Free My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell Page B

open at the neck and half-way down the
chest to beautiful old lace frills; his long golden curls fell behind
just like a girl's, and his hair in front was cut over his straight dark
eyebrows in a line almost as straight. Urian learnt more of a
gentleman's carefulness and propriety of appearance from that lad in two
months than he had done in years from all my lectures. I recollect one
day, when the two boys were in full romp—and, my window being open, I
could hear them perfectly—and Urian was daring Clement to some
scrambling or climbing, which Clement refused to undertake, but in a
hesitating way, as though he longed to do it if some reason had not stood
in the way; and at times, Urian, who was hasty and thoughtless, poor
fellow, told Clement that he was afraid. 'Fear!' said the French boy,
drawing himself up; 'you do not know what you say. If you will be here
at six to-morrow morning, when it is only just light, I will take that
starling's nest on the top of yonder chimney.' 'But why not now,
Clement?' said Urian, putting his arm round Clement's neck. 'Why then,
and not now, just when we are in the humour for it?' 'Because we De
Crequys are poor, and my mother cannot afford me another suit of clothes
this year, and yonder stone carving is all jagged, and would tear my coat
and breeches. Now, to-morrow morning I could go up with nothing on but
an old shirt.'
    "'But you would tear your legs.'
    "'My race do not care for pain,' said the boy, drawing himself from
Urian's arm, and walking a few steps away, with a becoming pride and
reserve; for he was hurt at being spoken to as if he were afraid, and
annoyed at having to confess the true reason for declining the feat. But
Urian was not to be thus baffled. He went up to Clement, and put his arm
once more about his neck, and I could see the two lads as they walked
down the terrace away from the hotel windows: first Urian spoke eagerly,
looking with imploring fondness into Clement's face, which sought the
ground, till at last the French boy spoke, and by-and-by his arm was
round Urian too, and they paced backwards and forwards in deep talk, but
gravely, as became men, rather than boys.
    "All at once, from the little chapel at the corner of the large garden
belonging to the Missions Etrangeres, I heard the tinkle of the little
bell, announcing the elevation of the host. Down on his knees went
Clement, hands crossed, eyes bent down: while Urian stood looking on in
respectful thought.
    "What a friendship that might have been! I never dream of Urian without
seeing Clement too—Urian speaks to me, or does something,—but Clement
only flits round Urian, and never seems to see any one else!"
    "But I must not forget to tell you, that the next morning, before he was
out of his room, a footman of Madame de Crequy's brought Urian the
starling's nest."
    "Well! we came back to England, and the boys were to correspond; and
Madame de Crequy and I exchanged civilities; and Urian went to sea."
    "After that, all seemed to drop away. I cannot tell you all. However,
to confine myself to the De Crequys. I had a letter from Clement; I knew
he felt his friend's death deeply; but I should never have learnt it from
the letter he sent. It was formal, and seemed like chaff to my hungering
heart. Poor fellow! I dare say he had found it hard to write. What
could he—or any one—say to a mother who has lost her child? The world
does not think so, and, in general, one must conform to the customs of
the world; but, judging from my own experience, I should say that
reverent silence at such times is the tenderest balm. Madame de Crequy
wrote too. But I knew she could not feel my loss so much as Clement, and
therefore her letter was not such a disappointment. She and I went on
being civil and polite in the way of commissions, and occasionally
introducing friends to each other, for a year or two, and then we ceased
to have any intercourse. Then the terrible Revolution came. No one who
did not live at those