CHAPTER XXIII.
"And you commission me, then, to speak to our dear Jemima?" said Mrs.
Dale, joyfully, and without any bitterness whatever in that "dear."
DR. RICCABOCCA.--"Nay, before speaking to Miss Hazeldean, it would surely
be proper to know how far my addresses would be acceptable to the
family."
MRS. DALE.--"Ah!"
DR. RICCAROCCA.--"The squire is of course the head of the family."
MRS. DALE (absent and distraite).--"The squire--yes, very true--quite
proper." (Then, looking up, and with naivete) "Can you believe me? I
never thought of the squire. And he is such an odd man, and has so many
English prejudices, that really--dear me, how vexatious that it should
never once have occurred to me that Mr. Hazeldean had a voice in the
matter! Indeed, the relationship is so distant, it is not like being her
father; and Jemima is of age, and can do as she pleases; and--but, as you
say, it is quite proper that he should be consulted as the head of the
family."
DR. RICCASOCCA.--"And you think that the Squire of Hazeldean might reject
my alliance! Pshaw! that's a grand word indeed,--I mean, that he might
object very reasonably to his cousin's marriage with a foreigner, of whom
he can know nothing, except that which in all countries is disreputable,
and is said in this to be criminal,--poverty."
MRS. DALE (kindly)--"You misjudge us poor English people, and you wrong
the squire, Heaven bless him! for we were poor enough when he singled out
my husband from a hundred for the minister of his parish, for his
neighbour and his friend. I will speak to him fearlessly--"
DR. RICCABOCCA.---"And frankly. And now I have used that word, let me go
on with the confession which your kindly readiness, my fair friend,
somewhat interrupted. I said that if I might presume to think my
addresses would be acceptable to Miss Hazeldean and her family, I was too
sensible of her amiable qualities not to--not to--"
MRS. DALE (with demure archness).--"Not to be the happiest of men,--
that's the customary English phrase, Doctor."
RICCABOCCA (gallantly).--"There cannot be a better. But," continued he,
seriously, "I wish it first to be understood that I have--been married
before!"
MRS. DALE (astonished).--"Married before!"
RICCABOCCA.--"And that I have an only child, dear to me,--inexpressibly
dear. That child, a daughter, has hitherto lived abroad; circumstances
now render it desirable that she should make her home with me; and I own
fairly that nothing has so attached me to Miss Hazeldean, nor so induced
my desire for our matrimonial connection, as my belief that she has the
heart and the temper to become a kind mother to my little one."
MRS. DALE (with feeling and warmth).--"You judge her rightly there."
RICCABOCCA.--"Now, in pecuniary matters, as you may conjecture from my
mode of life, I have nothing to offer to Miss Hazeldean correspondent
with her own fortune, whatever that may be!"
MRS. DALE.--"That difficulty is obviated by settling Miss Hazeldean's
fortune on herself, which is customary in such cases."
Dr. Riccabocca's face lengthened. "And my child, then?" said he,
feelingly. There was something in that appeal so alien from all sordid
and merely personal mercenary motives, that Mrs. Dale could not have had
the heart to make the very rational suggestion, "But that child is not
Jemima's, and you may have children by her."
She was touched, and replied hesitatingly, "But from what you and Jemima
may jointly possess you can save something annually,--you can insure your
life for your child. We did so when our poor child whom we lost was
born" (the tears rushed into Mrs. Dale's eyes); "and I fear that Charles
still insures his life for my sake, though Heaven knows that--that--"
The tears burst out. That little heart, quick and petulant though it
was, had not a fibre of the elastic muscular tissues which are mercifully
bestowed on the hearts of predestined widows. Dr. Riccabocca could not
pursue the subject of life insurances further. But the idea--which had
never occurred to the foreigner before, though so familiar with us
English people when only possessed of a life income--pleased him greatly.
I will do him the justice to say that he preferred it to the thought of
actually appropriating to himself and to his child a portion of Miss
Hazeldean's dower.
Shortly afterwards he took his leave, and Mrs. Dale hastened to seek her
husband in his study, inform him of the success of her matrimonial
scheme, and consult him as to the chance of the squire's acquiescence
therein. "You see," said she, hesitatingly, "though the squire might be
glad to see Jemima married to some Englishman, yet if he asks who and
what is this Dr. Riccabocca, how am I to answer him?"
"You should have thought of that before," said Mr. Dale, with unwonted
asperity; "and, indeed, if I had ever believed anything serious could
come out of what seemed to me so absurd, I should long since have
requested you not to interfere in such matters. Good heavens!" continued
the parson, changing colour, "if we should have assisted, underhand as it
were, to introduce into the family of a man to whom we owe so much a
connection that he would dislike, how base we should be, how ungrateful!"
Poor Mrs. Dale was frightened by this speech, and still more by her
husband's consternation and displeasure. To do Mrs. Dale justice,
whenever her mild partner was really either grieved or offended, her
little temper vanished,--she became as meek as a lamb. As soon as she
recovered the first shock she experienced, she hastened to dissipate the
parson's apprehensions. She assured him that she was convinced that,
if the squire disapproved of Riccabocca's pretensions, the Italian would
withdraw them at once, and Miss Hazeldean would never know of his
proposals. Therefore, in that case, no harm would be done.
This assurance, coinciding with Mr. Dale's convictions as to Riccabocca's
scruples on the point of honour, tended much to compose the good man; and
if he did not, as my reader of the gentler sex would expect from him,
feel alarm lest Miss Jemima's affections should have been irretrievably
engaged, and her happiness thus put in jeopardy by the squire's refusal,
it was not that the parson wanted tenderness of heart, but experience in
womankind; and he believed, very erroneously, that Miss Jemima Hazeldean
was not one upon whom a disappointment of that kind would produce a
lasting impression. Therefore Mr. Dale, after a pause of consideration,
said kindly,--
"Well, don't vex yourself,--and I was to blame quite as much as you.
But, indeed, I should have thought it easier for the squire to have
transplanted one of his tall cedars into his kitchen-garden than for you
to inveigle Dr. Riccabocca into matrimonial intentions. But a man who
could voluntarily put himself into the parish stocks for the sake of
experiment must be capable of anything! However, I think it better that
I, rather than yourself, should speak to the squire, and I will go at
once."
