East Lynne [154]
it be possible for me to see my mother this time?" he demanded of Mr. Carlyle.
"I think it would be highly injudicious to let your mother know you are here, or have been here," was the answer of Mr. Carlyle. "She would naturally be inquiring into particulars, and when she came to hear that you were pursued, she would never have another minute's peace. You must forego the pleasure of seeing her this time, Richard."
"And Barbara?"
"Barbara might come and stay the day with you. Only----"
"Only what, sir?" cried Richard, for Mr. Carlyle had hesitated.
"I was thinking what a wretched morning it is for her to come out in."
"She would go through an avalanche--she'd wade through mountains of snow, to see me," cried Richard eagerly, "and be delighted to do it."
"She always was a little fool," put in Miss Carlyle, jerking some stitches out of her knitting.
"I know she would," observed Mr. Carlyle, in answer to Richard. "We will try and get her here."
"She can arrange about the money I am to have, just as well as my mother could you know, sir."
"Yes; for Barbara is in receipt of money of her own now, and I know she would not wish better than to apply some of it to you. Cornelia, as an excuse for getting her here, I must say to Mrs. Hare that you are ill, and wish Barbara to come for the day and bear your company. Shall I?"
"Say I am dead, if you like," responded Miss Corny, who was in one of her cross moods.
Mr. Carlyle ordered the pony carriage, and drove forth with John. He drew in at the grove. Barbara and Mrs. Hare were seated together, and looked surprised at the early visit.
"Do you want Mr. Hare, Archibald? He is out. He went while the breakfast was on the table, apparently in a desperate hurry."
"I don't want Mr. Hare; I want Barbara. I have come to carry her off."
"To carry off Barbara!" echoed Mrs. Hare.
"Cornelia is not well; she had caught a violent cold, and wishes Barbara to spend the day with her."
"Oh, Mr. Carlyle, I cannot leave mamma to-day. She is not well herself, and she would be dull without me."
"Neither can I spare her, Archibald. It is not a day for Barbara to go out."
How could he get to say a word to Barbara alone? Whilst he deliberated, talking on, though, all the while to Mrs. Hare, a servant appeared at the sitting-room door.
"The fishmonger's boy is come up, ma'am. His master has sent him to say that he fears there'll be no fish in to-day, in anything like time. The trains won't get up, with this weather."
Mrs. Hare rose from her seat to hold a confab at the door with the maid; and Mr. Carlyle seized his opportunity.
"Barbara," he whispered, "make no opposition. You /must/ come. What I really want you for is connected with Richard."
She looked up at him, a startled glance, and the crimson flew to her face. Mrs. Hare returned to her seat. "Oh, such a day!" she shivered. "I am sure Cornelia cannot expect Barbara."
"But Cornelia does. And there is my pony carriage waiting to take her before I go to the office. Not a flake of snow can come near her, Mrs. Hare. The large warm apron will be up, and an umbrella shield her bonnet and face. Get your things on, Barbara."
"Mamma if you would not very much mind being left, I should like to go," said Barbara, with almost trembling eagerness.
"But you would be sure to take cold, child."
"Oh, dear no. I can wrap up well."
"And I will see that she comes home all right this evening," added Mr. Carlyle.
In a few minutes they were seated in the pony carriage. Barbara's tongue was burning to ask questions, but John sat behind them, and would have overheard. When they arrived at East Lynne, Mr. Carlyle gave her his arm up the steps, and took her into the breakfast-room.
"Will you prepare yourself for a surprise, Barbara?"
Suspense--fear--had turned her very pale. "Something that has happened to Richard!" she uttered.
"Nothing that need agitate you. He is here."
"Here? Where?
"Here. Under this roof. He slept here last night."
"Oh, Archibald!"
"Only fancy, Barbara, I
"I think it would be highly injudicious to let your mother know you are here, or have been here," was the answer of Mr. Carlyle. "She would naturally be inquiring into particulars, and when she came to hear that you were pursued, she would never have another minute's peace. You must forego the pleasure of seeing her this time, Richard."
"And Barbara?"
"Barbara might come and stay the day with you. Only----"
"Only what, sir?" cried Richard, for Mr. Carlyle had hesitated.
"I was thinking what a wretched morning it is for her to come out in."
"She would go through an avalanche--she'd wade through mountains of snow, to see me," cried Richard eagerly, "and be delighted to do it."
"She always was a little fool," put in Miss Carlyle, jerking some stitches out of her knitting.
"I know she would," observed Mr. Carlyle, in answer to Richard. "We will try and get her here."
"She can arrange about the money I am to have, just as well as my mother could you know, sir."
"Yes; for Barbara is in receipt of money of her own now, and I know she would not wish better than to apply some of it to you. Cornelia, as an excuse for getting her here, I must say to Mrs. Hare that you are ill, and wish Barbara to come for the day and bear your company. Shall I?"
"Say I am dead, if you like," responded Miss Corny, who was in one of her cross moods.
Mr. Carlyle ordered the pony carriage, and drove forth with John. He drew in at the grove. Barbara and Mrs. Hare were seated together, and looked surprised at the early visit.
"Do you want Mr. Hare, Archibald? He is out. He went while the breakfast was on the table, apparently in a desperate hurry."
"I don't want Mr. Hare; I want Barbara. I have come to carry her off."
"To carry off Barbara!" echoed Mrs. Hare.
"Cornelia is not well; she had caught a violent cold, and wishes Barbara to spend the day with her."
"Oh, Mr. Carlyle, I cannot leave mamma to-day. She is not well herself, and she would be dull without me."
"Neither can I spare her, Archibald. It is not a day for Barbara to go out."
How could he get to say a word to Barbara alone? Whilst he deliberated, talking on, though, all the while to Mrs. Hare, a servant appeared at the sitting-room door.
"The fishmonger's boy is come up, ma'am. His master has sent him to say that he fears there'll be no fish in to-day, in anything like time. The trains won't get up, with this weather."
Mrs. Hare rose from her seat to hold a confab at the door with the maid; and Mr. Carlyle seized his opportunity.
"Barbara," he whispered, "make no opposition. You /must/ come. What I really want you for is connected with Richard."
She looked up at him, a startled glance, and the crimson flew to her face. Mrs. Hare returned to her seat. "Oh, such a day!" she shivered. "I am sure Cornelia cannot expect Barbara."
"But Cornelia does. And there is my pony carriage waiting to take her before I go to the office. Not a flake of snow can come near her, Mrs. Hare. The large warm apron will be up, and an umbrella shield her bonnet and face. Get your things on, Barbara."
"Mamma if you would not very much mind being left, I should like to go," said Barbara, with almost trembling eagerness.
"But you would be sure to take cold, child."
"Oh, dear no. I can wrap up well."
"And I will see that she comes home all right this evening," added Mr. Carlyle.
In a few minutes they were seated in the pony carriage. Barbara's tongue was burning to ask questions, but John sat behind them, and would have overheard. When they arrived at East Lynne, Mr. Carlyle gave her his arm up the steps, and took her into the breakfast-room.
"Will you prepare yourself for a surprise, Barbara?"
Suspense--fear--had turned her very pale. "Something that has happened to Richard!" she uttered.
"Nothing that need agitate you. He is here."
"Here? Where?
"Here. Under this roof. He slept here last night."
"Oh, Archibald!"
"Only fancy, Barbara, I