The proud consciousness of her trust, and the great importance shederived from it, might have advertised it to all the house if shehad had to run the gauntlet of its inhabitants; but as Dolly hadplayed in every dull room and passage many and many a time, when achild, and had ever since been the humble friend of Miss Haredale,whose foster-sister she was, she was as free of the building as theyoung lady herself. So, using no greater precaution than holdingher breath and walking on tiptoe as she passed the library door,she went straight to Emma"s room as a privileged visitor.
It was the liveliest room in the building. The chamber was sombrelike the rest for the matter of that, but the presence of youth andbeauty would make a prison cheerful (saving alas! that confinementwithers them), and lend some charms of their own to the gloomiestscene. Birds, flowers, books, drawing, music, and a hundred suchgraceful tokens of feminine loves and cares, filled it with more oflife and human sympathy than the whole house besides seemed made tohold. There was heart in the room; and who that has a heart, everfails to recognise the silent presence of another!
Dolly had one undoubtedly, and it was not a tough one either,though there was a little mist of coquettishness about it, such assometimes surrounds that sun of life in its morning, and slightlydims its lustre. Thus, when Emma rose to greet her, and kissingher affectionately on the cheek, told her, in her quiet way, thatshe had been very unhappy, the tears stood in Dolly"s eyes, and shefelt more sorry than she could tell; but next moment she happenedto raise them to the glass, and really there was something there soexceedingly agreeable, that as she sighed, she smiled, and feltsurprisingly consoled.
"I have heard about it, miss," said Dolly, "and it"s very sadindeed, but when things are at the worst they are sure to mend."
"But are you sure they are at the worst?" asked Emma with a smile.
"Why, I don"t see how they can very well be more unpromising thanthey are; I really don"t," said Dolly. "And I bring something tobegin with."
"Not from Edward?"
Dolly nodded and smiled, and feeling in her pockets (there werepockets in those days) with an affectation of not being able tofind what she wanted, which greatly enhanced her importance, atlength produced the letter. As Emma hastily broke the seal andbecame absorbed in its contents, Dolly"s eyes, by one of thosestrange accidents for which there is no accounting, wandered to theglass again. She could not help wondering whether the coach-makersuffered very much, and quite pitied the poor man.
It was a long letter--a very long letter, written close on all foursides of the sheet of paper, and crossed afterwards; but it was nota consolatory letter, for as Emma read it she stopped from time totime to put her handkerchief to her eyes. To be sure Dollymarvelled greatly to see her in so much distress, for to herthinking a love affair ought to be one of the best jokes, and theslyest, merriest kind of thing in life. But she set it down in herown mind that all this came from Miss Haredale"s being so constant,and that if she would only take on with some other young gentleman-justin the most innocent way possible, to keep her first lover upto the mark--she would find herself inexpressibly comforted.
"I am sure that"s what I should do if it was me," thought Dolly.
"To make one"s sweetheart miserable is well enough and quite right, but to be made miserable one"s self is a little too much!"
However it wouldn"t do to say so, and therefore she sat looking onin silence. She needed a pretty considerable stretch of patience,for when the long letter had been read once all through it was readagain, and when it had been read twice all through it was readagain. During this tedious process, Dolly beguiled the time in themost improving manner that occurred to her, by curling her hair onher fingers, with the aid of the looking-glass before mentioned,and giving it some killing twists.
Everything has an end. Even young ladies in love cannot read theirletters for ever. In course of time the packet was folded up, andit only remained to write the answer.
But as this promised to be a work of time likewise, Emma said shewould put it off until after dinner, and that Dolly must dine withher. As Dolly had made up her mind to do so beforehand, sherequired very little pressing; and when they had settled thispoint, they went to walk in the garden.
They strolled up and down the terrace walks, talking incessantly-atleast, Dolly never left off once--and making that quarter of the sad and mournful house quite gay. Not that they talked loudly orlaughed much, but they were both so very handsome, and it was sucha breezy day, and their light dresses and dark curls appeared sofree and joyous in their abandonment, and Emma was so fair, andDolly so rosy, and Emma so delicately shaped, and Dolly so plump,and--in short, there are no flowers for any garden like suchflowers, let horticulturists say what they may, and both house andgarden seemed to know it, and to brighten up sensibly.