The Soldier's Wife — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFY. more approachiag to argry petulance than he had ever before exhibited. Lucy turned aside to conceal her tears; and then Frederick, per- ceiving, that she wept, clasped her in his arms —implored her pardon if he had spoken hastily —but did not either keep back the letter or modify its contents. Lucy now hoped that as her husband’s venge- | ance was appeased in respect to Bates, he would recover a somewhat more healthy tone of mind. And such, during the lapse of a few weeks after he had despatched that letter, proved to be the ease. He ceased to speak of his wrongs; he endeavored to seem as cheerful as pos-ible; but to a great extent, these spirits were forced ; and that such was the case, his manner some- times betrayed—for the scars of infamy were tpon his back, and the indelible brand of a still deeper infamy on his side! That he had undergone the branding process, he had care- fwuiy kept secret from his wife; and Lucy in- deed remained unaware of it. When he read in a newspaper that Bates had escaped from the custody of those who were conveying him, together with other con- victs, to the sea-port whence the ship was to sail for New South Wales, he experienced a feeling as if a sad calamity had happened to himself. Indeed, his vengeance was disappoint: ed—that vengeance which he had taken such 133 with an involuntary impulsiveness, begin to pace to and fro in his room. Then his wife would lay down her work—-gently approach him—throw her arms round Lis neck—and en treat, in the most affectionate and endearing terms, that he would exert his fortitude to think less painfully of the past, and ore hopefully of the future. On such occasions as these, he would strain that admirable woman to_ his breast—he would promise everything she ask- ed—he would embrace their son in his turn— he would resume his seat—and the lessons would go on uninterruptedly for hours, Per- haps, indeed, the black mood would not return again throughout that day—at least not ostens sibly, however insidiously the shadow might steal back upon the heart that beat unseen within, But still that black mood wou/d come back: andas Lucy bent over her work, frequent — were the looks which she stole at her husband; and if she beheld his countenance expressive of placidity, she would feel a fervid thankfulness in her soul: but if, on the other hand, she beheld the shade settling gradually on that loved face, a pang of direst agony would shoot through her bosom. One morning—about a fortnight after Bates’s escape— Lonsdale had occasion to hurry to the lodging, between breakfast and the parade-time, to fetch something he had left there on the pre- trouble to gratify, and over the first success of |vious day. Being ina great hurry, he rushed which he had gloated so ferociously. It now up stairs and burst into the room—when, to hia suddenly appeared to him as if he had a fresh|mingled terror and dismay, he beheld his Lucy task to accomplish—a fresh deed to do. He|stretched senseless on the bed, the woman of endeavored to conceal the state of his mind from /the house administering restoratives, and little his affectionate wife; but she saw that some-|Freddy crying bilterly. At that instant, and thing new had occurred to annoy him; and at that spectacie, every other thought was ban- when she besought him to unbosom these fresh ished from Lonsdale’s mind, save the love he SOlTOWS, whatever they might be, he only gave | bore for his own beautiful and devoted wife; an evasive reply. She therefore said nothing and, ha!ffrenzied, he feared she was at the point more ; but for some days he continued so moody, of death. The woman of the house, however, gloomy, and strange in his looks and manner,|re-assured him; and as Lucy now began to that she became frightened. She fancied that!show symptoms of returning animation, the he was experiencing renewed tyrannies in his husband's worst apprehensions were tranquil- regiment, and that he forbore from mentioning | lized. them, in order not to afflict her. Entertaming| “® What was it? what caused it? what ails this belief, and giving him the credit for such a}my beloved Lucy ?’ he asked, still immensely feeling, her heart yearned so devotedly towards excited. him, that, if it were possible for her love to be| “1 think it was all on account of that letter,” increased, it was increased then. sald the woman—and she pointed towards the We should observe, that as several weeks table. kad now elapsed since Lucy’s arrival in Man-| “ Yes, it was, papa,” said little Frederick, chester, she had obtained work, and was enabled in a voice almost choked with sobs, “ The to earn a comfortable subsistence, as she had moment mamma read it she fell down on the done at Portsmouth. The routine of their life! carpet e would have been pretty well the same as it had| Lonsdale rushed to the table—snatched up been there, were it not that Frederick himself |the letter—and with feelings that may be more was becoming an altered man, It was perfectly easily conceived than described, read the follow true that he passed nearly all his leisure time ing words :— . at th> lodging, aud that he yielded not to the temptations of dissipation, He had still suffi- cient command over himself to avoid having recourse to drinking, in order to drown his cares: he was still sober—indced, most temperate, steady, and well-conducted. But it was in his mood and his manner that he was changing. “ Mrs, Lonsdale, “ Your husband has done his best to get me sent out of the country ; but he has not sue- ceeded. You may tell him I received his ras- cally letter that he sent me to Middleton gaol , ! but I will be revenged for it. I will stick te He undertook to teach little Freddy, as he had|him through life. And now I am going to tell been wont to do: but, in the midst of the les-|you a secret: for I know Frederick Lonsdale sons, he would fall into fits of abstraction—or,|quite well enough to be aware that he would he would suddenly start up from his chair, and,ido his best to keep the thing from you. You GOMmiiGbDooks (E(0)