"You are unjust," said Margaret, gently. "Mr. Lennox has only spoken ofthe great probability which he believes there to be of your redeeming-yourmore than redeeming what you have lost--don"t speak till I haveended--pray don"t!" And collecting herself once more, she went onrapidly turning over some law papers, and statements of accounts in atrembling hurried manner. "Oh! here it is! and--he drew me out aproposal--I wish he was here to explain it--showing that if you wouldtake some money of mine, eighteen thousand and fifty-seven pounds,lying just at this moment unused in the bank, and bringing me in onlytwo and a half per cent.--you could pay me much better interest, andmight go on working Marlborough Mills." Her voice had cleared itselfand become more steady. Mr. Thornton did not speak, and she went onlooking for some paper on which were written down the proposals forsecurity; for she was most anxious to have it all looked upon in the lightof a mere business arrangement, in which the principal advantagewould be on her side. While she sought for this paper, her very heart-pulse was arrested by the tone in which Mr. Thornton spoke. His voicewas hoarse, and trembling with tender passion, as he said:-"
Margaret!"
For an instant she looked up; and then sought to veil her luminous eyesby dropping her forehead on her hands. Again, stepping nearer, hebesought her with another tremulous eager call upon her name.
"Margaret!"
Still lower went the head; more closely hidden was the face, almostresting on the table before her. He came close to her. He knelt by herside, to bring his face to a level with her ear; and whispered-panted outthe words:-"
Take care.--If you do not speak--I shall claim you as my own in somestrange presumptuous way.--Send me away at once, if I must go;-Margaret!--"
At that third call she turned her face, still covered with her small whitehands, towards him, and laid it on his shoulder, hiding it even there; andit was too delicious to feel her soft cheek against his, for him to wish tosee either deep blushes or loving eyes. He clasped her close. But theyboth kept silence. At length she murmured in a broken voice:
"Oh, Mr. Thornton, I am not good enough!"
"Not good enough! Don"t mock my own deep feeling of unworthiness."
After a minute or two, he gently disengaged her hands from her face,and laid her arms as they had once before been placed to protect himfrom the rioters.
"Do you remember, love?" he murmured. "And how I requited you withmy insolence the next day?"
"I remember how wrongly I spoke to you,--that is all."
"Look here! Lift up your head. I have something to show you!" Sheslowly faced him, glowing with beautiful shame.
"Do you know these roses?" he said, drawing out his pocket-book, inwhich were treasured up some dead flowers.
"No!" she replied, with innocent curiosity. "Did I give them to you?"
"No! Vanity; you did not. You may have worn sister roses veryprobably."
She looked at them, wondering for a minute, then she smiled a little asshe said-"
They are from Helstone, are they not? I know the deep indentationsround the leaves. Oh! have you been there? When were you there?"
"I wanted to see the place where Margaret grew to what she is, even atthe worst time of all, when I had no hope of ever calling her mine. Iwent there on my return from Havre."
"You must give them to me," she said, trying to take them out of hishand with gentle violence.
"Very well. Only you must pay me for them!"
"How shall I ever tell Aunt Shaw?" she whispered, after some time ofdelicious silence.
"Let me speak to her."
"Oh, no! I owe to her,--but what will she say?"
"I can guess. Her first exclamation will be, "That man!""
"Hush!" said Margaret, "or I shall try and show you your mother"sindignant tones as she says, "That woman!""
(1855)