The Soldier's Wife — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

130 THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. tively rude—ungrateful to a degree—most im [looked at her danghter—but said nc hing, The proper.” “ Read it aloud,” said Aunt Jane: and once move were her glassy eyes turned with a sort of malignant siynificaney upon Gerald, who colored like a peony—and to hide his confusion, was suddenly seized with a fit of coughing, so that he averted his face and held up his hand- kerehief. “This 1s what Davis says,” continued the Baronet; and he read the note, which ran as follows :—- SI “Circumstances compel me to resign at once the situation which so many years I have had the honor of holding upon your estate. As business of importance calls me at once to Middleton, where I may be for some days, | have to request that you will lose no time in appointing my successor; as I shall be unable to perform my duties any longer. I have already given instructions to have the cottage cleared of all my furniture; so that it will be ready in the course of the day to receive a new occupant, “T remain, Sir, | “ Your obedient humble Servant, “PETER DAVIS.” “Are all his accounts right?” inquired Lady Redburn : “for it looks very suspicious and very odd.” “Tt was but the other day I went over his ac- counts,” returned the Baronet; “ and they were perfectly accurate. No: it is nothing of that kind which has driven Davis to this step. I can’t understand it.” : “ Perhaps it.will all transpire in due course,” said Aunt Jane, with another malignant glance at Gerald. “ But Ido not see any particular political announcement in this paper. The only thing of consequence is the sudden death of % Baronet and Lady Redburn exehanged nick glances of uneasiness: Mr, Arden, who peffeetly well understood the aspeet of affairs, gazed slowly around on all present :—while Aunt Jane, completely satisfied with the excitement she had produced, went on reading the paper as coldly ana imperturbably as if nothing bad hap. pened, For upwards of a minute the silenee that ensued was most awkward and embarrasa Ing:no one seemed to dare to break it— because no one, even if inclined to speak, knew not what to say. But all in a moment the seene acquired an augmented interest : for Adela Clive, over- whelmed with confusion, and feeling it to be hupossible to conquer her emotions, abruptly — rose from her seat and quitted the room, The Countess of Burton hesitated for an instant what course to adopt: and with all her wonted presence of mind, and coldly calculating worldly disposition, she was bewildered and enibar rassed, But thinking it best to put a certain complexion on her daughter's behavior, she likewise rose, observing, “Iam afraid Adela is Hl :’—and hurried from the apartment. “Why, what ts the matter?’ aske! Aunt Jane, slowly raising her eyes from the news- paper and looking around her in unfeigned astonishment, “ Have you said or done any- thing rude, Gerald, to offend your intended t for | know that you can be an unmannerly boy at times.” But the Captain, not condescending to give his aunt any response, rose from his seat and walked to the window, whence he pretended to gaze forth, but where be vainly endeavored to stifle the chagrined feeling he experienced at having acquired the assurance that Lady Adela was deeply attached to Reginald Herbert. Ah, this naine !—much as he had hated it before, he now loathed and detested it with all the power of his natural malignity ! “Had you not better go, my dear,” said the “ My dear, my dear” interrupted the Baronet | Baronet to his wife. “and see how Lady Adela hastily ; “pray don’t talk of death. The subject is so gloomy !” “Mr. Arden will tell you,” rejoined Aunt Jane, “that we always ought to have our ideas fixed upon the transitory state of our being. Poor Ferdinand Stansfield ! to have fallen dead ef apoplexy in such a manner — it is really aite shocking! But it is an ill wind that blows nobody any good; and now the nephew Reginald Herbert is heir to the title and estites,” Captain Redburn, on hearing his aunt make this announcement, glanced quickly at Lady Adela Clive; and at once saw that she had sud- denly become a prey toan immense excitement, which she could not possibly conceal. The co- ‘or went and came in rapid transitions upon her cheeks—she trembled visibly—and_ her con- fusion increased to such an extent that she could not restrain her tears. Ah! they were tears of suddenly awakened hope—tears called forth by an ineffable tenderness of feeling—tears that flowed from a source the existence of which enly those who have well and truly loved, and whose love‘has encountered cruel obstacles, car properly understand! The Countess of Burton ' whether Davis's jealousy aes 0 1s sponded her ladyship: and then with a signifi- cant glance, she added, “ The Countess will de all that is needful.” “ Perbaps so,” said the Baronet; and by way of turning the conversation, lest Aunt Jane should thrust in any more of her malicious ob- servations, he exclaimed, “ But about this fellow Davis ?” | Gerald had already heard quite enough—in- deed too much respecting the bailiff aud his wife; and he quitted the room quite as abruptly as Lady Adela and her mother had done a few minutes previously, Lighting his cigar, and taking bis dogs with him, he walked down ito the village for the purpose of ascertaining, if possible, some particulars relative to Kitty’s abrupt expulsion from her home. As he passed the bailiff’s cottage, he saw a van at the door, and some men moving out all the furniture ; but he did not observe Sarah the woman-servaat assisting. He had a great mind to approach the cottage and see if she were there, so as vo learn whether she had really betrayed him, of IMIGVOCKS “T think not, Sir Archy—I think not,” res been excited froma i ‘ m