Book: The Bracelets
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Maria Edgeworth >> The Bracelets
Such was her situation, when Leonora, accompanied by her companions,
opened the hall-door; they most of them ran forward to Cecilia. As
Leonora came into the bower, she held out her hand to Cecilia----"We
are not rivals, but friends, I hope," said she. Cecilia clasped her
hand, but she was in too great agitation to speak.
The table was now set in the arbour--the vase was now placed in the
middle. "Well!" said Cecilia, eagerly, "who begins?" Caroline, one of
her friends, came forward first, and then all the others successively.
Cecilia's emotion was hardly conceivable.----"Now they are all in.
Count them, Caroline!"
"One, two, three, four; the numbers are both equal." There was a dead
silence.
"No, they are not," exclaimed Cecilia, pressing forward and putting
a shell into the vase----"I have not given mine, and I give it to
Leonora." Then snatching the bracelet, "It is yours, Leonora," said she;
"take it, and give me back your friendship." The whole assembly gave a
universal clap and shout of applause.
"I cannot be surprised at this from you, Cecilia," said Leonora; "and do
you then still love me as you used to do?"
"O Leonora! stop! don't praise me; I don't deserve this," said she,
turning to her loudly applauding companions; "you will soon despise
me--O Leonora, you will never forgive me!--I have deceived you--I have
sold----"
At this instant Mrs. Villars appeared--the crowd divided--she had heard
all that passed from her window.
"I applaud your generosity, Cecilia," said she, "but I am to tell you
that in this instance it is unsuccessful; you have it not in your power
to give the prize to Leonora--it is yours--I have another vote to give
you--you have forgotten Louisa."
"Louisa! but surely, ma'am, Louisa loves Leonora better than she does
me!"
"She commissioned me, however," said Mrs. Villars, "to give you a red
shell, and you will find it in this box."
Cecilia started, and turned as pale as death--it was the fatal box.
Mrs. Villars produced another box--she opened it--it contained the
Flora--"And Louisa also desired me," said she, "to return you this
Flora"--she put it into Cecilia's hand--Cecilia trembled so that she
could not hold it; Leonora caught it.
"O, madam! O, Leonora!" exclaimed Cecilia; "now I have no hope left. I
intended, I was just going to tell----"
"Dear Cecilia," said Leonora, "you need not tell it me; I know it
already, and I forgive you with all my heart."
"Yes, I can prove to you," said Mrs. Villars, "that Leonora has forgiven
you: it is she who has given you the prize; it was she who persuaded
Louisa to give you her vote. I went to see her a little while ago, and
perceiving, by her countenance, that something was the matter, I pressed
her to tell me what it was.
"'Why, madam,' said she, 'Leonora has made me promise to give my shell
to Cecilia. Now I don't love Cecilia half so well as I do Leonora;
besides, I would not have Cecilia think I vote for her because she gave
me a Flora.' Whilst Louisa was speaking," continued Mrs. Villars, "I saw
the silver box lying on the bed; I took it up, and asked if it was not
yours, and how she came by it.
"'Indeed, madam,' said Louisa, 'I could have been almost certain that
it was Cecilia's; but Leonora gave it me, and she said that she bought
it of the pedlar this morning. If any body else had told me so, I could
not have believed them, because I remembered the box so well; but I
can't help believing Leonora.'
"'But did you not ask Cecilia about it?' said I.
"'No, madam,' replied Louisa, 'for Leonora forbade me.'
"I guessed her reason. 'Well,' said I, 'give me the box, and I will
carry your shell in it to Cecilia.'
"'Then, madam,' said she, 'if I must give it her, pray do take the
Flora, and return it to her first, that she may not think it is for that
I do it.'"
"O, generous Leonora!" exclaimed Cecilia; "but indeed, Louisa, I cannot
take your shell."
"Then, dear Cecilia, accept of mine instead of it; you cannot refuse
it--I only follow your example. As for the bracelet," added Leonora,
taking Cecilia's hand, "I assure you I don't wish for it, and you do,
and you deserve it."
"No," said Cecilia, "indeed I do not deserve it; next to you, surely,
Louisa deserves it best."
"Louisa! O yes, Louisa," exclaimed every body with one voice.
"Yes," said Mrs. Villars, "and let Cecilia carry the bracelet to her;
she deserves that reward. For one fault I cannot forget all your merits,
Cecilia; nor, I am sure, will your companions."
"Then, surely, not your best friend," said Leonora, kissing her.
Every body present was moved--they looked up to Leonora with respectful
and affectionate admiration.
"O, Leonora, how I love you! and how I wish to be like you!" exclaimed
Cecilia; "to be as good, as generous!"
"Rather wish, Cecilia," interrupted Mrs. Villars, "to be as just; to be
as strictly honourable, and as invariably consistent.
"Remember that many of our sex are capable of great efforts, of making
what they call great sacrifices to virtue or to friendship; but few
treat their friends with habitual gentleness, or uniformly conduct
themselves with prudence and good sense."
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