Ada Fortescue. A novel. By the author of 'The Dalrymples, etc

Front matter

ADA FORTESCUE. A NOVEL. pHY I'HK AUTHOR OF "THE DALRYMPLES," "HARRIETTS BROWN'S SCHOOL-DAYS," ETC IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 80. WELBECK STREET. CAVENDISH SQUARE. 1863. THE BMHI OF TBANSLATI8S IS SF.SMTIB. UtbtcftL-t) (HI PERMISSION) ID SIR JOHN ii 0 W Ii I N G . AS A MARE OF RESPECT AND FRIENDSHIP, LV SIBELLA JONES. CHAPTEE I. " My dear Ada, I really wish that you would not continue to hang over your embroidery with such persevering industry. Come, dear, put it aside, and do let me see you exert yourself a little to-day to be cheerful and happy. You know your papa and I have been putting ourselves both to expense and trouble in pro viding a suitable entertainment for the distin- .b2 guished guests whom we are to receive this evening. This has been done entirely for the purpose of promoting the pleasure and advantage of our children, and therefore let me hope that you will all shew yourselves amiable, if only in gratitude to us," and as she uttered these words, the speaker laid a soft hand upon the shoulder of the fair girl by her side, and impressed a kiss upon her brow.

The foregoiDg sentence had been uttered half playfully, half sorrowfully ; and although the accent was affectionate and kind, yet there might be traced a slight — very slight — tinge of reproach in the tone and manner in which the words were spoken. As the fair face was now raised to greet the tokens of maternal affection, • * it was of a more than usually pallid hue, and the light which beamed from the dark hazel eye was dimmed with tears, while the whole coun tenance betrayed a look of such deep grief as went to the mother's heart. "Dearest child, what is the matter? Your conduct has become so very strange of late. Have you some secret sorrow which you cannot trust to tell your own fond mother ? But we must not excite ourselves to-day, so try to be happy, dearest;" and the kind mother drew Ada gently towards her, and pressed the fragile figure closely to her bosom.

During this moment the sorrowing girl succeeded in recovering self-possession, and, with a glow on the cheek and a smile upon the lips, answered almost gaily, " Oh yes, I will be happy, my dearest mother ; but, you know, we cannot always be gay and lively, there are so many sad things in this world. Should they not affect our own interests, or even appear to spring from our own wrong actions, yet the^ are still going on perpetually around us ; and it would, I think, be easier at times to bear our own undivided sorrows, than have cause to think that others whom we love, should suffer when we can neither share their fate, nor alleviate their trials ! You always told me, as a child, that I was ' too sensitive to be happy in this rough, cold world,' and yet how little rough has it been to me !

Chapter II

In explanation of Miss Macdougal's unaccountable excitement described in the foregoing chapter, it is necessary to state that the principal entertainment for that evening was to consist of tableaux vivans, which had, of course, been all previously arranged ; and during the afternoon of the preceding day, the last re hearsal had taken place to the most perfect satisfaction of all the connoisseurs present. Now, Miss Macdougal had all along been the presiding genius of these representations ; she it was who had selected the subjects — appointed the persons for supporting each characc5 ter — had chosen the costumes and arranged the draperies. All that was connected with scenic effect had been confided to her direction, under the certain and unanimous conviction that she would execute the whole affair with far better taste and judgment than anyone else could do No person would have given Miss Mac dougal credit, judging from her external appearance, for possessing so much taste and ingenuity as she really did in all matters of dramatic effect ; but she had been an exquisite miniature painter in her youth, and while pro secuting this art had become a proficient in those qualifications which were now so much required for the arrangement of the living portraits.

In person she was tall, bony, thin, and with a most uncomfortable way of doing everything — one whose remarkably awkward manipulation suggested to her saucy young friend Cyrus the idea that, "her fingers had run to grass ', With respect to age, Miss Macdougal was getting decidedly past her prime, reckoning, even as she did, that there was a juvenile prime from sweet seventeen to seven-and twenty; and then an awfully long mature prime, which extended over nearly thirty years, during which period she always main tained, that the bloom of youth once passed, a lady who possessed any pretensions to good looks, underwent very little perceptible change, and experienced no diminution of attention from the other sex ! At sixty, she reluctantly began to confess, to herself only, that ladies were beginning to get old ; but comforted herself, in her own case, with the delusive hope that they might, then, venture to do as they liked.

This, however, a friend afterwards assured her was a perfect fallacy, for that there is no age at which either widow or spinster can per form an act of ordinary good nature or friendly feeling towards a man, that his vanity does not consider it a kind of matrimonial assault, from which he so sensitively shrinks back, as frequently to cause much merriment among his lady friends. When this happy period of freedom did actually arrive in Miss Macdougal's span of life, great alteration was observable in her dress, manner, and appearance. She no longer appeared at evening entertainments, ball, or soiree, dressed a la poulet, but, as she expressed it, ' covered up ;' and, in consequence of the im probability of any misconstructions or mis understandings now arising from her manner or attentions to the gentlemen of her acquaintance, she liberally indulged herself in violently patronising very young men.

Miss Macdougal's parties were popular; she gave very good dinners, balls, and conversazione, without number; provided the gentlemen with excellent champagne, and introduced them to charming partner?. As might be expected, her residence naturally became the favourite lounge of young men of any pretension— particularly with the officers of the neighbour ing barracks. No one, however, among her acquaintance was ever allowed to forget that she was fourth cousin, only three times re moved from the present Duke of B , which made the male aspirants to her favour always on the look out for a lift through her high interest, either in their military or diplomatic career. Miss Macdougal's appearance possessed something decidedly remarkable; she had large, coarse features, and a sort of broken jointed action in the use of her limbs, and a way of rocking her head to and fro, and then suddenly dropping it at intervals, which ex cited in her new acquaintance fears of dislocation, and at the same time suggested the idea of a toy^donkey, with its loose head, pulled by a string.

In dress, she was much addicted to a strappy kind of costume, consisting chiefly of floating, lengthy ends ; such as ribbons of various colours, streaming from cap and collar ; lappets, scarfs, and fringes. Her gloves, also, offered another remarkable feature in the out ward appearance of this singular person, and were very far from irreproachable, being seldom either new or clean, and always three sizes too large. Indeed, they have been seen to fall from her hands of their own accord, when these members were in a perpendicular or natural position. One should ever be careful not to form hasty judgments, or be led away by external appearance, when wishing to form a just estimate of the qualities of mind. This lady did, most un doubtedly, possess elegant taste on the one subject which we have named ; and the out ward woman presented a perfect contrast and contradiction to . her inner self.

She was, certainly, in possession of a talent for drawing, as well as the arrangement of draperies and assortment of colours, so as to produce good scenic effect ; although this talent by no means displayed itself in any artistic acumen regarding her own adornment. In this case, perhaps, of personal decoration, she might have been thrown off her equilibrium by that distorting tyrant, Fashion; and, having once lost her balance, and unable to recover herself, had caught at anything which came recommended bythe taste osher Abigail, who, like most of her class, wished her mistress to show off as many fine things at one and the same time as could conveniently be bestowed about her person. Such was Miss Macdougal, the unexpected visitor at Ashley House, whose words and manner had so greatly alarmed the ladies, and whose unwelcome presence disturbed them while occupied with little matters of tasteful arrangement for the approaching festival.

Having quieted their anxiety, Miss Mac dougal resumed the conversation by saying- — " Dear Mrs. Fortescue, you really do not appear fully to appreciate the extent of our loss, or of my feelings of disappointment, on the subject of the Captain's absence." " Oh ! it is not so very serious a matter — we may get another Sultan." "How can you make light of such a sad contre-tems? Where, so late in the day, shall we find such another fine fellow as Walsingham, to personate his character ? He looked magnificent in his fez cap and flowing robes !" " I think I could, perhaps, manage to get you a substitute for the Captain," said Cyrus, addressing himself to Miss Macdougal; "there's my friend, Dickenson, not far off; he is very good natured, and I am sure will do anything to oblige me. We are capital friends.

If he has nothing to say or do, I think he would answer your purpose very well. He is not handsome, but he is rather tall ; and I dare say he'll do well enough for a Turk, particularly if only required to sit still on the heels of his boots." " I should certainly like him to be rather agreeable looking," said Miss Macdougal, " on poor Lady Emily Trevor's account, Cyrus, for I know that she will be dreadfully disappointed at Captain Walsingham's absence ; for it is evident, entre nous, that she has a very decided partiality for him. But we must, indeed, procure another Sultan for the poor girl ; for I I know both she and her mother would absolutely break their hearts should the piece, in which she is to act, be given up entirely. It is but seldom that a handsome girl, as she is, has so favourable an opportunity of displaying her beauty, and that to such an immense advantage, too, before so large and fashionable a circle.

" Especially," added Cyrus, in an under tone to Francesca, and laughing as he spoke, " the immense favour conferred onus, of allow ing herself to be stared at unabashed for several minutes in our drawing-room. How ever, when I am lucky enough to get a lady love, I'll not let her be stared at in that style, I can tell you. These are hard times for us ' boys,' as you are pleased to call us, Cissy, for you girls are so mighty impudent, that there is nothing left for us but to turn shy." "I am sadly afraid that Dickenson is a little too modest for this game, but I'll go see" — and, having taken leave of Miss Macdougal, who bid him " not fail in having a hero 'ready caged ' for her by the time she returned at half-past eight o'clock," Cyrus left the room. Shortly afterwards, the Duke of B 's cousin left Ashley-house ; and the family party dispersed.

As she was about to leave the room, Mrs. Fortescue called Francesca to her, and in a most impressive and mysterious manner said, — " Cissy, my love, come here ; I have a favour to ask of you. Do not repeat my words to anyone, but I wish you not to make yourself agreeable to Major Leslie to-night. He is cer tainly very much struck with Ada, and your father and I have quite set our minds upon this being a match." "I! — I make myself not agreeable! — the idea ! Why, you know, my dear mamma, I cannot help it. I am always most agreeable — most attractive ; it is a part of my very nature ! I cannot really promise you any such thing. I can, however, promise not to speak to Major Leslie, or even look at him. That is all I can venture. WiU that satisfy you, mother mine ?" " Well, dearest child, that would be the best thing — if you could abstain altogether from talking to him, yet without appearing to do so intentionally ; for it is strange how very often sisters interfere with each other's prospects in this respect.

I have more than once seen a man's thoughts and feehngs quite unsettled, and his affections dispersed to the four winds, amidst the perplexing attractions of two or three sisters, so that he has gone off and married neither of them. I should, therefore, be pleased, when you see a gentleman paying any slight attention to one of your sisters, if you would avoid him as much as possible. I assure you, you should, Cissy — now, do not laugh and look so roguish — so full of nonsense. Remember, that I am your mother, so you should respect what I say, and I have great experience in these delicate little affairs, and your papa says, that ' 1 shew a great deal of tact.' So do as I bid you to-night, at least, dearest." "Very well, my dear mamma; I will try to be as disagreeable to every one as I can be, and especially to Major Leslie and Mr. St. Clare" — but, before Mrs. Fortescue could receive any reply to this pert compliance with her expressed wish, the lively girl had flitted from the room, and the words that followed were addressed to the empty space.

" Cissy, what a tiresome, saucy thing you are ! but" — and the anxious mother pondered silently, — " this proves to me that she both sees and appreciates young St. Clare's attentions to herself, and knows that they are agreeable to her parents. I truly hope these two pet schemes, on which Fortescue and I have quite set our hearts, will end in the ac complishment of our wishes." Here the speculative matron was interrupted in her innocent little plotting by the entrance of Ada, who, stealing gently and cautiously forward into the apartment, and seeing that her mother was alone, came close up to her and said, in a low whisper — " Dearest mamma, do not be vexed with me for what I am going to say, but I have a great favour to ask, and you must promise not to tell anyone — not even my father. Will you try to prevent Major Leslie from paying me any attention this evening ?

I can never like him. I can never think of him otherwise than as a friend, therefore, do not, I pray you, en courage him in showing any preference for me., for I assure you it can only end in his mortification and our own." " My dear Ada, I do not approve, nor am I accustomed to being dictated to as regards how I am to act — what I am to do, and what I am to leave undone ; and, least of all, do I like this sort tutelage to come from one of my own children," said Mrs. Fortescue, drawing herself up with matronly dignity. "You know that I am no match-making mother, and really I must, on so important a subject, leave matters to take their own course. If Major Leslie should pay you as much attention this evening as he did the last time you met, I really think that you, or aiy oiher young lady, might feel proud and gratified, but, indeed, I do not see how we can reject or put off one who has not yet spoken decidedly of any intention^, either to you or to your father.

We must, therefore, suffer things to take their own course, for the present, I confess it pleases me, dearest Ada, to see you, and, indeed, any girl, unwilling to give up her heart the first moment it is likely to be asked for ; but you wiU learn to like Leslie, my love, for he is, in every respect, unexceptionable. Amiable, gentleman-like, and well connected, he is also in the possession of a fortune which most girls would covet to share with him. Therefore, it would be madness to throw away such a chance of establishment, and really, I may say, of domestic happiness, for a mere girlish whim." "But, dearest mother, let me entreat you to oblige mo on this point, for I assure you that it is no ' girlish whim' or ' fancy' that leads me now most earnestly to entreat you not to favour Major Leslie's attentions to me."

Apparently insensible to all entreaty, and putting aside the soft curls with a gen! le hand, the admiring mother kissed the brow of the beautiful pleader, merely adding — " Well, dearest, we shall see ; perhaps, after all, he does not care anything about you ; we may be mistaken, and, perchance, the handsome Major will find another belle to-night among our guests, who will eclipse you entirely ! How will you like that ?" " Would to Heaven he might do so !" mur mured Ada, as she saw her mother quit the room. Then placing her hand over her eyes, she fell into a melancholy train of thought, from which she shortly afterwards roused her self, exclaiming, in an emphatic tone, "His attentions must cease." ..." And it shall be so at all costs. ADA F0RTE.-CUE. 48