Free The Absentee by Maria Edgeworth

them better than she
did herself; she understood her daughter's pride, that she dreaded to be
made an object of bargain and sale; but Mrs. Broadhurst, who, with all
her coarseness of mind, had rather a better notion of love matters
than Lady Clonbrony, perceived, through her daughter's horror of being
offered to Lord Colambre, through her anxiety that nothing approaching
to an advance on the part of her family should be made, that if Lord
Colambre should himself advance, he would stand a better chance of being
accepted than any other of the numerous persons who had yet aspired to
the favour of this heiress. The very circumstance of his having paid no
court to her at first, operated in his favour; for it proved that he was
not mercenary, and that, whatever attention he might afterwards show,
she must be sure would be sincere and disinterested.
    'And now, let them but see one another in this easy, intimate kind of
way, and you will find, my dear Lady Clonbrony, things will go on of
their own accord, all the better for our—minding our cards—and never
minding anything else. I remember, when I was young—but let that
pass—let the young people see one another, and manage their own affairs
their own way—let them be together—that's all I say. Ask half the
men you are acquainted with why they married, and their answer, if they
speak truth, will be: "Because I met Miss such-a-one at such a place,
and we were continually together." Propinquity! propinquity!—as
my father used to say—and he was married five times, and twice to
heiresses.'
    In consequence of this plan of leaving things to themselves, every
evening Lady Clonbrony made out her own little card-table with Mrs.
Broadhurst, and a Mr. and Miss Pratt, a brother and sister, who were the
most obliging, convenient neighbours imaginable. From time to time,
as Lady Clonbrony gathered up her cards, she would direct an inquiring
glance to the group of young people at the other table; whilst the more
prudent Mrs. Broadhurst sat plump with her back to them, pursing up her
lips, and contracting her brows in token of deep calculation, looking
down impenetrable at her cards, never even noticing Lady Clonbrony's
glances, but inquiring from her partner, 'How many they were by
honours?'
    The young party generally consisted of Miss Broadhurst, Lord Colambre,
Miss Nugent, and her admirer, Mr. Salisbury. Mr. Salisbury was a
middle-aged gentleman, very agreeable, and well informed; he had
travelled; had seen a great deal of the world; had lived in the best
company; had acquired what is called good TACT; was full of anecdote,
not mere gossiping anecdotes that lead to nothing, but anecdotes
characteristic of national manners, of human nature in general, or of
those illustrious individuals who excite public curiosity and interest.
Miss Nugent had seen him always in large companies, where he was admired
for his SCAVOIR-VIVRE, and for his entertaining anecdotes, but where
he had no opportunity of producing any of the higher powers of his
understanding, or showing character. She found that Mr. Salisbury
appeared to her quite a different person when conversing with Lord
Colambre. Lord Colambre, with that ardent thirst for knowledge which it
is always agreeable to gratify, had an air of openness and generosity,
a frankness, a warmth of manner, which, with good breeding, but with
something beyond it and superior to its established forms, irresistibly
won the confidence and attracted the affection of those with whom he
conversed. His manners were peculiarly agreeable to a person like Mr.
Salisbury, tired of the sameness and egotism of men of the world.
    Miss Nugent had seldom till now had the advantage of hearing much
conversation on literary subjects. In the life she had been compelled to
lead she had acquired accomplishments, had exercised her understanding
upon everything that passed before her, and from circumstances had
formed her judgment and her taste by observations on real life; but