The trust of the family in this man was something wonderful to see.
Without a word more, on her side, Aunt Ablewhite left the room.
"Ah!" said Mr. Bruff, looking after her. "The Herncastle blood has its
drawbacks, I admit. But there IS something in good breeding after all!"
Having made that purely worldly remark, he looked hard at my corner,
as if he expected me to go. My interest in Rachel--an infinitely higher
interest than his--riveted me to my chair.
Mr. Bruff gave it up, exactly as he had given it up at Aunt Verinder's,
in Montagu Square. He led Rachel to a chair by the window, and spoke to
her there.
"My dear young lady," he said, "Mr. Ablewhite's conduct has naturally
shocked you, and taken you by surprise. If it was worth while to contest
the question with such a man, we might soon show him that he is not to
have things all his own way. But it isn't worth while. You were quite
right in what you said just now; he is beneath our notice."
He stopped, and looked round at my corner. I sat there quite immovable,
with my tracts at my elbow and with Miss Jane Ann Stamper on my lap.
"You know," he resumed, turning back again to Rachel, "that it was part
of your poor mother's fine nature always to see the best of the people
about her, and never the worst. She named her brother-in-law your
guardian because she believed in him, and because she thought it would
please her sister. I had never liked Mr. Ablewhite myself, and I induced
your mother to let me insert a clause in the will, empowering her
executors, in certain events, to consult with me about the appointment
of a new guardian. One of those events has happened to-day; and I find
myself in a position to end all these dry business details, I hope
agreeably, with a message from my wife. Will you honour Mrs. Bruff by
becoming her guest? And will you remain under my roof, and be one of
my family, until we wise people have laid our heads together, and have
settled what is to be done next?"
At those words, I rose to interfere. Mr. Bruff had done exactly what
I had dreaded he would do, when he asked Mrs. Ablewhite for Rachel's
bonnet and shawl.
Before I could interpose a word, Rachel had accepted his invitation in
the warmest terms. If I suffered the arrangement thus made between
them to be carried out--if she once passed the threshold of Mr. Bruff's
door--farewell to the fondest hope of my life, the hope of bringing my
lost sheep back to the fold! The bare idea of such a calamity as
this quite overwhelmed me. I cast the miserable trammels of worldly
discretion to the winds, and spoke with the fervour that filled me, in
the words that came first.