The Jewel of Seven Stars, Bram Stoker [books to read for self improvement txt] 📗

him of

his daughter’s harrowing anxiety for him, of her unending care and

devotion, of the tender love which she had shown, he seemed much moved.

There was a sort of veiled surprise in his unconscious whisper:

 

“Margaret! Margaret!”

 

When I had finished my narration, bringing matters up to the moment when

Miss Trelawny had gone out for her walk—I thought of her as “Miss

Trelawny’, not as “Margaret’ now, in the presence of her father—he

remained silent for quite a long time. It was probably two or three

minutes; but it seemed interminable. All at once he turned and said to

me briskly:

 

“Now tell me all about yourself!” This was something of a floorer; I

felt myself grow red-hot. Mr. Trelawny’s eyes were upon me; they were

now calm and inquiring, but never ceasing in their soul-searching

scrutiny. There was just a suspicion of a smile on the mouth which,

though it added to my embarrassment, gave me a certain measure of

relief. I was, however, face to face with difficulty; and the habit of

my life stood me in good stead. I looked him straight in the eyes as I

spoke:

 

“My name, as I told you, is Ross, Malcolm Ross. I am by profession a

Barrister. I was made a Q.C. in the last year of the Queen’s reign. I

have been fairly successful in my work.” To my relief he said:

 

“Yes, I know. I have always heard well of you! Where and when did you

meet Margaret?”

 

“First at the Hay’s in Belgrave Square, ten days ago. Then at a picnic

up the river with Lady Strathconnell. We went from Windsor to Cookham.

Mar—Miss Trelawny was in my boat. I scull a little, and I had my own

boat at Windsor. We had a good deal of conversation—naturally.”

 

“Naturally!” there was just a suspicion of something sardonic in the

tone of acquiescence; but there was no other intimation of his feeling.

I began to think that as I was in the presence of a strong man, I should

show something of my own strength. My friends, and sometimes my

opponents, say that I am a strong man. In my present circumstances, not

to be absolutely truthful would be to be weak. So I stood up to the

difficulty before me; always bearing in mind, however, that my words

might affect Margaret’s happiness through her love for her father. I

went on:

 

“In conversation at a place and time and amid surroundings so pleasing,

and in a solitude inviting to confidence, I got a glimpse of her inner

life. Such a glimpse as a man of my years and experience may get from a

young girl!” The father’s face grew graver as I went on; but he said

nothing. I was committed now to a definite line of speech, and went on

with such mastery of my mind as I could exercise. The occasion might be

fraught with serious consequences to me too.

 

“I could not but see that there was over her spirit a sense of

loneliness which was habitual to her. I thought I understood it; I am

myself an only child. I ventured to encourage her to speak to me

freely; and was happy enough to succeed. A sort of confidence became

established between us.” There was something in the father’s face which

made me add hurriedly:

 

“Nothing was said by her, sir, as you can well imagine, which was not

right and proper. She only told me in the impulsive way of one longing

to give voice to thoughts long carefully concealed, of her yearning to

be closer to the father whom she loved; more en rapport with him; more

in his confidence; closer within the circle of his sympathies. Oh,

believe me, sir, that it was all good! All that a father’s heart could

hope or wish for! It was all loyal! That she spoke it to me was

perhaps because I was almost a stranger with whom there was no previous

barrier to confidence.”

 

Here I paused. It was hard to go on; and I feared lest I might, in my

zeal, do Margaret a disservice. The relief of the strain came from her

father.

 

“And you?”

 

“Sir, Miss Trelawny is very sweet and beautiful! She is young; and her

mind is like crystal! Her sympathy is a joy! I am not an old man, and

my affections were not engaged. They never had been till then. I hope

I may say as much, even to a father!” My eyes involuntarily dropped.

When I raised them again Mr. Trelawny was still gazing at me keenly.

All the kindliness of his nature seemed to wreath itself in a smile as

he held out his hand and said:

 

“Malcolm Ross, I have always heard of you as a fearless and honourable

gentleman. I am glad my girl has such a friend! Go on!”

 

My heart leaped. The first step to the winning of Margaret’s father was

gained. I dare say I was somewhat more effusive in my words and my

manner as I went on. I certainly felt that way.

 

“One thing we gain as we grow older: to use our age judiciously! I

have had much experience. I have fought for it and worked for it all my

life; and I felt that I was justified in using it. I ventured to ask

Miss Trelawny to count on me as a friend; to let me serve her should

occasion arise. She promised me that she would. I had little idea that

my chance of serving her should come so soon or in such a way; but that

very night you were stricken down. In her desolation and anxiety she

sent for me!” I paused. He continued to look at me as I went on:

 

“When your letter of instructions was found, I offered my services.

They were accepted, as you know.”

 

“And these days, how did they pass for you?” The question startled me.

There was in it something of Margaret’s own voice and manner; something

so greatly resembling her lighter moments that it brought out all the

masculinity in me. I felt more sure of my ground now as I said:

 

“These days, sir, despite all their harrowing anxiety, despite all the

pain they held for the girl whom I grew to love more and more with each

passing hour, have been the happiest of my life!” He kept silence for a

long time; so long that, as I waited for him to speak, with my heart

beating, I began to wonder if my frankness had been too effusive. At

last he said:

 

“I suppose it is hard to say so much vicariously. Her poor mother

should have heard you; it would have made her heart glad!” Then a

shadow swept across his face; and he went on more hurriedly.

 

“But are you quite sure of all this?”

 

“I know my own heart, sir; or, at least, I think I do!”

 

“No! no!” he answered, “I don’t mean you. That is all right! But you

spoke of my girl’s affection for me … and yet … ! And yet she

has been living here, in my house, a whole year… Still, she spoke

to you of her loneliness—her desolation. I never—it grieves me to say

it, but it is true—I never saw sign of such affection towards myself in

all the year! …” His voice trembled away into sad, reminiscent

introspection.

 

“Then, sir,” I said, “I have been privileged to see more in a few days

than you in her whole lifetime!” My words seemed to call him up from

himself; and I thought that it was with pleasure as well as surprise

that he said:

 

“I had no idea of it. I thought that she was indifferent to me. That

what seemed like the neglect of her youth was revenging itself on me.

That she was cold of heart… . It is a joy unspeakable to me that her

mother’s daughter loves me too!” Unconsciously he sank back upon his

pillow, lost in memories of the past.

 

How he must have loved her mother! It was the love of her mother’s

child, rather than the love of his own daughter, that appealed to him.

My heart went out to him in a great wave of sympathy and kindliness. I

began to understand. To understand the passion of these two great,

silent, reserved natures, that successfully concealed the burning hunger

for the other’s love! It did not surprise me when presently he murmured

to himself:

 

“Margaret, my child! Tender, and thoughtful, and strong, and true, and

brave! Like her dear mother! like her dear mother!”

 

And then to the very depths of my heart I rejoiced that I had spoken so

frankly.

 

Presently Mr. Trelawny said:

 

“Four days! The sixteenth! Then this is the twentieth of July?” I

nodded affirmation; he went on:

 

“So I have been lying in a trance for four days. It is not the first

time. I was in a trance once under strange conditions for three days;

and never even suspected it till I was told of the lapse of time. I

shall tell you all about it some day, if you care to hear.”

 

That made me thrill with pleasure. That he, Margaret’s father, would so

take me into his confidence made it possible… .The business-like,

every-day alertness of his voice as he spoke next quite recalled me:

 

“I had better get up now. When Margaret comes in, tell her yourself

that I am all right. It will avoid any shock! And will you tell

Corbeck that I would like to see him as soon as I can. I want to see

those lamps, and hear all about them!”

 

His attitude towards me filled me with delight. There was a possible

father-in-law aspect that would have raised me from a death-bed. I was

hurrying away to carry out his wishes; when, however, my hand was on the

key of the door, his voice recalled me:

 

“Mr. Ross!”

 

I did not like to hear him say “Mr.” After he knew of my friendship

with his daughter he had called me Malcolm Ross; and this obvious return

to formality not only pained, but filled me with apprehension. It must

be something about Margaret. I thought of her as “Margaret” and not as

“Miss Trelawny”, now that there was danger of losing her. I know now

what I felt then: that I was determined to fight for her rather than

lose her. I came back, unconsciously holding myself erect. Mr.

Trelawny, the keen observer of men, seemed to read my thought; his face,

which was set in a new anxiety, relaxed as he said:

 

“Sit down a minute; it is better that we speak now than later. We are

both men, and men of the world. All this about my daughter is very new

to me, and very sudden; and I want to know exactly how and where I

stand. Mind, I am making no objection; but as a father I have duties

which are grave, and may prove to be painful. I—I”—he seemed slightly

at a loss how to begin, and this gave me hope—“I suppose I am to take

it, from what you have said to me of your feelings towards my girl, that

it is in your mind to be a suitor for her hand, later on?” I answered

at once:

 

“Absolutely! Firm and fixed; it was my intention the evening after I

had been with her on the river, to seek you, of course after a proper

and respectful interval, and to ask you if I might approach her on the

subject. Events forced