The Soldier's Wife — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. 83 mg, to be sure! Upon my scul you grow|sensuality of passion in respect to Iucy. Her handsomer than ever!” extreme loveliness could not fail to keep this Lucy was endeavouring to pass by the im-|grosser feeling alive in the breast of the prorli- pudent coxcomb, — when hastily glancing|/gate Redburn; and as he had never seen her around, and perceiving that they were unob-|look handsomer than she did when he met her served, the street being a secluded one, hej/in the street as just described, passion flamed caught her by the hand and holding it fast, up in his breast with the fiercest fires. De- said, “Come, my dear Lucy, you must be tired praved and unprincipled as he himself was, he of that soldier chap of yours. Put yourself |could scarcely believe in the existence of real under my protection, and I will make a lady} virtue on the part of a private soldier’s wife: of you.’ he thought that the manner in which she had “Unhand me, sir!” exclaimed Mrs. Lonsdale} thus tr eated him, was the result of the linger- indignantly: and she struggled hard to escape}ing of an embittered feeling, on account of the from him. past, and which might easily be overcome by “No, by heaven! we don’t part like this,” he|cajolery and coaxing. In short, he flattered ened. “You know I have long loved you. ]|himself that if he seriously set about the con- must and will have a chat with you now.’ quest, he could scarcely fail to achieve it. Up- But Lucy succeeded in bursting away fromjon this campaign he resolved to enter ; and be- him, and hurried home, the frightened child|ing now acquainted with her abode, he thought erying bitterly. She ascended to her chamber, }it needless to waste time in undertaking the and for a considerable time was unable to enterprise. compose her feelings sufficiently to commence} When parade was over, Gerald dressed him- the work she had undertaken, and which was|self in plain clothes, and proceeded to the house required in such a hurry. Her bosom swelledjwhere Mrs. Lonsdale dwelt. ‘The landlady with iidignation at the treatment she had re-|opened the door to his summons; and a five ceived —a treatment, too, which she had no}shilling piece slipped into her hand, elicited means of resenting; for she dared not commu-|the information that Lucy’s husband was not nicate «t to her husband on account of the mo-| with her at the moment. He accordingly tives already specified. At length, however,|ascended the stairs to her chamber; and the she smothered her excitement as well as she landlady, who had hitherto thought that Lucy was able, and set to work. was a most discreet and virtuous young woman, Meaiwhile Gerald Redburn, who, we should|muttered to herself, “ Well, after ali, she’s no observe, had recently obtained by purchase the} better than the generality of them.” rank of hieutenant in the regiment, had, through} Meanwhile Redburn had reached the door of this little incident, ascertained Lucy’s abode;}Lucy’s chamber, at which he knocked. He had and he resolved to profit by the discovery.|ascended so gently that she had not heard his Whatever real love he might have experienced | footsteps ; and conceiving it to be the landlady, for her at the time when in his blind infatua-|said, “Come in. tion he would have married her, had long since He at once obeyed the invitation; and Luey. subsidel; and now that he was better ac-| flinging down the work, started up amazed and quainted with the world, he often thought/indignant at the outrageous insolence of this what ap idiot he was to have ever thought of |intrusion. making her his wife. That same experience] ‘“ Now, my dear Mrs. Lonsdale,” said Gerald, had moreover opened his eyes to the craftiness|shutting the door, “pray don’t put yourself in which Davis had pursued towards him. As aja passion: for I can assure you that I wish to matter of course the flight of Lucy from Co-|speak to you very seriously indeed ;”—and as ventry and her subsequent marriage with/he thus commenced what he considered to be Lonsdale had at the time fully convinced him} breaking the ice, he was well satisfied to ob- that he had never possessed her love, but that}serve that the child was sleeping soundly on the her present husband had indeed always been| bed. the object thereof. He had never adoptedany| ‘“ Understand me well, Mr. Redburn!” said means to punish Davis for the artifices so cun-| Lucy, whose cheeks, from being flushed with ningly set to ensnare him into a marriage with|indignation, had become ash pale at the cruel his daughter; because by so doing the whole|sense of her position; but she spoke with ac- affair would have come to the knowledge of | centuated firmness. “I do not wish that a dis- ‘his parents. Thus was it that the matter still/turbance shall be created in the house. Ifsuch remained unsuspected in that quarter. When|were the case, my husband would not fail to Davis had visited Portsmouth for the purpose|hear of it ; and indeed I expect him here every of seeing Lucy, he had not attempted to obtain| moment. rE am well aware, if he were to testify an interview with Gerald; and thus the young|his resentment towards you, that as his officer, you would not fail to find the means of a bitter vengence. But do not for an instant suppose me capable of a dishonoring deed. Frankly and firmly I tell you that I would sooner per- ish than stoop to infamy. Whatever wild hope may therefore have brought you hither, may rance thereof. be discarded from your mind at once. And But if the infatuation of love had so com-|now, sir, that I have restrained myself thus far letely passed away from Lieutenant Redburn’s|to make you understand everything, I enjom eart, he nevertheless experienced the stronglyou to depart.” > apnatindy had no oppor tunity of learning from im where Lucy dwelt. She lived in such se- clusion that her address was generally unknown amongst her husband’s comrades; and thus was it that until the present oceasion of which we are speaking, Gerald had remained in igno- CONIC OOOKS.€@)