Now that he was more at his ease, and saw that his aunt was pleased with both Hester and the major, Lord Gartley began to radiate his fascinations. All his finer nature appeared. He grew playful, even teasing, gave again and again a quick repartee, and sang as his aunt had never heard him sing before. But when Hester sang, the thing was done. The aunt perceived at once what a sensation such a singer would make in her circle! She would be a decided gain to the family, even contributing in herself an added luster to the title. Then who could tell but this cousin of hers—who seemed to have plenty of money the way he so cheerfully parted with it at the gaming table—might be moved to make a poor countess a rich one. The thing was settled, so far as Gartley was concerned.

23. Courtship in Earnest

—Twenty-Three —

Courtship in Earnest

Christmas was a merry day to all but the major, who did not like things any better than before. He found refuge and consolation with Mark, who was merry in a mild and reflective way.

Lord Gartley now began to pursue his courtship in earnest, with full intent and purpose. “How could she listen to him?” I can hear some reader say. But to explain the thing is more than I am bound to undertake. As I may have said twenty times before, how this woman will have this man is one of the deeper mysteries of the world—yea, of the maker of the world, perhaps.

One thing I may suggest—that where men see no reason why a woman should love this or that man, she may see something in him which they do not see, or do not value as she does. Alas for her if she only imagines it! One thing more I would touch upon which men are more likely never to have thought of than to have forgotten—that the love which a beautiful woman gives a man, is in itself not an atom more precious than that which a plain woman gives. In the two hearts they are the same, if the hearts be like. If not, the advantage may well be with the plain woman. The love of a beautiful woman is no more thrown away than the love of the plainest. The same holds with regard to women of differing intellectual developments or endowment.

But when a woman of high hopes and aims—a woman filled with eternal aspirations after life, and unity with her divine original gives herself to such a one as lord Gartley, I cannot help thinking she must have seriously mistaken some things both in him and in herself, the consequence, probably, of some self-sufficiency, ambition, or other fault in her, which requires the correction of suffering.