The Soldier's Wife — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. 10] rick and Lucy, with their beloved little boy, jnances, it was with a world of difficulty she atepped accordingly on the deck of the French ateam-packet at about ten in the morning; and janguish. in abotit two hours and a half they entered Do- ver harbor. It was perhaps with a momentary seuse of insecurity—or. rather, we should say, with something like a regret at having been compelled to quit a state of completest security —that Frederick stepped forth from the steam- packet on the stairs leading to the quay: but this feeling almost _ epee apee vanished, as he thought to himself of the million chances to one that there were against his being recognised and taken. Lucy experienced a transitory fiuttering at the heart—but nothing that might be called serious apprehension: for she saw likewise the tnealeulable chances in favor of her husband, and the few that existed against him. To little Frederick, the whole scene was full of the nevelty and excitement of change ; and he skipped up the steps in front of his fa- ther and mother. Their portmanteau remained behind, to go first of all to the Custom House, ere they could receive it. The top of the steps was reached and the quay, when a hand was laid on Frederick’s arm—and on his ears, as well as on those of his wife, fell the ominous words, “You are my prisoner !” A shriek rose up to Lucy’s lips—but with an almost preterhuman etfort she kept it back: for quick as lightning did a sense of duty spring up in her mind—that duty which she, in her angel-character of a devoted and virtuous woman, was ever ready to perform: namely, the ministration of solace to her husband. “T will go with you quietly,” said Lonsdale to the constable; “and will reward you if you spare me any ignominy in the presence of this crowd :”—but the voice in which he spoke was the low deep tone of utter despair. “TI don’t want to hurt your feehngs more than I can help,” replied the constable: at the game moment making a sign over his shoulder for two of his comrades, who were close at hand, to keep back. “So come along quick. I must take your arm though:”’—to which of course Frederick was compelled to submit. Fortunately the passengers who were land- ing at tle time, were so busy in hurrying off to their homes or to hotels, or else to meet the friends assembled to receive them, that the thus the unfortunate Lonsdales were spared the ignominy of becoming a mark for universal observation, Juey—pale as death, but keep- ing back tears and subs alike—clung to her husband’s arms, which she pressed with even a convulsive violence, in mute entreaty that he would ear up against this frightful calamity. With her other hand she led the boy, who was intelligent enough to perceive that something was wrong: but what it was he of course could not possibly understand. The looks of his father and mother struck the poor little fellow with a dismay that prevented him from putting Lonsdales had just planted their feet upon arrest passed unnoticed by those around ; sl could repress a viclent outburst of rending What Lonsdale’s feelings were, we must leave to the reader to imagine; we can- didly confess that we have exhausted what- soever power of language we may be enabled to wield in deseribing his emotions on former occasions When overtaken by calamity—so that we have no words left to convey an adequate idea of the sense of despair with which he re ceived this withering bight that now fell upon his happiness and his heart. “Where do you choose to be taken to!” asked the constable as they proceeded on their way. “There will be no coach till the arter- noon up to London——” “Who is at the Varis hotel?’ demanded Lonsdale, teeling who the author of this atro- city was, and believing him to be there. “Well,” returned the man evasively, “you may just as well go to the Paris as anywhere else: for I see that you must be a person tha has got money to spend.” | Frederick made no answer. An awful stu- por seized upon his brain; he appeared to be walking 1n a dream. ‘They proceeded to the Paris Hotel; and on a word from the constable, a waiter showed them at once to a private room. Almost immediately aiterwards the other two constables made their appearance: and one of them said to him who had taker Frederick into custody, “ You must put on the handeutis. He says that this is a slippery chap.” “Fle? To whom do you allude?” eaculated our hero, starting up from the chair on which he had sunk down when entering that room. “Who.is he? where is he? ‘Tell him to come hither that I may sacrifice him to my ven- geance 1? ‘ “Oh, my dearest husband!” cried Lucy, throwing her arms about his neck, and now bursting into a paroxysm of grief which could no longer be restrained: “I beseech and im- plore you to calm yourself!” }?? “Calm myself, Lucy!” echoed Lonsdale, a withering bitterness in his accents, and the direst vengeance in his looks; “tas well bid tha storms of heaven to be at peace! my beloved one, that I feel thus deeply. O God! the anguish, the horror, the excruciation ot all this !”—and sinking down again upon the chau from which he had so recently started up, the unhappy man covered his face with his hands and sebbed aloud. It is for you, The little boy climbed up on his father’s lap, imploring him in piteous accents not to ery* and Lucey, falling upon her knees by her hu» band’s side, in a broken voice, renewed her supplications that he would be calm It was a scene of such bitter burning anguish that tha constables themselves were for the instant moved; and they exchanged looks as much as to imply that they were sorry to be compelled to witness it. “Well, I will be calm!” exclaimed Frederick with an abruptness that in itself was terrible— a single question; but when Lucy saw him/for it appeared as if his reason were suddenly ance upwards, half in fright and half in|touched: then, in a moment perceiving the euriosity at her own and Frederick’s counte-|horriiied dismay that appeared on the coum GOMmichboo gs) (E(o) =}