Marrying Well

by Mary Roberts Rinehart

"And so, dear," said Mrs. Waring to her beautiful niece, FannyLovering, "you are about becoming a bride." The aunt spoke tenderly,and with a manner that instantly broke down all barriers of reserve."And a happy bride, I trust," returned the blushing girl, as shelaid her hand in that of her aunt, and leaned upon her confidingly."Pray heaven it may be so, Fanny." Mrs. Waring's manner was slightlyserious. "Marriage is a very important step; and in taking it thesmallest error may become the fruitful source of unhappiness.""I shall make no error, Aunt Mary," cried the lovely girl. "EdwardAllen is one of the best of young men; and he loves me as purely andtenderly as any maiden could wish to be loved. Oh, I want you to seehim so much!""I will have that pleasure soon, no doubt.""Yes, very soon. He is here almost every evening.""Your father, I understand, thinks very highly of him.""Oh yes. He is quite a pet of father's," replied Fanny."He's in business, then, I suppose?""Yes. He keeps a fancy dry-goods' store, and is doing exceedinglywell--so he says."Mrs. Waring sat silent for some time, lost in a train of reflectionsuddenly started in her mind."You look serious, aunt. What are you thinking about?" said Fanny, aslight shadow flitting over her countenance.Mrs. Waring smiled, as she answered--"People at my age are easily led into serious thoughts. Indeed, Ican never contemplate the marriage of a young girl like yourself,without the intrusion of such thoughts into my mind. I have seenmany bright skies bending smilingly over young hearts on the morningof their married life, that long ere noon were draped in clouds.""Don't talk so, dear aunt!" said the fair young girl. "I know thatlife, to all, comes in shadow as well as sunshine. But, while thesky is bright, why dim its brightness by thoughts of the time whenit will be overcast. Is that true philosophy, Aunt Mary?""If such forethought will prevent the cloud, or provide a shelterere the storm breaks, it may be called true philosophy. But, forgiveme, dear, for thus throwing a shadow where no shadow ought to rest.I will believe your choice a wise one, and that a happy futureawaits you.""You cannot help believing this when you see Edward. He will be hereto-night; then you will be able to estimate him truly."As Fanny had said, the young man called in after tea, when Mrs.Waring was introduced. Allen responded to the introduction somewhatcoldly. In fact he was too much interested in Fanny herself to thinkmuch, or care much for the stranger, even though named as arelative. But, though he noticed but casually, and passed only a fewwords with Mrs. Waring, that lady was observing him closely, andnoting every phase of character that was presented for observation;and, ere he left her presence, had read him far deeper than heimagined."And now, Aunt Mary, tell me what you think of Edward," said FannyLovering, as soon as the young man had departed, and she was alonewith Mrs. Waring."I must see him two or three times more ere I can make up my mind inregard to him," said Mrs. Waring with something evasive in hermanner. "First impressions are not always to be relied on," sheadded, smiling."Ah! I understand you,"--Fanny spoke with a sudden gayety ofmanner--"you only wish to tease me a little. Now, confess at once,dear Aunt Mary, that you are charmed with Edward.""I am not much given to quick prepossesions," answered Mrs. Waring."It may be a defect in my character; but so it is. Mr. Allen, nodoubt, is a most excellent young man. You are sure that you lovehim, Fanny?""Oh, Aunt Mary! How can you ask such a question? Are we not soon tobe married?""True. And this being so, you certainly should love him. Now, canyou tell me why you love him?""Why, aunt!""My question seems, no doubt, a strange one, Fanny. Yet, strange asit may appear to you, it is far from being lightly made. Calm yourmind into reflection, and ask yourself, firmly and seriously, whyyou love Edward Allen. True love ever has an appreciating regard formoral excellence--and knowledge must precede appreciation. What doyou know of the moral wisdom of this young man, into whose hands youare about placing the destinies of your being for time--it may befor eternity? Again let me put the question--Why do you love EdwardAllen?"Fanny looked bewildered. No searching interrogations like these hadbeen addressed to her, even by her parents; and their effect was tothrow her whole mind into painful confusion."I love him for his excellent qualities, and because he loves me,"she at length said, yet with a kind of uncertain manner, as if thereply did not spring from a clear mental perception."What do you mean by excellent qualities?" further inquired Mrs.Waring.Tears came into Fanny's sweet blue eyes, as she answered--"A young girl like me, dear Aunt Mary, cannot penetrate very deeplyinto a man's character. We have neither the opportunity nor theexperience upon which, coldly, to base an accurate judgment. Theheart is our guide. In my own case its instincts, I am sure, havenot betrayed me into a false estimate of my lover. I know him to begood and noble; and I am sure his tender regard for the maiden hehas asked to become his bride, will ever lead him to seek herhappiness, as she will seek his. Do not doubt him, aunt."Yet, Mrs. Waring could not help doubting him. The young man had notimpressed her favourably. No word had fallen from his lips duringthe evening unmarked by her--nor had a single act escapedobservation. In vain had she looked, in his declarations ofsentiments, for high moral purposes--for something elevated andmanly in tone. In their place she found only exceeding worldliness,or the flippant commonplace."No basis there, I fear, on which to build," said Mrs. Waring,thoughtfully, after parting with her niece for the night. "Dear,loving, confiding child! The heart of a maiden is not always herbest guide. Like the conscience, it needs to be instructed; must befurnished with tests of quality."On the day following, Mrs. Waring went out alone. Without, seemingto have any purpose in her mind, she had asked the number of Mr.Allen's store, whither she went with the design of making a fewpurchases. As she had hoped it would be, the young man did notrecognise her as the aunt of his betrothed. Among the articles, shewished to obtain was a silk dress. Several pieces of goods wereshown to her, one of which suited exactly, both in colour andquality."What is the price of this?" she asked.The answer was not prompt. First, the ticket-mark was consulted;then came a thoughtful pause; and then the young storekeeper said--"I cannot afford to sell you this piece of goods for less than adollar thirteen.""A dollar thirty, did you say?" asked Mrs. Waring, examining thesilk more closely."Ye--yes, ma'am," quickly replied Allen. "A dollar thirty. And it'sa bargain at that, I do assure you."Mrs. Waring raised her eyes and looked steadily for a moment or twointo the young man's face."A dollar and thirty cents," she repeated."Yes, ma'am. A dollar thirty," was the now assured answer. "How manyyards shall I measure off for you?""I want about twelve yards.""There isn't a cheaper piece of goods in market," said the youngman, as he put his scissors into the silk--"not a cheaper piece, Ido assure you. I had a large stock of these silks at the opening ofthe season, and sold two-thirds of them at a dollar and a half. But,as they are nearly closed out, I am selling the remainder at atrifle above cost. Can I show you any thing else, ma'am?""Not to-day, I believe," replied Mrs. Waring, as she took out herpurse. "How much does it come to?""Twelve yards at one dollar and thirty cents--just fifteen dollarsand sixty cents," said Allen.Mrs. Waring counted out the money, and, as she handed it to theyoung man, fixed her eyes again searchingly upon him."Shall I send it home for you?" he asked."No--I will take it myself," said Mrs. Waring, coldly."What have you been buying, aunt?" inquired Fanny, when Mrs. Waringhad returned home with her purchase."A silk dress. And I want to know what you think of my bargain?"The silk was opened, and Fanny and her mother examined and admiredit."What did you pay for it, sister?" asked Mrs, Lovering, the motherof Fanny."A dollar and thirty cents," was answered."Not a dollar thirty?" Marked surprise was indicated."Yes. Don't you think it cheap?""Cheap!" said Fanny. "It isn't worth over a dollar at the outside.Mr. Allen has been selling the same goods at ninety andninety-five.""You must certainly be in error," replied Mrs. Waring."Not at all," was the positive assertion. "Where did you get thesilk?"A somewhat indefinite answer was given; to which Fanny returned--"I only wish we had known your intention. Mother would have gonewith you to Edward's store. It is too bad that you should have beenso cheated. The person who sold you the silk is no better thandownright swindler.""If it is as you say," replied Mrs. Waring, calmly, "he is not anhonest man. He saw that I was a stranger, ignorant of currentprices, and he took advantage of the fact to do me a wrong. I ammore grieved for his sake than my own. To me, he loss is only a fewdollars; to him--alas! by what rule can we make the estimate?"Much more was said, not needful here to repeat. In the evening,Edward Allen called to see Fanny, who spoke of the purchase made byMrs. Waring. Her aunt was present. The silk was produced in evidenceof the fact that she had been most shamefully wronged by somestorekeeper."For what can you sell goods of a similar quality?" was the directquestion of Fanny.The moment Allen saw the piece of silk, he recognised it as the samehe had sold in the morning. Turning quickly, and with a flushingcountenance, to that part of the room where Mrs. Waring sat, partlyin the shadow, he became at once conscious of the fact that she wasthe purchaser. The eyes of Fanny followed those of the lover, andthen came back to his face. She saw the o'ermantling blush; thesudden loss of self-possession, the quailing of his glance beneaththe fixed look of Mrs. Waring. At once the whole truth flashed uponher mind, and starting up, she said, in a blended voice of grief andindignation--"Surely, surely, Edward, you are not the man!"Before Allen could reply, Mrs. Waring said firmly: "Yes, it is tootrue. He is the man!"At this, Fanny grew deadly pale, staggered toward her mother, andsunk, sobbing wildly, upon her bosom.Too much excited and confused for coherent explanation, and tooclearly conscious of his mean dishonesty toward a stranger, Allenattempted no vindication nor excuse, lest matters should assume evena worse aspect. A moment or two he stood irresolute, and thenretired from the house. As he did so, Mr. Lovering entered the roomwhere this little scene had just transpired, and was quite startledat the aspect of affairs."What's this? What has happened? Fanny, child, what in the name ofwonder is the matter? Where's Edward?"Mr. Lovering spoke hurriedly. As soon as practicable, the wholeaffair was related."And is that all?" exclaimed Mr. Lovering, in surprise. "Pooh! pooh!I'm really astonished! I thought that some dreadful thing hadhappened.""Don't you regard this as a very serious matter?" inquired Mrs.Waring."Serious? No! It's a thing of every day occurrence. If you are not ajudge of the goods you attempt to purchase, you must expect to payfor your ignorance. Shopkeepers have to make up their ratio ofprofits in the aggregate sales of the day. Sometimes they have tosell a sharp customer at cost, rather than lose the sale; and thismust be made up on some one like you.""Not a serious matter," replied Fanny's aunt, "to discover that thebetrothed of your daughter is a dishonest man?""Nonsense! nonsense! you don't know what you are talking about,"said Mr. Lovering, fretfully. "He's shrewd and sharp, as everybusiness-man who expects to succeed must be. As to his tradeoperations, Fanny has nothing to do with them. He'll make her a kindhusband, and provide for her handsomely. What more can she ask?""A great deal more," replied Mrs. Waring, firmly."What more, pray?""A husband, in whose high moral virtues, and unselfish regard forthe right, she can unerringly confide. One who will never, in hiseager desire to secure for himself some personal end orgratification, forget what is due to the tender, confiding wife whohas placed all that is dear to her in his guardianship. Brother,depend upon it, the man who deliberately wrongs another to gain anadvantage to himself, will never, in marriage, make a truly virtuouswoman happy. This I speak thoughtfully and solemnly; and I pray youtake it to heart, ere conviction of what I assert comes upon you toolate. But, I may have said too much. Forgive my plain speaking. Fromthe fulness of the heart is this utterance."And so saying, Mrs. Waring passed from the room, and left theparents of Fanny alone with their weeping child. Few words werespoken by either Mr. or Mrs. Lovering. Something in the last remarksof Mrs. Waring had startled their minds into new convictions. As forthe daughter, she soon retired to her own apartment, and did notjoin the family again until the next morning. Then, her sad eyes andcolorless face too plainly evidenced a night of sleeplessness andsuffering.By a kind of tacit consent on the part of each member of the family,no allusion, whatever, was made to the occurrences of the dayprevious. Evening came, but not as usual came Edward Allen. The nextday, and the next went by, without his accustomed appearance. For awhole week his visits were omitted.Grievous was the change which, in that time, had become visible inFanny Lovering. The very light of her life seemed to go outsuddenly; and, for a while, she had groped about in thick darkness.A few feeble rays were again becoming visible; but from a quarter ofthe heavens where she had not expected light. Wisely, gently, andunobtrusively had Mrs. Waring, during this period of gloom anddistress, cast high truths into the mind of her suffering niece--andfrom these, as stars in the firmament of thought, came the rays bywhich she was able to see a path opening before her. When, at theend of the tenth day of uncertainty, came a note from Allen, inthese brief words: "If it is Miss Lovering's wish to be free fromher engagement, a word will annul the contract"--she replied, withinten minutes, "Let the contract be annulled; you are free."Two weeks later, and Mr. Lovering brought home the intelligence thatAllen was to be married in a few days to a certain Miss Jerrold,daughter of a man reputed wealthy."To Miss Jerrold! It cannot be!" said Mrs. Lovering in surprise."I will not believe it, father." Fanny spoke with quivering lips anda choking voice."Who is Miss Jerrold?" asked Mrs. Waring."A coarse, vulgar-minded girl, of whom many light things have beensaid," replied Mrs. Lovering, indignantly. "But her father is rich,and she is an only child.""He never loved you, dear," said Mrs. Waring to Fanny about a weeklater, as the yet suffering girl laid her tearful face on her bosom.The news had just come that Miss Jerrold was the bride of Allen. Theframe of the girl thrilled for a moment or two; then all was calm,and she replied--"Not as I wished to be loved. O aunt! what an escape I have made! Ilook down the fearful gulf on the very brink of which my feet werearrested, and shudder to the heart's core. If he could take her, henever could have appreciated me. Something more than maiden purityand virtue attracted him. Ah! how could my instincts have been so atfault!""Dear child," said Mrs. Waring, earnestly, "there can be no truelove, as I have before said to you, without an appreciation ofquality. A fine person, agreeable manners, social position--in aword, all external advantages and attractions are nothing, unlessvirtue be in the heart. It is a man's virtues that a woman mustlove, if she loves truly. If she assumes the possession of moralwisdom, without undoubting evidence, she is false to herself. Tomarry under such circumstances is to take a fearful risk. Alas! howmany have repented through a long life of wretchedness. Can a truewoman love a man who lacks principle--who will sacrifice honour fora few paltry dollars--who will debase himself for gain--whose grosssensuality suffocates all high, spiritual love? No! no! It isimpossible! And she who unites herself with such a man, must eithershrink, grovelling, down to his mean level, or be inconceivablywretched."Two years later, and results amply justified the timelyinterposition of Mrs. Waring, and demonstrated the truth of herpositions. Her beautiful, true-hearted niece has become the bride ofa man possessing all the external advantages sought to be obtainedby Mr. and Mrs. Lovering in the proposed marriage with Mr. Allen;and what is more and better, of one whose love of truth and goodnessis genuine, and whose appreciation of his wife rests on a perceptionof her womanly virtues. As years pass, and their knowledge of eachother becomes more intimate, their union will become closer andcloser, until affection and thought become so blended, that theywill act in all their mutual life-relations as one.Alas! how different it is already with Edward Allen and the woman heled to the altar, where each made false vows the one to the other.There were no qualities to be loved; and to each, person andprinciples soon grew repellant. Through sharp practices in business,Allen is rapidly adding to the fortune already acquired by trade andmarriage; but, apart from the love of accumulation, which keeps hismind active and excited during business hours, he has no pleasure inlife. He does not love the woman who presides in his elegant home,and she affects nothing in regard to him. They only tolerate eachother for appearance sake. Sometimes, Fanny Lovering, now Mrs.----,meets them in public; but never without an almost audibly breathed"Thank God, that I am not in her place!" as her eyes rest upon thecountenance of Allen, in which evil and selfish purposes havealready stamped their unmistakable meanings.

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