CHAPTER L. IN WHICH SYMPTOMS ARE HANDLED WITH GREAT LEARNING. How silver sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, SHAKSPEARE. TREMAINE'S barouche had passed Homestead Hall by half a mile, and the inhabitants of that quiet mansion had been in bed for half an hour before any one of the party seemed disposed to break the silence in which they had departed from Bellenden House. Their way lay through a valley watered by the Wharf *, whose meadowed banks exhaled all the sweetness of the hay harvest. On one side were woods, buried by the evening shade, save where the moon, just risen, had not "fired," but silvered the "tops of the eastern pines." Not a sound broke in upon the stillness, except the regular returns of the horses' feet, and now and then the bark of a distant dog from the hills above. It was a scene to soothe the senses of all the party, and that soothing each seemed afraid to disturb. All were therefore silent. Evelyn was employed in drawing a comparison between the richness of the treat which at present courted him, and the contests of the vanity he had just witnessed. Georgina, the sweet and natural Georgina, gave herself up the more to the unsophisticated pleasure of the scene, from the recollection of the many artificial parts she had just seen acted, by persons who yet would have been enraged beyond forgiveness, if their sincerity had in any thing been questioned. And Tremaine required all the softness which by degrees stole upon him, to enable him * A very beautiful river in Yorkshire. to forget the disgust of the last hours, so as to think, much more to talk of them, with the commonest patience. For the first mile, indeed, he was seriously revolving a vow within himself, never again to stir out of the precincts of Woodington; when he recollected the effects of such a vow upon the forlorn Sir Hildebrand, and corrected it into a resolution never again to go to a public day, or to extend his acquaintance beyond those neighbours who were at that instant his companions. In these thoughts the carriage rolled rapidly on, and the spell of silence seemed likely to continue: when Evelyn, after contemplating the moon, which, now risen higher, began to glitter in the rippling of the water, suddenly broke out with," If Doctor M'Ginnis were here, what would he "For Heaven's sake," cried Tremaine, looking almost astounded, "who but yourself could think of interrupting such a scene as this with that odious man's name!" "Perhaps," answered the Doctor, drily, "you might like Mrs. Neville's or Miss Lyttleton's better!" "Worse and worse," observed Tremaine; "those women are absolute imps." "For shame," said Georgina, with gentleness; "this charming night ought to cure ill-humour, whatever our reason for it." "You are always so good!" replied Tremaine; "but even you, if you would but answer honestly-have you then been happy in any one minute of your life?” 66 Yes, very, in every part of it spent with dear Lady Bellenden." "Which amounted to that one minute;" pursued Tremaine; "but during any other?" 66 Happy is an important word," replied Georgina, hesitatingly; " and I have even been mortified; but I have also been amused." "Mortified by a handsome fool, and amused by a virago," rejoined Tremaine. "I watched every turn of that tell-tale countenance." "I own you have made me out," pursued Georgina; "for I was hurt by Lady Gertrude's finery, but more amused than disgusted by Miss Lyttleton's rattle, especially as Mrs. Neville seemed to think she meant no ill.” My dear Georgina," cried Tremaine; and in the warmth of the moment he pressed her hand— 66 Dear Georgina! her hand pressed, and in a soft summer's night! Then a declaration is at length coming from the refined fastidieux. Now there are three reasons against this. In the first place, the lady's father was present; which would have included a solecism in the etiquette of these matters never to be forgiven. In the next, he had no suspicion whatever how she would have taken a declaration, if he had made one; it would therefore have been altogether conrary to rule,-since, founded or not founded, there must be at least a hope on the part of the gentleman, before he screws himself up to the mark in question. Thirdly and lastly, (and which, perhaps, had better have been put first,) he had himself no thought whatever of making a declaration. In sober truth, Tremaine pressed Miss Evelyn's hand, merely because he was pressing his argument; and though it was a soft hand, a delicate hand, a tender, elegant, and feminine little hand, (and moreover such a hand was a part of a beautiful girl, which Tremaine particularly admired,) yet he knew no more that at that moment he was pressing it, than if it had been Miss Carysfort's. Not that he was insensible to all the little thrills and emotions, which even the tip of a finger can sometimes convey through another finger, up to the very heart; but then his heart must have been previously awakened, and the act itself must have proceeded in company with the proper associations. But in this instance the associations were not in unison, for they were all employed upon persons who excited the reverse of tenderness within his bosom,-namely, Mrs. Neville, Lady Gertrude, and the Amazon. It was not exactly the same with Georgina; for with her pure, unruffled soul, attuned generally to softness, and full of that respect for herself which perfect innocence always creates, she had forgotten all the little disappointments which Lady Gertrude had made her for a momunt feel; the noise and nonsense she had witnessed had begun to sink from her remembrance; and she was open alone to the impressions of the scenery we have been describing. With her, associations were all the other way. When Tremaine, therefore, uttered his exclamation, and pressed her hand to boot, as if to prevent its being lost upon her, a sensation of surprise, not unaccompanied with pleasure, came over her. It tingled in the fingers he pressed with his, passed up the arm, and took the road to a heart as pure as that Seraphina's which, in the dream of a moral writer of the last age, was found without a spot *. I say, "took the road," because I am far from abusing the despotic powers with which authors are invested, of relating whatever they please of what passes in a young lady's bosom, whether they are sure of the fact or not, and all because there is no fear of contradiction. I therefore do not pretend to say that this action and speech of Tremaine's went directly home to that lovely heart; but content myself with what squares better with both truth and probability, in saying they took the road to it. It is certain that Georgina had been gratified by his attentions during the whole of the visit to Bellenden House, where he seemed to have neither eyes nor ears for any body but herself, except when forced to make comparisons between her and others, which ended uniformly and greatly to her advantage. In this frame of mind, give me leave to say that an endearing expression, though involuntary, (and more so if accompanied by a squeeze of the hand,) becomes often critical with a young and sensible girl, especially if it happen in the country, and by moonlight by the bank of a river. It has been known sometimes to decide the thing, almost withont the party's knowing it herself. Her father observed the action, and heard the exclamation too; but on him it made not the least impression. And why? Simply I believe because he was not a young girl. * See the Spectator, No. 587. "My dear Georgina!" cried Tremaine, and pressing her hand as he said it," you are so honest yourself, that you confide at once in another's honesty; but of all women, do not be run away with by Mrs. Neville." "Did she ever run away with you ?" asked the Doctor. His daughter laughed at the question, while Tremaine returned, "She was nearer doing so than you are aware of-but, thank Heaven! I escaped." "But the application to giddy-brain?" said Evelyn. "That as Mrs. Neville can be all things to all men, and all women," replied Tremaine," her account of the person in question is not to be trusted." "Poor giddy-brain!" exclaimed the Doctor: "but I understand Mrs. Neville was very civil to Georgy, and invited her to Belvidere Castle, and promised balls, and I know not what, at the assizes. I protest I have a great mind she should go." "To be left again in the lurch," said Tremaine," the moment a Lady Gertrude appears." "I acknowledge I should not like that," remarked Georgina; "and should prefer Miss Lyttleton a thousand times. She at least seems to have honesty." "The honesty of a wild cat," answered Tremaine. "I confess," said the Doctor, "I thought she scratched admirably but will you tell us why you hate her?" 66 Simply because she departs from every one point in the character of her sex, which makes it either respectable or amiable.” "She hunts," observed the Doctor. "And would no doubt fight a duel," continued Tremaine," and drink and swear, were drinking and swearing again in fashion among men. She is fearless in unsexing herself, and I confess I never see her without wondering at her petticoats, as much as if I beheld a man in woman's clothes; and all this is to be excused because she means no harm." "Surely you are too severe," said Georgina: "do you really know any harm in her?-any vice?" "Not positive wickedness, as there is in Miss Carysfort," returned Tremaine; "but short of wickedness, all |