ra was in love with Wilton; but she did believe
that he was one of those for whose eyes she might draw away a part of
that customary veil with which all people hide the shrine of their
deeper feelings from the sight of the coarse multitude.
There was something, then, as we have seen, that she wished to
say--there was something that she believed she might say, without
risk or wrong. But yet she hesitated; and she and Wilton went on
nearly to the end of the walk in perfect silence. At length she cast
a timid glance, first towards the house where Lord Sherbrooke was
seen just entering one of the rooms from the upper terrace, and then
to the face of Wilton Brown, whose eye chanced at that moment to be
upon her with a look of inquiry. The look gave her courage, and she
said--
"I am going to say a very odd thing, Mr. Brown, I believe; but your
great intimacy with Lord Sherbrooke puzzles me. He told my father
last night that you were his dearest and most intimate friend. I
always thought that friendship must proceed from a similarity of
feelings and pursuits, and I am sure, from what I have heard you say,
at least I think I may be sure, that you entertain ideas the most
opposite to those with which he has just pained us."
Wilton smiled somewhat sadly; but he did not dare deny that such
opinions were Lord Sherbrooke's real ones; for his well-known conduct
was too much in accordance with them.
"Would to Heaven, dear lady," he said, "that Sherbrooke would permit
me to be as much his friend as I might be! I must not deny that he
has many faults--faults, I am sure, of education and habit alone, for
his heart is noble, honourable, and high"
"Nay," cried Lady Laura--"could a noble or an honourable heart
entertain such sentiments as he has just expressed?"
"You do not know him, nor understand him yet, Lady Laura," replied
Wilton. "Most men strive to make themselves appear better than they
really are: Sherbrooke labours to make himself appear worse--not
alone, Lady Laura, in his language--not alone in his account of
himself, but even by his very actions. I am confident that he has
committed more than one folly, for the sole purpose, if his motives
were thoroughly sifted and investigated, of establishing a bad
reputation."
"What a sad vanity!" exclaimed Lady Laura. "On such a man no reliance
can be placed. But his plain declaration, a few minutes ago, is quite
sufficient to mark his character, I mean his declaration, that he
considers no vows taken to a woman at all