He assured her he could regain it without difficulty; and then, telling
the poor people to postpone their walk to Cleves till the evening, when
Camilla meant to prepare her uncle, also, to assist them, he handed her
to the coach, with feelings yet more pleased than her own, and galloped
forward to execute his commission.
He was ready at the door of the library to receive them. As they
alighted, Camilla eagerly cried: 'Well! have you succeeded?'
'Can you trust yourself to this spot, and to a review of the
allurement,' answered he, smiling, and holding half a guinea between his
fingers, 'yet be content to see your chance for the prize withdrawn?'
'O give it me! give it me!' cried she, almost seizing it from him, 'my
dear father will be so glad to hear I have not spent it so foolishly.'
The rafflers were not yet assembled; no one was in the shop but a well
dressed elegant young man, who was reading at a table, and who neither
raised his eyes at their entrance, nor suffered their discourse to
interrupt his attention; yet though abstracted from outward objects, his
studiousness was not of a solemn cast; he seemed wrapt in what he was
reading with a pleasure amounting to ecstasy. He started, acted, smiled,
and looked pensive in turn, while his features were thrown into a
thousand different expressions, and his person was almost writhed with
perpetually varying gestures. From time to time his rapture broke forth
into loud exclamations of 'Exquisite! exquisite!' while he beat the
leaves of the book violently with his hands, in token of applause, or
lifting them up to his lips, almost devoured with kisses the passages
that charmed him. Sometimes he read a few words aloud, calling out
'Heavenly!' and vehemently stamping his approbation with his feet; then
suddenly shutting up the book, folded his arms, and casting his eyes
towards the ceiling, uttered: 'O too much! too much! there is no
standing it!' yet again, the next minute, opened it and resumed the
lecture.
The youthful group was much diverted with this unintended exhibition. To
Eugenia alone it did not appear ridiculous; she simply envied his
transports, and only wished to discover by what book they were excited.
Edgar and Camilla amused themselves with conjecturing various authors;
Indiana and Miss Margland required no such aid to pass their time,
while, with at least equal delight, they contemplated the hoped-for
prize.
Lionel now bounced in: 'Why what,' cried he, 'are you all doing in this
musty old shop, when Mrs. Arlbery and all the world are enjoying the air
on the public walks?'
Camilla was instantly for joining that lady; but Eugenia felt an
unconquerable curiosity to learn the running title of the book. She
stole softly round to look over the shoulder of the reader, and her
respect for his raptures increased, when she saw they were raised by
Thomson's Seasons.