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He could not live without work, while pleasure palled upon him. In a letter to a stranger who sought to convert him, he showed anything but anger or contempt. "Do me," says he, "the justice to suppose, that Video meliora proboque, however the deteriora sequor may have been applied to my conduct." Alas, he could not undo the mischief he had done!
She had always in her heart a garden full of small budding blessings; and though they never burst into flowers, she kept on ever expecting they would do so, and was therefore quite satisfied. Poor Miss Meliora! if her hopes never blossomed, she also never had the grief of watching them die. Her whole life had been pervaded by one grand desire to see her brother president of the Royal Academy.
But labouring secretly and without encouragement, Olive found her progress in drawing she did not venture to call these humble efforts Art very slow indeed. One day, when Mrs. Rothesay was gone out, Meliora came in to have a chat with her young favourite, and found poor Olive sitting by herself, quietly crying.
Meanwhile, Miss Vanbrugh talked in an undertone to little Christal, who, her hunger satisfied, stood, finger in mouth, watching the two ladies with her fierce black eyes the very image of a half-tamed gipsy. Indeed, Miss Meliora seemed rather uneasy, and desirous to learn more of her companions, for she questioned the child closely. "And is the person you call ma mie any relation to you?"
But she did very well; and she amused Mrs. Rothesay all the while with her gay French songs, so that Olive was glad to have her near. The day after Christal's arrival, Miss Vanbrugh had summoned her chief state-councillor, Olive Rothesay, to talk over the matter. Then and there, Meliora unfolded all she knew and all she guessed of the girl's history.
"/Dii meliora/!" said Kenelm, gravely. "Some ills are too serious to be approached even in joke. As for Miss Travers, the moment you call her benevolent you inspire me with horror. I know too well what a benevolent girl is, officious, restless, fidgety, with a snub nose, and her pocket full of tracts. I will not go to the harvest-supper." "Hist!" said the Parson, softly.
"How hard to loose her husband so soon! and I dare say she has gone through great poverty sold one thing after another to keep her alive. Why, I declare," added the simple and unworldly Meliora, who could make a story to fit anything, "poor soul! she has even been forced to part with her wedding-ring."
The character that is summed up in the line "video meliora proboque, detiora sequor" is supposed to be very common, and meets with universal comprehension and commiseration. Mine, perhaps, would find neither. I followed the good that is, good as the world's opinion goes the straight line in life, without any of the enthusiasm for virtue to form a consolation and support.
Here Meliora slyly looked at Olive with an encouraging smile, and then, by no means despairing of her kind-hearted mission, she vanished. Olive, humbled and disconsolate, prepared for her voluntary duty as Vanbrugh's lay-figure. If she had not so reverenced his genius, she certainly would not have altogether liked the man.
Once when reading letters from Rome, from Mr. Vanbrugh and Meliora, Olive said, "Mamma, I think on the whole I am happier here than I was at Woodford Cottage. I feel less of an artist and more of a woman." "And, Olive, I am happy too happy to think that my child is safe with me, and not carried off to Rome."
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