The Three Brides

think you can guess what it is. She thinks poor Frank must have mistaken what you said.'

'No-I wrote it,' said Lena, very low.

'And you really meant that the resolution made last year is to stand between you and Frank? I am not blaming you, I do not know whether you may not be acting rightly and wisely, and whether you may not have more reason than I know of to shrink from intrusting yourself to Frank; but my mother cannot understand it, and when she sees him heartbroken, and too unwell to act for himself-'

'Oh! is he ill?'

'He has a very bad cold, and could not get up till the afternoon, and he is deafer than ever.'

Lena moaned.

He proceeded: 'So as he cannot act for himself, my mother begged me to come to an understanding.'

'I told him to judge,' said Lena faintly, but turning Julius so as to walk back along the parade instead of to her abode.

'Was not that making him his own executioner?' said Julius.

'A promise is binding,' she added.

'Yet, is it quite fair?' said Julius, sure now which way her heart went, and thinking she was really longing to be absolved from a superstitious feeling; 'is it fair to expect another person to be bound by a vow of which you have not told him?'

'I never thought he could,' sighed she.

'And you know he was entrapped!' said Julius, roused to defend his brother.

'And by whom?' she said in accents of deep pain.

'I should have thought it just-both by your poor sister and by him- to undo the wrong then wrought,' said Julius, 'unless, indeed, you have some further cause for distrusting him?'

'No! no!' cried she. 'Oh, Julius! I do it for his own good. Your mother knows not what she wishes, in trying to entangle him again with me.'

'Lenore, will you tell me if anything in him besides that unhappy slip makes you distrust him?'

'I must tell the whole truth,' gasped the poor girl, as they walked along in the sound of the sea, the dark path here and there brightened by the gas-lights, 'or you will think it is his fault! Julius, I know more about my poor father than ever I did before. I was a child when I lived here before, and then Camilla took all the management. When we came to London, two months ago, I soon saw the kind of people he got round him for his comforters. I knew how he spent his evenings. It is second nature to him-he can't get put of it, I believe! I persuaded him to come down here, thinking it a haven of peace and safety. Alas! I little knew what old habits there were to resume, nor what was the real reason Camilla brought us away after paying our debts. I was a happy child then, when I only knew that papa was gone to his club. Now I know that it is a billiard- room-and that it is doing all the more harm because he is there-and I see him with people whom he does not like me to speak to. I don't know whether I could get him away, and it would be as bad anywhere else. I don't think he can help it. And he is often unwell; he can't do without me when he has the gout, and I ought not to leave him to himself. And then, if-if we did marry and he lived with us in London, think what it would be for Frank to have such a set brought about him. I don't see how he could keep them off. Or even an engagement bringing him down here-or anywhere, among papa's friends would be very bad for him. I saw it in London, even with Camilla to keep things in check.' She was almost choked with suppressed agony.

'I see,' said Julius, gravely and pitifully, 'it would take a man of more age and weight than poor Frank to deal with the habits of a lifetime. The risk is great.'

'And when I saw it,' added Eleonora, 'I felt I must never, never bring him into it. And how could I tell him? Your mother does not know, or she could not wish it!'

'It is plain that in the present state of things you ought not to marry, and so far you are judging nobly,' said Julius; 'but next comes the question-how far it is well to make that day at the races the pretext?'

'Don't call it a pretext,' said Lenore, quickly. 'I meant what I said a year ago, with all my soul. Perhaps it was hasty, when poor Camilla drove me into saying I did not mean only an habitual gambler, but one who had ever betted. And now, well as I know how cruelly she used that presumptuous vow of mine, and how she repented of it at last, still I feel that to fly in its face might be so wrong, that I should have no right to expect not to drag Frank down.'

'Perhaps I am too much interested to judge fairly,' said Julius. 'I should like you to consult some one-say Dr. Easterby-but it seems to me that it is just such a vow as you may well be absolved from.'

'But is it not Frank's protection?'

'Put yourself in that poor fellow's place, Lena, and see what it is to him to be cast off for such a reason. He did the wrong, I know. He knew he ought not, apart from your resolution, and he did thus prove his weakness and unfitness-'

'Oh no, no-it was not his fault.'

Julius laughed a little, and added, 'I am not saying he deserves you-hush!-or that it would be well to take him now, only that I think to find himself utterly rejected for so insufficient a reason, and when he was really deceived, would not only half kill him now, but do his whole nature cruel harm.'

'What is to be done then?' sighed Eleonora.

'I should say, and I think my mother would put him on some probation if you like, even before you call it an engagement; but give him hope. Let him know that your attachment is as true and unselfish as ever, and do not let him brood in misery, enhanced by his deafness.'

'I can't marry while poor papa is like what he is,' said she, as if trying to keep hold of her purpose.

'But you can be Frank's light and hope-the prize for which he can work.'

'If-your mother will have it so-then,' said Eleonora, and the sigh that followed was one to relieve, not exhaust.

'May I tell her then?'

'You must, I suppose,' said the poor girl; 'but she can never wish it to go on!'

Julius left her at her own door and went home.

As Mrs. Poynsett said, she could expect nothing better of him. 'It is quite clear,' she said, 'that poor Lena is right, that Frank must not set up housekeeping with him. Even if he were certain to be proof against temptation, it would be as bad a connection as could be. I never thought of his being with them; but I suppose there is nothing else to be done with him.'

'Frank ought not to be exposed to the trial. The old man has a certain influence over him.'

'Though I should have thought such a hoary old wreck was nothing but a warning. It has been a most unhappy affair from first to last; but Lena is a good, unselfish girl, and nothing else will give Frank a chance of happiness. Waiting will do them no harm, they are young enough, and have no great sum to marry upon, so if you can bring her to me to-morrow, Julius, I will ask her to grant my poor boy leave to wait till she can see her way to marrying.'

Julius ventured to write down, 'Hope on!'

To this Frank replied with rather a fiery look, 'Mind, I will not have her persuaded or worked on. It must be all her own doing. Yes,' answering a look of his brother, 'I see what you are about. You want to tell her it is a superstition about her vow and not using me fairly. So it may be in some points of view; but the fact remains. She thought she might trust to my good sense and principle, and it proved that she was wrong. After that it is not right to force myself on her. I don't dare to do it, Julius. I have not been shut up with myself all these weeks for nothing. I know now how unworthy I ever was to think of her as mine. If I can ever prove my repentance she might in time forgive me; but for her to be driven to take me out of either supposed justice or mercy, I will not stand! A wretched deaf being like me! It is not fitting, and I will not have it done!'

Julius wrote-'She is suffering greatly. She nearly fainted at church, and I had to take her out.'

Frank's face worked, and he put his hand over it as he said, 'You are all torturing her; I shall write a letter and settle it myself.'

Frank did write the letter that very night, and when Julius next saw Eleonora her eyes were swollen with weeping, and she said-

'Take me to him! I must comfort him!'

'You have heard from him?'

'Yes. Such a beautiful letter. But he must not think it that.'