She then recollected Mr. Bellamy. She had only her maid in the carriage,
who was sent for her by Sir Hugh, Miss Margland being otherwise engaged.
All that had so lately passed upon her person and appearance being full
upon her mind, she involuntarily shrunk back, hiding her face with her
cloak.
Bellamy, by no means conceiving this mark of emotion to be unfavourable,
steadied his horse, by leaning one hand on the coach-window, and said,
in a yet lower voice--'O, Madam! is it possible you can hate me so
barbarously?--will you not even deign to look at me, though I have so
long been banished from your presence?'
Eugenia, during this speech, called to mind, that though new, in some
measure, to herself, she was not so to this gentleman, and ventured to
uncover her face; when the grief painted on the fine features of
Bellamy, so forcibly touched her, that she softly answered--'No, Sir,
indeed I do not hate you; I am incapable of such ingratitude; but I
conjure--I beseech you to forget me!'
'Forget you?--O, Madam! you command an impossibility!--No, I am
constancy itself, and not all the world united shall tear you from my
heart!'
Jacob, who caught a word or two, now rode up to the other window, and as
Eugenia began--'Conquer, Sir, I entreat you, this ill-fated
partiality!--' told her the horses had been hard-worked, and must go
home.
As Jacob was the oracle of Sir Hugh about his horses, his will was
prescriptive law: Eugenia never disputed it, and only saying--'Think of
me, Sir, no more!' bid the coachman drive on.
Bellamy, respectfully submitting, continued, with his hat in his hand,
as the maid informed her mistress, looking after the carriage till it
was out of sight.
A tender sorrow now stole upon the just revived tranquillity of the
gentle and generous Eugenia. 'Ah!' thought she, 'I have rendered, little
as I seem worthy of such power, I have rendered this amiable man
miserable, though possibly, and probably, he is the only man in
existence whom I could render happy!--Ah! how may I dare expect from
Clermont a similar passion?'
Molly Mill, a very young girl, and daughter of a poor tenant of Sir
Hugh, interrupted these reflections from time to time, with remarks upon
their object. 'Dearee me, Miss,' she cried, 'what a fine gentleman that
was!--he sighed like to split his heart when you said, don't think about
me no more. He's some loveyer, like, I'm sure.'
Eugenia returned home so much moved by this incident, that Sir Hugh,
believing his brother himself had failed to revive her, was disturbed
all anew with acute contrition for her disasters, and feeling very
unwell, went to bed before supper time.
Eugenia retired also; and after spending the evening in soft compassion
for Bellamy, and unfixed apprehensions and distaste for young Lynmere,
was preparing to go to bed, when Molly Mill, out of breath with haste,
brought her a letter.
She eagerly opened it, whilst enquiring whence it came.