CHAPTER X.
"Some foe to his upright intent,
Finds out his weaker part:
Virtue engages his assent,
But pleasure wins his heart."
Having, as De Brooke supposed, made his father acquainted with his marriage, the motives which had induced him to confine his Angelina within the narrow limits of obscurity now no longer existing, determined him to exchange his lodgings at Kennington for more sumptuous and commodious apartments in the vicinity of Hyde Park, or St. James's. He furnished his house in a style the most fashionable and costly; and made the purchase of an elegant equipage, with all its necessary appendages. His horses were of the finest breed; and in proportion to this expensive establishment, servants were hired accordingly. Profusely generous as was De Brooke, no draught upon his purse, however great, was deemed ill-bestowed, in aught wherein his Angelina was concerned. Notwithstanding which, the utmost of her taste and wishes were never extended beyond the bounds of a decent competency. Born and educated in retirement, the luxuries and superfluities of life added but little to her happiness; on the contrary, it was often with regret she observed the extravagances into which her husband launched, and which she had sometimes ventured, with a persuasive voice, to check.
Regardless, however, of such timely caution, De Brooke remained only the more sensible of the unutterable charm of beholding her, the sovereign idol of his heart, surrounded by every splendour it was in his power to procure.
Amidst the scenes of gaiety into which Mrs. De Brooke was introduced, she derived no small acquisition from the friendship of Mrs. Philimore; from whom, also, as her constant companion and chaperone, she became acquainted with the ways and manners of fashionable life. How wholly opposed was such a dazzling sphere to the still serenity of that to which she had been accustomed from earliest childhood, was often strikingly exemplified, by the involuntary admiration and graceful naïveté of her remarks; those festive novelties that now surrounded her being infinitely calculated, from the vivacity of her disposition, to amuse her youthful fancy; and De Brooke was extremely flattered in beholding, that wherever his wife appeared, she never failed to excite attention.
Scarcely had two years revolved, when they found themselves the parents of a lovely boy. This little being was welcomed into the world by the most lively feelings of mutual tenderness. It is from the indulgence of such sweet affections that the conjugal tie draws its source of increasing joys. But, alas!, how short was to be this reign of happiness! Hitherto they had but to experience some passing regrets, occasioned by the total exclusion of Mrs. De Brooke from the least intimacy with the family of her husband.
Retracting his former determination, De Brooke sometimes called at his father's door, under the hope that by so doing a reconciliation might be effected: it was seldom, however, that he gained admittance; and when he did so, it was to be ushered into the sitting-room of Lady De Brooke, whose outwardly formal and affected civilities held but a too faithful mirror to his view of his father's preponderating coldness; and from which he could also discover how little he had to expect from any conciliating influence exerted in his behalf by her ladyship.
Not very different was the tone of feeling, if such it might be called, with which he was greeted in the occasional interviews he had with his sister Mrs. Arden, who, in compliance with her husband's taste, did not spend so much of her time in her town-house as in the pompous mansion they had purchased on their marriage. But though not regular inhabitants of London, their access to it was easy; and in their frequent excursions they were transported thither in all the ostentatious grandeur of a carriage and four, showy liveries, outriders, &c. &c. De Brooke was struck by a display of such splendour, in his opinion, unsuitable to one of a rank comparatively but moderate in society. Although sometimes induced upon such occasions to pay them a visit, nevertheless his reception was uniformly constrained, and to the last degree short of incivility, formal and ceremonious.
With her new name and pretensions, his once much-loved sister, the companion of his childhood, seemed to have assumed a new character: this was the effect of her constant association with one, who, immersed in worldly-mindedness, regarded wealth, under whatever name, as the idol and object of this world's adoration; who despised all others less favoured by fortune; and who had but too successfully instilled into her mind his cold-hearted maxims; so that in proportion to the extension of her purse her affection became contracted.
How seldom does the human mind preserve inviolable its honest independence! though contemning the principle, we are insensibly hurried along to bow with the multitude. Thus, while with indignant and philosophic severity we would denounce, on the one hand, those fortunate, yet capricious and weak individuals, who by receiving encourage the servile adulation of the gaping indigent, we see no less reason, on the other, for condemning as highly criminal those worshipers of fortune, who, by flattery and falsehood, inflate the vanity of their fellow mortals.
De Brooke, of independent mind and principle, scorned the idea of being one of those fawning sycophants. It was the resentment of his father, perpetuated through so long an interval, which might have occasioned him his chief mortification, had he not brought himself to submit to a destiny he could not avert. The sweet sunbeam of content, therefore, might long have shone upon his dwelling had discretion guided his actions, had he consulted his reason; and had he not allowed his inclination to triumph over his duty.
The new impressions awakened by his attachment to Angelina, his intercourse with her heavenly-minded parent, and subsequent circumstances attending his marriage, had doubtless given rise to subjects for much serious meditation; but like the rest of human kind, when under the influence of some strong persuasion or ruling fault, De Brooke, in attending to the reproofs of his understanding, suppressed for a while his habitual extravagance, so that it appeared in a degree extinct; but weary at length of such an arbitrary control, those inward dictates weakened, and the former propensity was renewed, with perhaps increased inveteracy, proving that it is by dear-bought experience of the consequences, and humiliation resulting from a faulty course of conduct, that man alone derives reform.
Had the lot of De Brooke cast him in a circle more remote from the capital, he might doubtless have learned to limit his notions of taste and elegance to his circumstances. As the son of Sir Aubrey, and with a certain rank in the army, he could not but with painful sensibility and feelings of humiliation picture to himself the comparisons the world might form to his disadvantage, did he not support his name, and reflect credit upon himself by his style and manner of living.
Fondly attached to her infant, Mrs. De Brooke was frequently occupied in superintending the concerns of her nursery. Unmindful of those tacit rebukes, in the excellent example she upheld, and equally so of the low ebbings of his purse, her husband indulged in the first place, as regarded herself and the object of their mutual affection, a liberality far surpassing his revenue. However, inconsiderate as was such a conduct, it was not so blameable as the indulgences of his own private tastes, ever varying with the whim or fashion of the times. If not a connoisseur, yet a professed admirer of the fine arts, each in its turn met with his unbounded encouragement. The artist, emerging from want and obscurity, owed to his timely patronage a future ease and celebrity. Painful to others was the reflection, that, while extending to the unfortunate the hand of friendly sympathy and support, he was insensibly, because inconsiderately, adding to their number. For himself, he seemed only bent on verifying the maxim, that generosity when carried to excess becomes a weakness.
Without minutely entering into a detail of his extravagances, suffice it, therefore, to say, that De Brooke, by an accumulation of debts and complete embarrassment of his affairs, was at last roused by the terror of his situation, in its fullest extent, to a sense of his great indiscretions; and with a disconsolate eye, he contemplated the ruin threatening his helpless family,—ruin, of which the sole author was himself. Reasoning or reflection, what did they then avail him, but to plunge him into a deeper sorrow, the more difficult to endure, in proportion to his efforts to conceal it from the scrutinizing apprehensions of his affectionate wife? As joys are increased by participation, so griefs are lightened, when they derive not their source from the severe stings of self-reproach. The wounds of De Brooke were hourly sharpened by the desire of deferring the disclosure from his amiable partner, of the entanglement of his affairs. For this, indeed, he hoped she might not be altogether unprepared, more especially, as by her provident advice, he had been induced to order a sale of some articles she deemed superfluous. His creditors becoming daily more clamorous for payment caused him to think seriously upon an expedient, which upon its first admission was rejected with aversion, that of borrowing money. However derogatory to his feelings, it would afford him instant succour: the temptation was great; and as to its being the means hereafter of bringing upon him a deeper involvement, the pressure of his existing necessities was too weighty to allow of his taking a cool survey of calamities in perspective. Thus was his mind absorbed, still fearing and doubting whether even this last resource might not be too late to avoid a danger every moment awaiting him, the arrest of his person.
Rising in tremulous agitation from his seat, at the bare idea of an event that would so painfully betray to his Angelina the worst, he would have fled precipitately into the street, in order to put his design into immediate execution; but in this he was prevented by the sudden appearance of a man at the door of his apartment. In the disordered state we have described him, he could suppose no other than that he was a law-officer come with the intention he dreaded. Starting back, and changing colour, he eagerly inquired his business.
The sound of voice was not unknown to him; and upon a nearer examination, his alarm gave way to surprise, upon his recollecting to have seen the person, thus abruptly intruding, in the service of his father.
"I hope no offence, sir" said he; "I was told below that your honour being at home, I had only to knock at this door to be admitted to your presence."
So deeply occupied had been De Brooke with his sad reflections, that he had not even heard the knock.
"It is all well, my honest fellow," replied he; "what is your business?"
"I am sent, sir, by my master, Sir Aubrey, to tell you that he has something of consequence to communicate, and wishes to see you."
"Wishes to see me?" muttered De Brooke; "something of consequence to communicate?"
"Yes, sir; I was desired to say, that he wishes you to call upon him without delay; and that he does not intend leaving his study until he has seen you."
With this, the man departing, De Brooke prepared to fulfil the desire of his father.