第269章

'Miss Clara,' he began, rising from his chair, and coming into the middle of the room. 'I think you know what my wishes are.' Then he put his hand upon his heart. 'And your respected mother is the same way of thinking. It's that that emboldens me to be so sudden. Not but what my heart has been yours and yours only all along, before the old lady so much as mentioned it.' Clara would give him no assistance, not even the aid of a negative, but stood there quite passive, with her hand on the door. 'Since I first had the pleasure of seeing you I have always said to myself, "Augustus Musselboro, that is the woman for you, if you can only win her." But there was so much against me--wasn't there?' She would not even take advantage of this by assuring him that there certainly always had been much against him, but allowed him to go on till he should run out all the length of his tether. 'I mean, of course, in the way of money,' he continued. 'I hadn't much that I could call my own when your respected mother first allowed me to become acquainted with you. But it's different now; and I think I may say that I'm all right in that respect. Poor Broughton's going this way will make it a deal smoother to me; and I may say that I and your mamma will be all in all to each other now about money.' Then he stopped.

'I don't quite understand what you mean by all this,' said Clara.

'I mean that there isn't a more devoted fellow in all London than what Iam to you.' Then he was about to go down on one knee, but it occurred to him that it would not be convenient to kneel to a lady who would stand quite close to the door. 'One and one, if they're put together well, will often make more than two. And so they shall with us,' said Musselboro, who began to feel that it might be expedient to throw a little spirit into his words.

'If you have done,' said Clara, 'you may as well hear from me for a minute. And I hope you will have the sense to understand that I really mean what I say.'

'I hope you will remember what are your mamma's wishes.'

'Mamma's wishes have no influence whatsoever with me in such matters as this. Mamma's arrangements with you are for her own convenience, and Iam not party to them. I do not know anything about mamma's money, and Ido not want to know. But under no possible circumstances will I consent to become your wife. Nothing that mamma could say or do would induce me even to think of it. I hope you will be man enough to take this for an answer, and say nothing more about it.'

'But, Miss Clara--'

'It's no good your Miss Claraing me, sir. What I have said to you may be sure I mean. Good-morning, sir.' Then she opened the door, and left him.

'By Jove, she is a Tartar,' said Musselboro to himself, when he was alone. 'They're both Tartars, but the younger is the worse.' Then he began to speculate whether Fortune was not doing the best for him in so arranging that he might have use of the Tartar-mother's money without binding himself to endure for life the Tartar qualities of the daughter.

It had been understood that Clara was to wait at home till her mother should return before she again went to Mrs Broughton. At about eleven Mrs Van Siever came in, and her daughter intercepted her at the dining-room door before she made her way upstairs to Mr Musselboro. 'How is she, mamma?' said Clara with something of hypocrisy in her assumed interest for Mrs Broughton.

'She is an idiot!' said Mrs Van Siever.

'She has had a terrible misfortune!'

'That is no reason why she should be an idiot; and she is heartless too.

She never cared a bit for him--not a bit.'

'He was a man whom it was impossible to care for much. I will go to her now, mamma.'

'Where is Musselboro?'

'He is upstairs.'

'Well?'

'Mamma, that is quite out of the question. Quite. I would not marry him to save myself from starving.'

'You do not know what starving is yet, my dear. Tell me the truth at once. Are you engaged to that painter?' Clara paused a moment before she answered, not hesitating as to the expediency of telling her mother any truth on the matter in question, but doubting what the truth might really be. Could she say that she was engaged to Mr Dalrymple, or could she say that she was not? 'If you tell me a lie, miss, I'll have you put out at once.'

'I certainly shall not tell you a lie. Mr Dalrymple has asked me to be his wife, and I have made him no answer. If he asks me again I shall accept him.'

'Then I order you not to leave this house,' said Mrs Van Siever.

'Surely I may go to Mrs Broughton?'

'I order you not to leave this house,' said Mrs Van Siever again --and thereupon she stalked out of the dining-room and went upstairs. Clara had been standing with her bonnet on, ready dressed to go out, and the mother made no attempt to send the daughter up to her room. That she did not expect to be obeyed in her order may be inferred from the first words which she spoke to Mr Musselboro. 'She has gone off to that man now. You are not good, Musselboro, at this kind of work.'

'You see, Mrs Van, he had the start of me so much. And then being at the West End, and all that, gives a man such a standing with a girl.'

'Bother!' said Mrs Van Siever, as he quick ear caught the sound of the closing hall-door. Clara had stood a minute or two to consider, and then had resolved that she would disobey her mother. She tried to excuse her own conduct to her own satisfaction as she went. 'There are some things,' she said, 'which even a daughter cannot hear from her mother.

If she chooses to close the door against me, she must do so.'

She found Mrs Broughton still in bed, and could not but agree with her mother that the woman was both silly and heartless.

'Your mother says that everything must be sold up,' said Mrs Broughton.

'At any rate you would hardly choose to remain here,' said Clara.