The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 82: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

——_————— om = - canteen dincme idling ‘s ij 68 THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. within his income, though enjoying himself with all kinds of pleasures, the latter was soon floun- dering in a maze of pecuniary difficulties ; so that he fell into the hands of usurers and money- lenders. Then there arose a sudden breach be- tween John Ponsford and Rupert Pringle. No one knew the exact cause of the quarrel, though it was whispered that some female was at the bottom of it: but certain it is that the animosity which ensued between those two was even greater than their former intimacy had been. And then ina very short time Rupert Pringle’s affairs came to a crisis—Southdale Farm was seized by the money-lenders to whom it was mortgaged— and Pringle himself suddenly disappeared. There was a good deal of mystery attending these pro- ceedings at the time; and indeed no one seemed to understand the exact rights of the matter; for it seemed strange that Pringle should vanish so abruptly after having surrendered up everything to his creditors, and without even waiting to see whether the sale of his property would not suffice for the liquidation of his debts and leave some little surplus for his own benefit. And then too, to render the mystery still deeper, and to afford additional scope for surprise and conjecture, who should become the purchaser of Southdale Farm but Squire Ponsford himself ?—not openly and at public auction, but quietly, if not secretly, by private contract with the creditors who had taken possession of it! And thus the Pringle property became incorporated with that of the Ponsfords ; the distinctive appellation of “‘ Southdale Farm” soon ceased to exist—and the amalgamated whole was known under the general title of ‘ The Firs.” As for Pringle, it seemed that he was never again heard of: indeed his fate remained enveloped in the utmost mystery,—some persons maintaining that he fled to another part of the. country or else to a foreign clime—other people confidently ex- pressing their opinion that he had committed suicide at the time of his irretrievable difficulties, and that his corpse had fed the fishes in some adjacent river. There were likewise at the time certain whispers to the effect that Ponsford had dealt harshly and unfairly towards his late friend : but no direct accusation was levelled against the Squire. On the other hand, it is only fair to state that there were persons who were fully convinced that the origin of the quarrel was entirely attri- butable to some nefarious conduct on Rupert Pringle’s own part, and that in respect to the purchase of the Southdale Farm the Squire had only availed himself of a legitimate opportunity to ,increase his own domain in a suitable and honourable manner. Now, as we have before said, a quarter of a century had elapsed since those occurrences, the details of which were therefore only dimly remem- bered in the neighbourhood, while Squire Ponsford himself had completely outlived any evil opinion or prejudice that might possibly have existed con- cerning him among the Pringle partisans at that date when the events themselves took place: As for Pamela, she had scarcely ever heard of the matter at all,—her entire knowledge thereof being confined to the fact that a portion of her father’s present estate had not always existed in the family, but had been purchased from a spend- thrift of the name of Pringle some years before she herself was born. i We now resume the thread of our story. It was the evening—the dusk had closed in—the ‘lamp was lighted in the parlour—and Squire Ponsford sat with his daughter, discoursing on the mysterious rescue of Mrs. Trevor. “TI must say, dear father,” observed Pamela, raising her frank beautiful countenance and look- ing him with smiling ingenuousness in the face as she let her embroidery fall in her lap,— I must say that Iam not sorry the poor lady is saved from the horrors of a prison; although it was of course very wrong for her to tear the register. But still if her brain be affected ‘a “Of which there is little doubt,” interjected Mr. Ponsford. ‘You remember her — do you not ?” “Oh, certainly! when she was Miss Fraser, and lived in the ivy cottage. But I never knew her to speak to,” continued Pamela. ‘“ How was it, dear father, that she did not visit at the Firs 2?” “Tt was not my fault,” answered the Squire. ‘Her widowed mother led a very retired life in that cottage, courting no society, and visiting only Mr. and Mrs. Milner. When she died, several families showed the kindest attention towards her orphan daughter Ethel—and I was often thinking that we would call upon her, but something always occurred to prevent it; and then Mr. Trevor came into the neighbourhood, married her, and took her away.” ‘“‘Poor creature!” said Pamela, with a sigh of compassion. ‘I wonder how it is that her brain has become affected? But I suppose, dear father, that you will do nothing more against her ?” ‘Well, I think not,” replied Mr. Ponsford. “I did my duty as a magistrate; but I am not sorry that the case has ended thus. At the same time it is a very very hard thing for those whose marriage-registries are destroyed by the act of this unfortunate woman.” “T thought I once heard Mr. Milner say,” re- marked Pamela, ‘that duplicate copies of the parish registers are kept ?” ‘“‘Yes—at the diocesan courts,” rejoined Mr. Ponsford: ‘“ but the books are only sent every two years to have copies taken of the entries that may be. made during that time; and as all the entries upon the leaf which Mrs. Trevor tore out, happen to be within the two years, there are no duplicates and the records are lost.” “And what will those persons do,” inquired Pamela, ‘‘who may possibly some day stand in need of their marriage-certificates ?” ‘‘T scarcely know what they can do,” responded her father; “(but it is of course very awkward. For instance, there is George White the farmer’s son, who meant to apply to me for the situation of bailiff: but he is now unable to complete his testimonials , ‘But every one knows,” observed Pamela, “that Mr. George White was married about eighteen months or two years ago.” “Very likely, my dear,” said Mr. Ponsford: ‘but in these cases I hold to the very letter of the usual formality. . My father and grandfather and great grandfather did the same—and I as- suredly shall not deviate from the rule.” ‘Then George White will not obtain the situa- tion ?” said Pamela. . “Unfortunately for him he will not. I am very sorry — but there are certain hereditary COMO YN Wn)