CHAPTER XII. "Whatever passes as a cloud between Ir was not till the evening that Lady Hungerford could say her "one word" to Geraldine, her other guests having claimed her attention at the time appointed for the private communication. In the mean time, the younger party rode during the fine part of the day, and on their return, while Geraldine was sitting with Lady Winefride in the drawing-room, and hearing, to her regret, that the latter had arranged to return to her cottage at Burnleigh, on the following day, Lord Hungerford entered, bringing with him a letter from General Carrington. "Oh! this is joy!" cried Geraldine, kissing the well-known writing. "Yes!" said Lord Hungerford," and therefore I came to see that joy, more than to hear of the General, for I had my own letter." "It is four months since I last heard," said Geraldine, as she opened the letter, and for a while read silently. At length she smiled, and said, "What spirits he is in! all hope, all ardour, in what he thinks the just and legitimate cause." "Ah! confound legitimacy!" cried the Whig lord. "And so Don Carlos is getting on?" "Here is the letter, my lord," said Geraldine; "perhaps it is of later date than your own:" and she handed it to him, after she had taken off the seal, which she kissed and placed in her bosom. 66 Lady Winefride smiled. "I see that you are a lover of relics," said she; " and the knowledge that your father's hand has pressed that seal, endears it to you, especially as you have parted from the letter." "Can I make an extract from this part of the General's account?" said Lord Hungerford, pointing to what he referred. "Certainly," replied Geraldine; and the earl withdrew to his study, when Geraldine, seizing Lady Winefride's hand, exclaimed,-" Well may I value every part of that dear letter. It is the last I can receive from him, before he knows the truth -to him, the fatal truth, of my conversion to the Catholic Church." Lady Winefride pressed Geraldine's hand, but was silent. "I wrote to my father," continued the latter, "when the Warden first arrived at Elverton, and I had made up my mind to consult him respecting my religious doubts. Although there has been little congeniality between the two, they have always paid mutual tribute to each other's worth and talent, and my father will naturally conclude, that so deep a theologian as my uncle, Dr. Sinclair, must have quieted all my doubts, and fixed me in peace and gratitude within the pale of my own Church. This supposition, also, would be confirmed by my last letter, in which I did not mention the subject, for the reason, that my mind having become once more disturbed, without foreseeing what the termination would be, I did not wish to grieve him with anxieties when at so great a distance from me. All this false impression will now render my task more VOL. II.-13 awful. I have arrived at my present position by degrees: but to him it will seem as the riven heavens, and the falling thunder-bolt!" "I will not lull you into a false security on that point," said Lady Winefride. "In earlier life, General, then Major, Carrington, was most intimate in the family of my sister and brother-in-law, Sir Hugh and Lady Mary De Grey, and at their house I have witnessed a violence, an almost wildness, on the subject of the Catholic faith, which makes me now tremble for you, unless the increase of years have brought with it moderation and liberality." "My beloved father is all moderation and liberality," replied Geraldine," on every other point. Indeed, on this, I have never heard his particular sentiments, but, though generally silent, as if from determined self-control, his look is terrific, and conveys to me the impression rather of his having received some dreadful injury from a Catholic, than of his having been influenced by any party zeal against the opposite creed. Can you not, Lady Winefride, recall something of that nature having occurred, at the time of your intimacy with my father?" "There were some circumstances of mystery, connected with General Carrington, at that time," replied her ladyship, "which, as he was too lofty to explain them, perhaps irritated and fretted him. An unhappy estrangement took place on the subject, between him and my brother-in-law, and I grieve to say, that no open reconciliation was effected before the death of Sir Hugh De Grey,—although we may trust that in their hearts there was peace and brotherly love." The entrance of Mrs. Torrington and Miss Scotney put a stop to this painfully interesting conversation. Geraldine retired to her room, a thousand flitting conjectures succeeding one to the other in his mind. She had thought of her poor housekeeper's death-bed confession, the instant Lady Winefride had mentioned "circumstances of mystery which General Carrington was too lofty to explain." She also remembered her maid Kelsoe's knowledge of the General's estrangement from the family of De Grey, and from that family's faith, and that faithful attendant's terror and grief, at the bare possibility of a union between herself and Sir Eustace. Geraldine trembled at the step she was about to take, less from dread of her father's anger, than from grief, at being the one to open the deep wounds which, she felt convinced, he must have received from the perfidious or ungrateful conduct of some Catholic. The more, however, Geraldine reflected on her father's smiling and almost contemptuous toleration of all creeds, the more she was persuaded, that he was little likely to care about the religious opinions of any man, provided his "life were in the right;" till, at length, she was encouraged by this conviction to hope, that he might not, after all, be so very deeply pained by her adoption of whatever creed might suit her; and, supported by this hope, she joined the party at dinner, and received their congratulations on her good news from Spain,' with a cheerful countenance, though her heart still throbbed with anticipated ill! 66 6 Pray, Lord Hungerford," said his lady, "are you aware that Sir Eustace De Grey called here this morning? He sate a long while with Lady Winefride and myself, and was so chatty and pleasant, that I forgot all the letters and notes I had to write; and I was so sorry that Lady Anne and Miss Carrington were out riding all the time, and Hervey too!" "And why did you not detain him to escort his aunt home to-morrow, and keep us all alive in the interim?" said Lord Hungerford. "Because he would not be detained,” replied Lady Hungerford. "He made some bad excuses, and was so positive, that, at last, I was piqued, and let him depart." 6 "Eustace has guests at the Moat,'" pleaded Lady Winefride," and guests towards whom he would be desirous to show all due respect." "A couple of priests, I dare say," said Lord Hungerford, laughing. "Why, I should be delighted to see them; we have all sorts of priests and preachers in this house! Eh! Major, a glass of wine?" In the evening, Lady Winefride took leave of Lord and Lady Hungerford, and of their guests, as she had arranged to return at an early hour to Burnleigh on the morrow, it being the eve or vigil of Christmas Day. "I will take my leave of you, my dear young friend," said she to Geraldine," as you pass to your room to-night:" and Geraldine, pleased with the invitation, watched the time-piece in the drawing-room with impatience, during the hour which succeeded, and eagerly kept her appointment; when she found, as she had hoped, that the attendant had withdrawn. "Miss Carrington," said her ladyship, taking her hand, "were I to follow the dictates of my heart, it would be to invite your attendance with me, during this holy season, at the solemnities to be observed at Burnleigh, but I still recommend your avoiding, instead of seeking, your Catholic friends, until you shall have sufficiently questioned and probed your own heart. When this has been done, and your final determination taken, should that determination be to forsake all,' in order to follow Christ in the way he has appointed, of submission to his spouse, the Church, then make use of me: you will not find me wanting. These few words, 'Come to me!' or, 'I will be with you on such a day,' will be sufficient. I have watched you silently, |