ed up, to speak to her
father upon the subject openly.
Thus passed his visit; and we could pause upon it long, could paint
many a scene of sweet and sunshiny happiness, warm, and soft, and
beautiful, like the pictures of Claude de Lorraine: but we have other
things to do, and scenes far less joyous to dwell upon. The time of
his stay at length expired, and of course seemed all the more brief
for being happy.
If the sojourn of Wilton at Somersbury Court had given pleasure to
Laura, it gave scarcely less to the Duke himself, though in a
different way; and when his young visitor was gone, he felt a want
and a vacancy which made the days seem tedious. Thus, shortly after
Wilton's arrival in town, he received a letter from the Duke, begging
him not to forget his promise of another speedy visit of longer
duration, nor neglect the opportunity of each week's close to spend
at least one day with him and Laura. The origin of these feelings
towards his young friend was certainly to be traced to the somewhat
forced confidence which he had been obliged to place in him, in
regard to Sir John Fenwick; but the feelings survived the cause; and
during six weeks which followed, although Sir John Fenwick was
universally supposed to have made his escape from England, and the
Duke felt himself quite safe, Wilton experienced no change of manner,
but was greeted with gladness and smiles whenever he presented
himself.
On every occasion, too, the Earl of Byerdale showed himself as kind
as it was possible for him to be; and in one instance, in the middle
of the year, spoke to him more seriously than usual, in regard to his
marriage with Lady Laura. The tone he took was considerate and
thoughtful, and Wilton found that he could no longer give a vague
reply upon the subject.
"I need not say to your lordship," he said, "how grateful I feel to
you in this business; but I really can tell you no more than you see.
I am received by the Duke and Lady Laura, upon all occasions, with
the greatest kindness and every testimony of regard. I am received,
indeed, when no one else is received, and I have every reason to
believe that the Duke regards me almost as a son; but of course I
cannot presume, so long as I can give no information of who I am,
what is my family, what are the circumstances and history of my
birth, to seek the Duke's approbation to my marriage with his
daughter. Fortuneless and portionless as I must be, the proposal may
seem presumptuous enough at any time; and though the l