Home as Found, James Fenimore Cooper [bookreader txt] 📗

and love, such as might, in a measure, have been expected

between two of the gentler sex. Mr Effingham folded his child to his

heart, pressed her there tenderly for near a minute in silence, and

then kissing her burning cheek he permitted her to look up.

 

"This answers all my fondest hopes, Eve"--he exclaimed; "fulfils my

most cherished wishes for thy sake."

 

"Dearest sir!"

 

"Yes, my love, I have long secretly prayed that such might be your

good fortune; for, of all the youths we have met, at home or abroad,

Paul Powis is the one to whom I can consign you with the most

confidence that he will cherish and love you as you deserve to be

cherished and loved!"

 

"Dearest father, nothing but this was wanting to complete my perfect

happiness."

 

Mr. Effingham kissed his daughter again, and he was then enabled to

pursue the conversation with greater composure.

 

"Powis and I have had a full explanation," he said, "though in order

to obtain it, I have been obliged to give him strong encouragement"

 

"Father!"

 

"Nay, my love, your delicacy and feelings nave been sufficiently

respected, but he has so much diffidence of himself, and permits the

unpleasant circumstances connected with his birth to weigh so much on

his mind, that I have been compelled to tell him, what I am sure you

will approve, that we disregard family connections, and look only to

the merit of the individual."

 

"I hope, father, nothing was said to give Mr. Powis reason to suppose

we did not deem him every way our equal."

 

"Certainly not. He is a gentleman, and I can claim to be no more.

There is but one thing in which connections ought to influence an

American marriage, where the parties are suited to each other in the

main requisites, and that is to ascertain that neither should be

carried, necessarily, into associations for which their habits have

given them too much and too good tastes to enter into. A _woman_,

especially, ought never to be transplanted from a polished to

an unpolished circle; for, when this is the case, if really a

lady, there will be a dangerous clog on her affection for her

husband. This one great point assured, I see no other about which a

parent need feel concern."

 

"Powis, unhappily, has no connections in this country; or none with

whom he has any communications; and those he has in England are of a

class to do him credit."

 

"We have been conversing of this, and he has manifested so much

proper feeling that it has even raised him in my esteem. I knew his

father's family, and must have known his father, I think, though

there were two or three Asshetons of the name of John. It is a highly

respectable family of the middle states, and belonged formerly to the

colonial aristocracy. Jack Effingham's mother was an Assheton."

 

"Of the same blood, do you think, sir? I remembered this when Mr.

Powis mentioned his father's name, and intended to question cousin

Jack on the subject."

 

"Now you speak of it, Eve, there _must_ be a relationship

between them. Do you suppose that our kinsman is acquainted with the

fact that Paul is, in truth, an Assheton?"

 

Eve told her father that she had never spoken with their relative on

the subject, at all.

 

Then ring the bell and we will ascertain at once how far my

conjecture is true. You can have no false delicacy, my child, about

letting your engagement be known to one as near and as dear to us, as

John."

 

"Engagement, father!"

 

"Yes, engagement," returned the smiling parent, "for such I already

deem it. I have ventured, in your behalf, to plight your troth to

Paul Powis, or what is almost equal to it; and in return I can give

you back as many protestations of unequalled fidelity, and eternal

constancy, as any reasonable girl can ask."

 

Eve gazed at her lather in a way to show that reproach was mingled

with fondness, for she felt that, in this instance, too much of the

precipitation of the other sex had been manifested in her affairs;

still, superior to coquetry and affectation, and much too warm in her

attachments to be seriously hurt, she kissed the hand she held, shook

her head reproachfully, even while she smiled, and did as had been

desired.

 

"You have, indeed, rendered it important to us to know more of Mr.

Powis, my beloved father," she said, as she returned to her seat,

"though I could wish matters had not proceeded quite so fast."

 

"Nay, all I promised was conditional, and dependent on yourself. You

have nothing to do, if I have said too much, but to refuse to ratify

the treaty made by your negotiator."

 

"You propose an impossibility,", said Eve, taking the hand, again,

that she had so lately relinquished, and pressing it warmly between

her own; "the negotiator is too much revered, has too strong a right

to command, and is too much confided in to be thus dishonoured.

Father, I _will_, I _do_, ratify all you _have_, all you _can_

promise in my behalf."

 

"Even, if I annul the treaty, darling?"

 

"Even, in that case, father. I will marry none without your consent,

and have so absolute a confidence in your tender care of me, that I

do not even hesitate to say, I will marry him to whom you contract

me."

 

"Bless you, bless you, Eve; I do believe you, for such have I ever

found you, since thought has had any control over your actions.

Desire Mr. John Effingham to come hither"--then, as the servant

closed the door, he continued,--"and such I believe you will continue

to be until your dying day."

 

"Nay, reckless, careless father, you forget that you yourself have

been instrumental in transferring my duty and obedience to another.

What if this sea-monster should prove a tyrant, throw off the mask,

and show himself in his real colours? Are you prepared, then,

thoughtless, precipitate, parent"--Eve kissed Mr, Effingham's cheek

with childish playfulness, as she spoke, her heart swelling with

happiness the whole time, "to preach obedience where obedience would

then be due?"

 

"Hush, precious--I hear the step of Jack; he must not catch us

fooling in this manner."

 

Eve rose; and when her kinsman entered the room, she held out her

hand kindly to him, though it was with an averted face and a tearful

eye.

 

"It is time I was summoned," said John Effingham, after he had drawn

the blushing girl to him and kissed her forehead, "for what between

_tete a tetes_ with young fellows, and _tete a tetes_ with

old fellows, this evening, I began to think myself neglected. I hope

I am still in time to render my decided disapprobation available?"

 

"Cousin Jack!" exclaimed Eve, with a look of reproachful mockery,

"_you_ are the last person who ought to speak of disapprobation,

for you have done little else but sing the praises of the applicant,

since you first met him."

 

"Is it even so? then, like others, I must submit to the consequences

of my own precipitation and false conclusions. Am I summoned to

inquire how many thousands a year I shall add to the establishment of

the new couple? As I hate business, say five at once: and when the

papers are ready, I will sign them, without reading,"

 

"Most generous cynic," cried Eve, "I would I dared, now, to ask a

single question!"

 

"Ask it without scruple, young lady, for this is the day of your

independence and power. I am mistaken in the man, if Powis do not

prove to be the captain of his own ship, in the end."

 

"Well, then, in whose behalf is this liberality really meant; mine,

or that of the gentleman?"

 

"Fairly enough put," said John Effingham, laughing, again drawing Eve

towards him and saluting her cheek; "for if I were on the rack, I

could scarcely say which I love best, although you have the

consolation of knowing, pert one, that you get the most kisses."

 

"I am almost in the same state of feeling myself, John, for a son of

my own could scarcely be dearer to me than Paul."

 

"I see, indeed, that I _must_ marry," said Eve hastily, dashing

the tears of delight from her eyes, for what could give more delight

than to hear the praises of her beloved, "if I wish to retain my

place in your affections. But, father, we forget the question you

were to put to cousin Jack."

 

"True, love. John, your mother was an Assheton?"

 

"Assuredly, Ned; you are not to learn my pedigree at this time of

day, I trust."

 

"We are anxious to make out a relationship between you and Paul; can

it not be done?"

 

"I would give half my fortune, Eve consenting, were it so!--What

reason is there for supposing it probable, or even possible?"

 

"You know that he bears the name of his friend, and adopted parent,

while that of his family is really Assheton."

 

"Assheton!" exclaimed the other, in a way to show that this was the

first he had ever heard of the fact.

 

"Certainly; and as there is but one family of this name, which is a

little peculiar in the spelling--for here it is spelt by Paul

himself, on this card--we have thought that he must be a relation of

yours. I hope we are not to be disappointed."

 

"Assheton!--It is, as you say, an unusual name; nor is there more

than one family that bears it in this country, to my knowledge. Can

it be possible that Powis is truly an Assheton?"

 

"Out of all doubt," Eve eagerly exclaimed; "we have it from his own

mouth. His father was an Assheton, and his mother was--"

 

"Who!" demanded John Effingham, with a vehemence that startled his

companions.

 

"Nay, that is more than I can tell you, for he did not mention the

family name of his mother; as she was a sister of Lady Dunluce,

however, who is the wife of General Ducie, the father of our guest,

it is probable her name was Dunluce."

 

"I remember no relative that has made such a marriage, or who _can_

have made such a marriage; and yet do I personally and intimately

know every Assheton in the country."

 

Mr. Effingham and his daughter looked at each other, for it at once

struck them all painfully, that there must be Asshetons of another

family.

 

"Were it not for the peculiar manner in which this name is spelled,"

said Mr. Effingham, "I could suppose that there are Asshetons of whom

we know nothing, but it is difficult to believe that there can be

such persons of a respectable family of whom we never heard, for

Powis said his relatives were of the Middle States--"

 

"And that his mother was called Dunluce?" demanded John Effingham

earnestly, for he too appeared to wish to discover an affinity

between himself and Paul.

 

"Nay, father, this I think he did not say; though it is quite

probable; for the title of his aunt is an ancient barony, and those

ancient baronies usually became the family name."

 

"In this you must be mistaken, Eve, since he mentioned that the right

was derived through his mother's mother, who was an Englishwoman."

 

"Why not send for him at once, and put the question?" said the

simple-minded Mr. Effingham; "next to having him for my own son, it

would give me pleasure, John, to learn that he was lawfully entitled

to that which I know you have done in his behalf."

 

"That is impossible," returned John Effingham. "I am an only child,

and as for cousins through my mother, there are so many who stand in

an equal degree of affinity to me, that no one in particular can be

my heir-at-law. If there were, I am an Effingham; my estate came from

Effinghams, and to an Effingham it should descend in despite of all

the Asshetons in America."

 

"Paul Powis included!" exclaimed Eve, raising a finger reproachfully.

 

"True, to him I have left a legacy; but it was to a Powis, and not to

an Assheton."

 

"And yet he declares himself legally an Assheton, and not a Powis."

 

"Say no more of this, Eve; it is unpleasant to me. I hate the name of

Assheton, though it was my mother's, and could wish never to hear it

again."

 

Eve and her father were mute, for their kinsman, usually so proud and

self-restrained, spoke with suppressed emotion, and it was plain

that, for some hidden cause, he felt even more than he expressed. The

idea that there should be any thing about Paul that could render him

an object of dislike to one as dear to her as her cousin, was

inexpressibly painful to the former, and she regretted that the

subject had ever been introduced. Not so with her father. Simple,

direct, and full of truth, Mr. Effingham rightly enough believed that

mysteries in a family could lead to no good, and he repeated his

proposal of sending for Paul, and having the matter cleared up at

once.

 

"You are too reasonable, Jack," he concluded, "to