Camilla was pleased, and even thankful for the extreme friendliness and
kind moderation of this arrangement; yet she left him mournfully, in a
confirmed belief his regard for the whole family was equal.
Eugenia, much gratified, promised she would henceforth take no step with
which Edgar should not first be acquainted.
CHAPTER III
_Various Confabulations_
Mr. Tyrold saw, at first, the renewed visits of Edgar at Cleves with
extreme satisfaction; but while all his hopes were alive from an
intercourse almost perpetual, he perceived, with surprise and
perplexity, that his daughter became more and more pensive after every
interview: and as Edgar, this evening, quitted the house, he observed
tears start into her eyes as she went up stairs to her own room.
Alarmed and disappointed, he thought it now high time to investigate the
state of the affair, and to encourage or prevent future meetings, as it
appeared to him to be propitious or hopeless.
Penetrated with the goodness, while lamenting the indifference of Edgar,
Camilla had just reached her room; when, as she turned round to shut her
door, Mr. Tyrold appeared before her.
Hastily, with the back of her hand, brushing off the tears from her
eyes, she said, 'May I go to my uncle, Sir?... can my uncle admit me?'
'He can always admit you,' he answered; 'but, just now, you must forget
him a moment, and consign yourself to your father.'
He then entered, shut the door, and making her sit down by him, said,
'What is this sorrow that assails my Camilla? Why is the light heart of
my dear and happy child thus dejected?'
Speech and truth were always one with Camilla; who, as she could not in
this instance declare what were her feelings, remained mute and
confounded.
'Hesitate not, my dear girl,' cried he kindly, 'to unbosom your griefs
or your apprehensions, where they will be received with all the
tenderness due to such a confidence, and held sacred from every human
inspection; unless you permit me yourself to entrust your best and
wisest friend.'
Camilla now trembled, but could not even attempt to speak.
He saw her disorder, and presently added, 'I will forbear to probe your
feelings, when you have satisfied me in one doubt;--Is the sadness I
have of late remarked in you the effect of secret personal disturbance,
or of disappointed expectation?'
Camilla could neither answer nor look up: she was convinced, by this
question, that the subject of her melancholy was understood, and felt
wholly overcome by the deeply distressing confusion, with which wounded
pride and unaffected virgin modesty impress a youthful female, in the
idea of being suspected of a misplaced, or an unrequited partiality.