The Soldier's Wife — page 109: what you’re looking at

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

LS — it was to gaintime. Our persecutor will leave us unmolested, with the idea that as you offer- «: him the pension you are certain to remain nere in this neighborhood and in this house.” “ And into that belief [ have evidently lulled him, and he will leave us unmolested for the present, thinking that he has only got to write or come at any time in order to practise a fresh extortion. Now, Lucy, cheer your spirits and gather up your courage: for we will take a step that shall baffle him and set at defiance all our other enemies.” “Oh, your words fill my heart with joy!” exclaimed Lucey, the color returning to her eneeks. “What do you propose, Frederick ?” “We will repair to France,” responded our hero. “I understand that there are numbers of English resident in Calais, Boulogne, and particularly in Paris: and in one of those places will we settle. You see, dearest, that whenever we are left to the exertions of our own honest | industry, we invariably thrive: we are not even compelled to surmount ditficulties in es- te blishing ourselves: heaven prospers us, if vile man would leave us unmolested. In France| we shall be safe.” “Oh! this resolve which you haye taken, fills my heart with the brightest hopes,” eried Lucy, joy dancing in her eyes.“ Perhaps. dear Frederick, it was all for the best that this man should have come to us to-day? Otherwise, we might have lingered on here, lulled into a false security, until aceident might sooner or later have thrown you in the way of some one who, recognising you, would not have been purchaseable with money, but would have sur- rendered you up to your enemies.’ “Yes, dearest Lucy—all things considered the money from which we have just parted, will perhaps prove to have been expended fora good purpose.’ Lonsdale 1.0w proceeded to inform his wife that her father had married again; but he did not choose to pain her by the intelligence which Mr. Bates had given him respecting the new Mrs. Davis’s extravagant liabits, and the hint he had thrown out at the bailiif's mournful looks, Sil this step will conduce to my father’s hap- piness,” said Lucy, “I am rejoived tiat he has takenif. When once we are Frederick, and beyond the reach of danger, you will permit me to write to him and be- seech that he will withdraw those dreadful|there in France, dear|sanguine hopes had led them to expect. THE SOLDIER’S WIFE. ~ clime to which they were about to repair, B Léecessarily took several days to dispose of th furriture and give up the phe of their house ; and as during this interval Frederick's safety remained unmolested, they had no doubt that their calculations were correct in respect to the cot rse Which Bates would pursue. As at Car lisle, Frederick took an atlectionate leave o his scholars on bres aking up his establishment; and his neighbors and friends were all sincere ly grieved to part with him and his amiable wife. When the hour of departure came, Frederick and Lucy could not help experiencing some lit- tle anxiety last the terrible scene at Carlisle should be enacted over again in London at the last moment: but when they entered the hack- ney-coach which had come to fetch them, and with all their boxes stowed upon the roof, and themselves with little Frederick safely enscon- sed, inside the vehicle drove away and no sinise ter countenance appeared to startle them, they felt that they were indeed safe. On arriving at Gracechurch Street, they took their places by a couch just sti iting for Dover, and were soon beyond the limits of the modern Babylon eall- ed London, They reached Dover without any adventure worth narrating; and when, on the following morning, they stood upon the deck of the steam-vessel bound for Calais, they ex- chanuyed look sof unutterable joy—for they now experienced all the luxury of a consciousness of security beyond the possibility of accident or treachery. CHAPTER XXIIL THE GOOD SAMARITANS. € Freperick Lonspate had rightly sala to ie wife that when left to the exertions of their own honest industry, heaven prospered their. efforts. They arrived in Calais with about one hundred and twenty pounds in their possession, and resolved to remain two or three days at an hotel to ascertain what the chances were of ex- ponent, patronage for an English school These they learnt to be far greater than rederick’s previous information and their own At that time Calais was thronged with Er glish rae) the lace-trade was flourishing, and _ ere many hundreds of English mechanies words he uttered against me more than three jengage: ai in the French factories and earning years ago at Portsmouth. that he feels his home most. lo: nely, and in the iussession of a wife misses not his daughter, his heart will relent.” “Certainly, dear Lucy, you shall write to your father the moment we are settled in France. It would rejoice me unfeignedly that he should be touched ‘by your filial conduct, aid be moved to reply to you ina kind spirit.” ‘The Lonsdales, having made up their minds to leave Envland, set, t about them preparations at once. They did not enter upon this task with very painful feelings; for there was hope iw their heartsa—and tliey were contideat of earuiug a coiutortabie livelihvod in the foreign For perl: Ups, now |hizh waves. There were numerous gentlemen’s fainilies settled in the town and its suburbs: and Lousdale was informed that the great want experienced was for English scheolmasters, Moreover, on account of the rapidly increasing trade between Calais and England, mary per- sons engaged in commercial pursuits in the for- mer towa, were anxious that their sons should learn Hnglsh: and here was an additional chance of success for our hero, who, as already stated, had acquired by his own self: -teaching a considerable proficiency in the French lan. guage. So far as his personal securiet was concerned, he was as safe on the frontier-town of Calais as he would Lave been at the ¢ GOmMic