Dora Thorne [91]
meet all my friends? Why did you not wait until tomorrow?"
"I could not," he said; "and you perhaps would not then have been so kind."
He loved her all the more for her simplicity. As they left the garden, Lord Airlie gathered a white rose and gave it to Beatrice. Long afterward, when the leaves had become yellow and dry, the rose was found.
They remained in the conservatory a few minutes, and then went back to the ball room.
"Every waltz must be mine now," said Lord Airlie. "And, Beatrice, I shall speak to Lord Earle tonight. Are you willing?"
Yes, she was willing. It was very pleasant to be taken possession of so completely. It was pleasant to find a will stronger than her own. She did not care how soon all the world knew that she loved him. The only thing she wondered at was why he should be so unspeakably happy.
Chapter XXX
Beatrice never recollected how the ball ended; to her it was one long trance of happiness. She heard the music, the murmur of voices, as though in a dream. There were times when everything seemed brighter than usual--that was when Lord Airlie stood by her side. Her heart was filled with unutterable joy.
It was strange, but in that hour of happiness she never even thought of Hugh Fernely; the remembrance of him never once crossed her mind. Nothing marred the fullness of her content.
She stood by Lord Earle's side as guest after guest came up to say adieu. She saw Lord Airlie waiting for her father.
"Lord Earle will be engaged for some time, I fear," he said; "I must see him tonight. Beatrice, promise me you will not go to rest until your father has given us his consent."
She could not oppose him. When girls like Beatrice Earle once learn to love, there is something remarkable in the complete abandonment of their will. She would fain have told him, with gay, teasing words, that he had won concession enough for one night; as it was, she simply promised to do as he wished.
Lord Earle received the parting compliments of his guests, wondering at the same time why Lord Airlie kept near him and seemed unwilling to lose sight of him. The happy moment arrived when the last carriage rolled away, and the family at Earlescourt were left alone. Lady Earle asked the two young girls to go into her room for half an hour to "talk over the ball." Lionel, sorry the evening was over, retired to his room; then Hubert Airlie went to Lord Earle and asked if he might speak with him for ten minutes.
"Will it not do tomorrow?" inquired Ronald, smiling, as he held up his watch. "See, it is past three o'clock."
"No," replied Lord Airlie; "I could not pass another night in suspense."
"Come with me, then," said the master of Earlescourt, as he led the way to the library, where the lamps were still alight.
"Now, what is it?" he asked, good-humoredly, turning to the excited, anxious lover.
"Perhaps I ought to study my words," said Lord Airlie; "but I can not. Lord Earle, I love your daughter Beatrice. Will you give her to me to be my wife?"
"Sooner than to any one else in the world," replied Ronald. "Is she willing?"
"I think so," was the answer, Lord Airlie's heart thrilling with happiness as he remembered her words.
"Let us see," said Lord Earle. He rang the bell, and sent for his daughter.
Lord Airlie never forgot the beautiful, blushing face half turned from him as Beatrice entered the room.
"Beatrice," said her father, clasping her in his arms, "is this true? Am I to give you to Lord Airlie?"
"If you please, papa," she whispered.
"I do please," he cried. "Hubert, I give you a treasure beyond all price. You may judge of my daughter's love from her own word. I know it has never been given to any one but you. You are my daughter's first lover, and her first love. You may take her to your heart, well satisfied that she has never cared for any one else. It is true, Beatrice, is it not?"
"Yes," she said, faltering for a moment as, for the first time, she remembered Hugh.
"Tomorrow," continued Lord Earle, "we will talk of
"I could not," he said; "and you perhaps would not then have been so kind."
He loved her all the more for her simplicity. As they left the garden, Lord Airlie gathered a white rose and gave it to Beatrice. Long afterward, when the leaves had become yellow and dry, the rose was found.
They remained in the conservatory a few minutes, and then went back to the ball room.
"Every waltz must be mine now," said Lord Airlie. "And, Beatrice, I shall speak to Lord Earle tonight. Are you willing?"
Yes, she was willing. It was very pleasant to be taken possession of so completely. It was pleasant to find a will stronger than her own. She did not care how soon all the world knew that she loved him. The only thing she wondered at was why he should be so unspeakably happy.
Chapter XXX
Beatrice never recollected how the ball ended; to her it was one long trance of happiness. She heard the music, the murmur of voices, as though in a dream. There were times when everything seemed brighter than usual--that was when Lord Airlie stood by her side. Her heart was filled with unutterable joy.
It was strange, but in that hour of happiness she never even thought of Hugh Fernely; the remembrance of him never once crossed her mind. Nothing marred the fullness of her content.
She stood by Lord Earle's side as guest after guest came up to say adieu. She saw Lord Airlie waiting for her father.
"Lord Earle will be engaged for some time, I fear," he said; "I must see him tonight. Beatrice, promise me you will not go to rest until your father has given us his consent."
She could not oppose him. When girls like Beatrice Earle once learn to love, there is something remarkable in the complete abandonment of their will. She would fain have told him, with gay, teasing words, that he had won concession enough for one night; as it was, she simply promised to do as he wished.
Lord Earle received the parting compliments of his guests, wondering at the same time why Lord Airlie kept near him and seemed unwilling to lose sight of him. The happy moment arrived when the last carriage rolled away, and the family at Earlescourt were left alone. Lady Earle asked the two young girls to go into her room for half an hour to "talk over the ball." Lionel, sorry the evening was over, retired to his room; then Hubert Airlie went to Lord Earle and asked if he might speak with him for ten minutes.
"Will it not do tomorrow?" inquired Ronald, smiling, as he held up his watch. "See, it is past three o'clock."
"No," replied Lord Airlie; "I could not pass another night in suspense."
"Come with me, then," said the master of Earlescourt, as he led the way to the library, where the lamps were still alight.
"Now, what is it?" he asked, good-humoredly, turning to the excited, anxious lover.
"Perhaps I ought to study my words," said Lord Airlie; "but I can not. Lord Earle, I love your daughter Beatrice. Will you give her to me to be my wife?"
"Sooner than to any one else in the world," replied Ronald. "Is she willing?"
"I think so," was the answer, Lord Airlie's heart thrilling with happiness as he remembered her words.
"Let us see," said Lord Earle. He rang the bell, and sent for his daughter.
Lord Airlie never forgot the beautiful, blushing face half turned from him as Beatrice entered the room.
"Beatrice," said her father, clasping her in his arms, "is this true? Am I to give you to Lord Airlie?"
"If you please, papa," she whispered.
"I do please," he cried. "Hubert, I give you a treasure beyond all price. You may judge of my daughter's love from her own word. I know it has never been given to any one but you. You are my daughter's first lover, and her first love. You may take her to your heart, well satisfied that she has never cared for any one else. It is true, Beatrice, is it not?"
"Yes," she said, faltering for a moment as, for the first time, she remembered Hugh.
"Tomorrow," continued Lord Earle, "we will talk of