I know you will always be happy to
have your child with you, strange if you were not, so
amiable as she is! But as I said just now, I am growing
old, I cannot remain much longer with you, and, perhaps
you may marry again.”
“Marry again! Mr. Littleton, you surely are trying
to vex me. Ah! my dearest life, when I loose
you I shall loose all my happiness; the rest of my life
will be a continued scene of mourning; there is a degree
of indelicacy in a woman marrying a second time:
it is an insult to the memory of the first husband, of
which I could not have believed you thought me capable.
It has hurt me more than I can express,” and
she burst into tears.
“All this now is nonsense,” said the old man, taking
hold of her hand; “for my part I see nothing in
a woman's having two husbands; it is naturally to be
expected when she is left a lovely widow, in the prime
of life, as you are now.”
“No indeed papa,” said Rebecca, innocently,
“there is nothing in it at all; it is as common as can
be.”
“Hold your tongue, Miss; do not talk so unfeelingly
of the loss of your poor dear father.”
“God send,” cried Rebecca, fervently clasping her
hands “that for this many, many years, I may not
experience so heavy an affliction as the loss of my revered
parent: it would be a heavy stroke to us both,
my dear mamma, but to me irreparable; for, though
you might find another husband, where should poor
Rebecca find another father?” She turned away, covered
her face with her hand, and sobbed aloud.
After much more altercation it was at length agreed,
that Rebecca should accept Lady Mary's offer, and that
Mr. Littleton should himself go to the Park that afternoon
to thank her for her bounty, and to request her
kindest attention to the welfare and peace of his darling
Rebecca.
Lady Mary received him with great politeness, and,
after chatting some time with him, and assuring him of
her protection to his daughter, she thus addressed him:
“I feel myself much interested in the happiness of
Rebecca, and for that reason, though I mean to make
her my companion, I shall not introduce her into company,
or give her a taste for expensive pleasures. When
I have visitors, her meals will be served in her own
apartment; when I am alone, which is the greatest
part of my time, she will eat and sit with me, reading,
working, or amusing herself as inclination shall prompt.
“I will confess I have an interested motive for this
conduct. I have a son, Mr. Littleton, the last remaining
branch of two noble families. I am sensible his
heart is not invulnerable, and I am fully convinced
that your daughter is the most lovely woman I ever
beheld; but all charming as she is (pardon me, Sir,
it is my duty in this point to be sincere) I should not
choose to see her the wife of my son, and I have too
high a regard for her to expose her to trials to which
her fortitude may be unequal. I do not scruple to say
it would hurt my pride to see her his wife; but it would
wound my sensibility to see her his mistress. My house
at Twickenham is large; one part of it is seldom visited
by any body but myself; here I mean to order her
an apartment, and whenever I expect Sir George I
shall request her to keep within it: however, as he is
a very gay young man, I do not see him very often,
and when he does come he does not stay with me above
two or three hours; therefore, Mr. Littleton let Rebecca
know this, if she can bear solitude sometimes,
and in general retirement, I shall esteem myself happy
to have her with me. If she dislikes the plan, do not
fear to inform me. I remember I was once young myself,
and shall not be at all offended if I find youth and
beauty unable to submit implicitly to the caprices of
age. One thing more I must mention: I shall constantly
visit Audley Park once a year; Rebecca shall
always accompany me, and as we shall be out of all danger
at those times, every amusement that I can procure
she may depend upon enjoying.”
Mr. Littleton was a man of sense: he was pleased
with Lady Mary's frankness, and readily conceived,
that the proposed retired situation of his child would be
the only thing to shield her from those snares and
temptations to which a young woman is subject, who,
possessed of beauty, wit, and sensibility, has neither
rank or fortune to recommend her to the serious attention
of those who might pretend to admire while, they
lead the unsuspecting innocent a victim to vice and seduction!
He returned home, and maugre the ill-grounded
suspicions of his wife, the next day but one was fixed
on for the lovely Rebecca to attend her patroness, and
enter on an entire new course of life.
