"I am glad you said almost," said Ermine, trying to smile; but he had
absolutely brought tears into her eyes.
"Dear Ermine," he said, gently, "you need not fear my not trusting
him to the utmost. I know that he has been too much crushed to revive
easily, and that it may not be easy to make him appreciate our hopes
from such a distance; but I think such a summons as this must bring
him."
"I hope it will," said Ermine. "Otherwise we should not deserve that you
should have any more to do with us."
"Ermine, Ermine, do you not know that nothing can make any difference
between us?"
Ermine had collected herself while he spoke.
"I know," she said, "that all you are doing makes me thank and bless
you--oh! more than I can speak."
He looked wistfully at her, but, tearful as were her eyes, there was a
resolution, about her face that impressed upon him that she trusted to
his promise of recurring no more within the year to the subject so near
his heart; and he could say no more than, "You forgive me, Ermine, you
know I trust him as you do."
"I look to your setting him above being only trusted," said Ermine,
trying to smile. "Oh! if you knew what this ray of hope is in the dreary
darkness that has lasted so long!"
Therewith he was obliged to leave her, and she only saw him for a few
minutes in the morning, when he hurried in to take leave, since, if
matters went right at the magistrates' bench, he intended to proceed
at once to make such representations in person to Mr. Beauchamp and Dr.
Long, as might induce them to send an urgent recall to Edward in time
for the spring sessions, and for this no time must be lost. Ermine
remained then alone with Rose, feeling the day strangely long and
lonely, and that, perhaps, its flatness might be a preparation for the
extinction of all the brightness that had of late come into her life.
Colin had said he would trust as she did, but those words had made her
aware that she must trust as he did. If he, with his clear sense and
kindly insight into Edward's character, became convinced that his
absence proceeded from anything worse than the mere fainthearted
indifference that would not wipe off a blot, then Ermine felt that his
judgment would carry her own along with it, and that she should lose her
undoubting faith in her brother's perfect innocence, and in that case
her mind was made up; Colin might say and do what he would, but she
would never connect him through herself with deserved disgrace. The
parting, after these months of intercourse and increased knowlege of one
another, would be infinitely more wretched than the first; but, cost her
what it would--her life perhaps--the break should be made rather than
let his untainted name be linked with one where dishonour justly
rested. But with her constant principle of abstinence from dwelling on
contingencies, she strove to turn away her mind, and to exert herself;
though this was no easy task, especially on so solitary a day as this,
while Alison was in charge at Myrtlewood in Lady Temple's absence, and
Rachel Curtis was reported far too ill to leave her room, so that Ermine
saw no one all day except her constant little companion; nor was it till
towards evening that Alison at length made her appearance, bringing a
note which Colin had sent home by Lady Temple.