Free The Absentee by Maria Edgeworth Page A

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ample page of knowledge had never been unrolled to her eyes. She had
never had opportunities of acquiring literature herself, but she
admired it in others, particularly in her friend Miss Broadhurst. Miss
Broadhurst had received all the advantages of education which money
could procure, and had profited by them in a manner uncommon among those
for whom they are purchased in such abundance; she not only had had many
masters, and read many books, but had thought of what she read, and had
supplied, by the strength and energy of her own mind, what cannot be
acquired by the assistance of masters. Miss Nugent, perhaps overvaluing
the information that she did not possess, and free from all idea of
envy, looked up to her friend as to a superior being, with a sort of
enthusiastic admiration; and now, with 'charmed attention,' listened,
by turns, to her, to Mr. Salisbury, and to Lord Colambre, whilst they
conversed on literary subjects—listened, with a countenance so full
of intelligence, of animation so expressive of every good and kind
affection, that the gentlemen did not always know what they were saying.
    'Pray go on,' said she, once, to Mr. Salisbury; 'you stop, perhaps,
from politeness to me—from compassion to my ignorance; but, though I am
ignorant, you do not tire me, I assure you. Did you ever condescend to
read the Arabian tales? Like him whose eyes were touched by the magical
application from the dervise, I am enabled at once to see the riches
of a new world—Oh! how unlike, how superior to that in which I have
lived!—the GREAT world, as it is called.'
    Lord Colambre brought down a beautiful edition of the Arabian tales,
looked for the story to which Miss Nugent had alluded, and showed it to
Miss Broadhurst, who was also searching for it in another volume.
    Lady Clonbrony, from her card-table, saw the young people thus engaged.
    'I profess not to understand these things so well as you say you do, my
dear Mrs. Broadhurst,' whispered she; 'but look there now; they are
at their books! What do you expect can come of that sort of thing? So
ill-bred, and downright rude of Colambre, I must give him a hint.'
    'No, no, for mercy's sake! my dear Lady Clonbrony, no hints, no hints,
no remarks! What would you have!—she reading, and my lord at the back
of her chair, leaning over—and allowed, mind, to lean over to read the
same thing. Can't be better! Never saw any man yet allowed to come so
near her! Now, Lady Clonbrony, not a word, not a look, I beseech.'
    'Well, well!—but if they had a little music.'
    'My daughter's tired of music. How much do I owe your ladyship
now?—three rubbers, I think. Now, though you would not believe it of a
young girl,' continued Mrs. Broadhurst, 'I can assure your ladyship, my
daughter would often rather go to a book than a ball.'
    'Well, now, that's very extraordinary, in the style in which she has
been brought up; yet books and all that are so fashionable now, that
it's very natural,' said Lady Clonbrony.
    About this time, Mr. Berryl, Lord Colambre's Cambridge friend, for whom
his lordship had fought the battle of the curricle with Mordicai, came
to town. Lord Colambre introduced him to his mother, by whom he was
graciously received; for Mr. Berryl was a young gentleman of good
figure, good address, good family, heir to a good fortune, and in every
respect a fit match for Miss Nugent. Lady Clonbrony thought that it
would be wise to secure him for her niece before he should make his
appearance in the London world, where mothers and daughters would
soon make him feel his own consequence. Mr. Berryl, as Lord Colambre's
intimate friend, was admitted to the private evening parties at Lady
Clonbrony's, and he contributed to render them still more agreeable.
His information, his habits of thinking, and his views, were all totally
different from Mr. Salisbury's; and their collision continually struck
out that sparkling novelty which pleases peculiarly in conversation. Mr.
Berryl's education,