The Argosy — page 221: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Recollections of a Governess. 205 her. This was the substance of what he said; so poor Lady Dacre again returned to Helen’s room, and the look in her mother’s eyes softened the poor little proud heart. She would do it for her mother’s sake. Turning her face away, and hiding it on the pillow, she gasped, “ Mother, I promise.” She went about as usual that evening, calm and collected, but so deadly pale I dreaded her fainting. Late at night I went to her room. Opening her door gently, I found her kneeling on the ground by the open window—such a lovely night it was, with the quiet stars looking down on her—sobbing her heart out. I bathed her face, made her go to bed, and was thinking what verse could comfort her, when she said, ‘Read me about Jephthah’s daughter. And now, dear auntie, if you love me,” as I closed the Bible, “never spea .o me again about him or that cherry-blossom, unless you want to break my heart quite. I must do according to my vow, and you must pray for patience for me, and for me to be meek and gentle, which you know I never have been. Only don’t speak of it, and don’t pity me, or I shall break down altogether. I can’t stand it.” And then I saw that Captain Langton, and that bright May-day under that cherry-tree, had been deeper in her young heart than I had sus- pected, and I doubted if I should tell Lady Dacre, or go to Mr. Cray- ford and throw her on his generosity ; but I remembered he had asked for no love from her, only that she should be his wife, and I felt it would be useless—that my child’s fate was fixed. She was still so young—Captain Langton absent—Mr. Crayford’s attachment sincere : I hoped for the best, and thought interference from me would be of no use either to my dear child or her mother. I pray this be not one ot the things left undone recorded against me, for which I must give an account at the last. August 24.—My poor Helen’s engagement was announced yesterday. We were all surprised at Sir Wilham’s anger when Lady Dacre told him of it. Helen begged her father might never know the facts of the case. In his present state of health she would save him the pain of hearing Edward’s guilt. It was noble of her, but it made my heart bleed that her self-sacrifice should not be known and understood, for at the first announcement Sir William roused himself up into a passion, all his old prejudices revived. “ Confound the man!” he shouted, loud enough for me to hear in the next room; “what is he, that he should .hink of marrying a Dacre! And that’s what he has been coming after, isit? I wish I could horsewhip him, I do. And what did Helen say to him, eh? What? You can’t mean it, Lady Dacre. Accepted him! God bless my soul, why his grandfather made blacking-brushes, and his father was a thief! Aye, by Jove he was, robbed the Dacres right and left. It’s time I was out of the way, with my toes turned up to the.daisies; it 1s, indeed, Lady Dacre.” ECOMicoOOKS.CoOm