eltering
her in tender recollection, whether of Matilda or of Darrell himself, he
might much more easily work on the delicate nerves of a woman, shrinking
from all noise and scandal, than he could on the stubborn pride of his
resolute father-in-law. Perhaps it was on account of Sophy--perhaps to
plead for her--that Lady Montfort had gone to Fawley; perhaps the grief
visible on that lady's countenance, as he caught so hasty a glimpse
of it, might be occasioned by the failure of her mission. If so, there
might be now some breach or dissension between her and Darrell, which
might render the Marchioness still more accessible to his demands. As
for his father--if Jasper played his cards well and luckily, his father
might never know of his disobedience; he might coax or frighten Lady
Montfort into secresy. It might be quite unnecessary for him even to see
Sophy; if she caught sight of him, she would surely no more recognise
his altered features than Rugge had done. These thoughts gathered on him
stronger and stronger all the evening, and grew into resolves with the
next morning. He sallied out after breakfast--the same numbness; but
he walked it off. Easy enough to find the address of the Marchioness of
Montfort. He asked it boldly of the porter at the well-known house of
the present Lord, and, on learning it, proceeded at once to Richmond--on
foot, and thence to the small, scattered hamlet immediately contiguous
to Lady Montfort's villa. Here he found two or three idle boatmen
lounging near the river-side; and entering into conversation with them
about their craft, which was sufficiently familiar to him, for he had
plied the strongest oar on that tide in the holidays of his youth, he
proceeded to inquiries, which were readily and unsuspectingly answered.
"Yes, there was a young lady with Lady Montfort; they did not know her
name. They had seen her often in the lawn--seen her too, at church. She
was very pretty; yes, she had blue eyes and fair hair." Of his father
he only heard that "there had been an old gentleman such as he
described--lame, and with one eye--who had lived some months ago in a
cottage on Lady Montfort's grounds. They heard he had gone away. He
had made baskets--they did not know if for sale; if so, perhaps for a
charity. They supposed he was a gentleman, for they heard he was some
relation to the young lady. But Lady Montfort's head coachman lived
in the village, and could, no doubt, give him all the informati