Belmour: A Modern Edition

Chapter 32

✦ 258 ✦ favourable turn to all that had passed, than she felt she had in reality any right to expect. Chapter 32 everything being ready, they left Paris; and a few days, with a favourable passage, brought them to England.—Ms. Stainville insisted on reconducting Emily herself to Dr. Stanmore, into whose arms Emily, on her arrival at her ancient habitation, fell almost breathless with agitation.—Dr. Stanmore pressed her long and affectionately to his bosom, while the tears rolled fast down his aged cheeks.—For what do not moments like these repay the feeling heart!—Emily then earnestly looking at Dr. Stanmore, examined his features;—she feared the increased decay, which after two years’ absence, she might discover on them;—but from the pure and unruffled spirit within, his features seemed almost to defy the ravages of time, and to acquire only additional dignity from age. Yet Emily’s heart at the moment suggested to her, how often, in so long an absence, he must have wanted her affectionate care, and what he must have suffered from anxiety for her. The next morning Mrs. Stainville took her leave. Had she, indeed, been disposed to stay longer with them, she could not have done so without evident inconvenience, as the parsonagehouse was too small, to admit of even one permanent guest. Emily now returned with composure and activity to her former employments; she had fortunately lost none of the simple tastes, which, in a youth of innocence, she had acquired; and little regretted the gayer scenes, in which she had lately been engaged.—Mrs. Stainville’s falsehood and insincerity, indeed ✦ 259 ✦ for a time continued to affect her; but the diversity of objects she had seen during the course of her journey, the knowledge of the world which she had acquired, and her own increased information and improved talents, were to a mind like hers, considerations of serious importance and advantage, of which she had learned well to know the value. Dwelling thus on the scenes through which she had passed, the image of the stranger still often recurred to her memory; such as to her imagination he had appeared.—The drawings she had made of the Mendicanti were carefully framed, and hung up round her room and she insensibly took a sort of pleasure in retracing to her thoughts the circumstances, which had attended her seeing him, and everything that recalled him to her mind. She would, however, perhaps, have been less aware of this impression on her imagination, had not an accidental circumstance served to show her, that it was not so slight as she supposed.—Dr. Stanmore , whom nothing escaped in which Emily was concerned, had, in their various conversations on the occurrences during her journey, and her residence in Italy, often closely questioned her on the subject of Lord Raymond; fearing that an impression might have been made on her heart deeper than she was willing to avow, even to herself:—but her answers, her unembarrassed look, and her every expression, had always strictly confirmed what she had said on this subject in her letters . When, one day, after having with more than usual anxiety again engaged Emily in the recital of all that had passed relative to Lord Raymond, he added—“and is your heart then, my Emily, indeed so wholly unoccupied?—but you would not, I know, deceive me!”—Emily coloured.—“My child,” said Dr. Stanmore, drawing nearer to her—and affectionately taking her hand, “what does this mean, has any other?”—“No, dearest sir,” said she, “my colouring, which I feel that I do at this moment, means nothing—I do assure you,—it is too foolish— but”—“But what?” said Dr. Stanmore, “for something I am sure ✦ 260 ✦ there is.”—“No, indeed,” repeated Emily, “it is too foolish!”— Dr. Stanmore, as it will be supposed, felt his curiosity increased by Emily’s evident embarrassment, and insisted on knowing the real cause.—Emily then related her story, as briefly as she could, and ended by entreating of him not for a moment to consider what she had told him as serious—“I am not, indeed, so romantic,” said she, “so childish.”—“Come, come,” said Dr. Stanmore, shaking his head, at the same time that his looks were expressive both of kindness and pity—“say more on this subject; I perfectly understand the whole, and allow for that singularity of circumstance, which, I...