He even condescended to give Algernon
various friendly hints to lose no opportunity of re-establishing
himself in his father's favor. But such conduct was too specious even to
deceive the unsuspicious, kind-hearted Algernon. He detected the
artifice, and scorned the hypocrite. Instead of absenting himself from
the family circle for a few hours, he was now abroad all day, and
sometimes for a whole week, without leaving any clue to discover his
favorite haunts.
Mark at length took the alarm. A jealous fear shot through his brain,
and he employed spies to dog his path. His suspicions were confirmed
when he was at length informed by Grenard Pike, the gardener's son, that
Mr. Algernon seldom went a mile beyond the precincts of the park. His
hours, consequently, must be loitered away in some dwelling near at
hand. Algernon was not a young man of sentimental habits. He was neither
poet nor bookworm, and it was very improbable that he would fast all day
under the shade of forest boughs, watching, like the melancholy Jacques,
the deer come down to the stream to drink.
Where were his walks so likely to terminate as at the widow's cottage?
What companion could the home-tired child of pleasure find so congenial
to his tastes as the young and beautiful Elinor Wildegrave? There was
madness in the thought! The passion so carefully concealed, no longer
restrained by the cautious maxims of prudence, like the turbulent
overflowing of some mighty stream, bore down all before it in its
headlong course.
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