CHAPTER XXXVIII.
MATRIMONY AND HAPPINESS.
Dame Worthington was delighted—Sir Richard Warbeck was delighted—every one in fact was delighted to hear it whispered that Charley and Clara Haylark were engaged.
Mistress Haylark was indignant!
She would not listen to any such proposition, and moved to and fro with an air of offended majesty!
Dame Worthington tried to console the proud woman, but she would listen to no words of solace.
She had “made up her mind against the match,” and the only one living fit to be Clara’s husband, she said, was that nice young man Mr. Augustus Fumbleton.
Since her mother was extremely angry, Clara’s life was anything but agreeable to her.
For morning, noon, and night, Madame was harping upon the rumoured match, and spoke against it with inexhaustible eloquence.
Miss Clara, however, took but little notice of her mother’s ceaseless prattle about the dignity, grandeur, and importance of “the Haylark’s,” but quietly bore all with meekness and resignation, and loved Charley more and more for all the railings hourly thrown out against him.
As Sir Richard had been fully informed of thetrue state of things by Dame Worthington, he sought an opportunity of speaking to Clara alone.
The girl’s manner was so modest and genuine, and she confessed her attachment for the young man with so much artlessness that old Sir Richard Warbeck was strongly prepossessed in her favour, and determined to do all in his power to reconcile Mistress Haylark to the match.
What with presents, great gallantry of manner, and marked deference to all her opinions on ordinary topics, he so far won upon the proud lady that her resolution to maintain the honour of “the Haylarks” melted away like ice before his eloquence and earnestness.
And after holding out for some time, “for the sake of form,” and in maintenance of her much self-styled “firmness,” she consented to the match, and began to bustle about in making suitable preparations for it.
The intended marriage was kept as secret as possible, yet many female acquaintances soon became aware of the fact by some unknown means.
And rumour had it that when Miss Josephine Smith, next door, heard of the approaching event, through the tattling of servants over the back-yard wall, she was seized with a sudden fit of hysterics, and gave vent to her disappointment and chagrin, in all manner of double-meaning phrases, and called Miss Clara everything that was unkind.
Dame Worthington Was literally beside herself.
She knew not what to do from day to day.
The nearer the important event approached, the more affectionately she behaved both to Clara and Charley.
She laughed and cried by turns, and said,
“She always knew it.”
Clara would kiss her, and Charley would joke her.
But, despite all her apparent perturbation and anxiety, she found time to have frequent and long interviews with old Sir Richard, until the young couple, seated lovingly side by side on the parlour sofa, could not understand the nature of them.
Dame Worthington deeply regretted that she could not possibly find accommodation for them in her house, but Sir Richard only smiled benignly and said,
“Leave that matter to me, Harriet, my dear.”
The old dame, full of confidence in his wisdom,didleave that matter in his hands, fully assured that he would manage it far better than any one else.
When the day approached, the hurry and bustle in the house increased tenfold, and to such a degree, that the servant confessed to Smith’s girl, across the back-yard wall, that “she was a’most worried to death,” and wished the marriage was over.
On the eve of the wedding, when everything had been prepared, two legal gentlemen unexpectedly arrived and after candles were lit in Dame Worthington’s back parlour, they arranged their papers with much apparent satisfaction.
Dame Worthington, the august Mistress Haylark, and the modest old Sir Richard, took their seats.
Charley was summoned into their awful presence, Miss Clara following, feeling as she afterwards confessed it, “all of a tremble.”
Old Sir Richard acted as chairman of the imposing committee, and informed the young people that, as they were about to be united in the holy bands of wedlock on the morrow, he wished to say a few words to both.
Mistress Haylark had informed him that Clara was entitled to the sum of five thousand pounds as her marriage portion, and, although this was unknown to Charley, he begged to inform him that twenty thousand pounds had been assigned to him ashisportion, left by some person whom he should know at some future time.
In addition to this, kind Dame Worthington, in good-will and love to both, and in consideration of her lasting admiration of their mutual and disinterested attachment, presented them jointly with two thousand pounds—which she had been hoarding up for many years with this express intention—making a very handsome total, with which modest sum they might commence life very comfortably.
In conclusion, old Sir Richard said,
“Ashehimself had not contributed anything as yet to them, he would give them one of his houses in town, which was already furnished, and awaiting their marriage.”
The lawyers were there, he said, to legally ratify all these things, and, as general speaker for those then present, he wished them joy through many, many happy years.
At the conclusion of his remarks, which, it must be confessed, greatly surprised and pleased the young people, Dame Worthington, Mistress Haylark, and Clara were in tears, and seemed deeply affected.
Wine was produced, which tended to revive the two former ladies considerably.
Mistress Haylark recommended Charley to use smelling salts to her daughter.
But that young gentleman had his own specific for reviving her.
He conducted Clara from the back to the front parlour, where soon the sounds of merry laughter and lively music told plainly that she was fully recovered, and in the best of spirits.