The Soldier's Wife — page 42: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. scoundrel, I have a very great mind to knock your head off! Thunder and lightning ! was there ever such a mean, beggarly, paltry affair as this?” Frederick fired up in an instant; and with flashing eyes, he exclaimed, “ Mr, Langley. these ure words that ] cannot put up with : “Silence, sir!” ejaculatea the sergeant, ina thundering tone of command. “ You are a sol- dier in his Majesty’s service; and I will have you to know that J am your officer. March on, sir—be quick, I say—get you in front, ‘you enivelling scoundrel !” Lonsdale’s hand was raised to strike the bully down; but, quick as lightning did a thought flash to his mind. If he struck the sergeant, there was a justice of the peace close by—the one whose presence they had just left—who would rejoice in committing him to jail for the assault; and then how quickly would his hopes and those of his beloved Lucy be dashed to the ground! It nevertheless cost him a tremendous effort to restrain his indignation; but he did so, and walked in front. | “Tt’s an uncommon lucky thing for you, young fellow, that you didn’t touch me,” resumed the sergeant, who perhaps would have sworn that he had, were it not’ that the ball-porter was standing on the steps, and beheld everything that passed. “However, we shall see what what will happen yet. It’s easier to get into my clutches than out of them, I can tell you that; and if his Majesty’s service is to be treat- ed in this way—why, the sooner Parliament- House passes other laws, the better. It’s a regular case of bilk. J am robbed of a recruit just as bad as if I was robbed of my purse in a wood. But it isn’t Sergeant Langley, of his Maiesty’s —th Regiment of Infantry that is to be gammoned, and humbugged, and assified in this way.” > | “Now, you fellow,” said Mr. Langley, stand ing in the “first position,” as erect as a statue, with his right hand upon his stick, and his teft arm hangmg straight down by his side, while his heels were together, and his toes pointed out, to form the precise angle requisite—“ now, you fellow, it’s my order that you consider yourself under arrest for the present. You will go and keep your own room, You won't stir out, or yet even come down to Mr, Bates’s shop, Take care of yourself—for I shall keep an eye upon you—so mind what you are about. And now be off up to your room, you sneaking scoundrel !” Lonsdale was thunderstruck. He had not foreseen this: he was not even aware that the sergeant could exercise such an authority over him: but he instantaneously perceived that it must indeed be so, and that he was thus far at the mercy of the red-coated tyrant. But how was he to keep his appointment in the wood, with Lucy or Martha? An expression of an- vuish swept over his countenance; and the ser- geant perceiving 1t—though, of course, not un- derstanding the particular feeling which conjured it up—gave a malignant grin, very different indeed from his recruiting smile ! “I beg you to observe, Mr. Langley,” said Frederick, “that I have not intentionally offered you any offence.” “Go up to your room, sirrah —-and_ stay there !” vociferated the sergeant. “I shall come and inquire after you every hour—perhapg oftener; and if you dare stir out, I shall at once have you apprehended as a deserter. And now be off.” With these words the sergeant turned away, and walked with majestic stateliness towards the Royal Oak. “You had better do as he orders, Lonsdale? said Mr. Bates, who, with a Jather-brush in one Thus did Mr. Langley continue to blurt forth) band and a razor in the other, had left a cus- his venom against Fredenck Lonsdale, who, for) tomer half shaved, that he might contemplate Lucy’s sake, was resolved to endure all possible insults and indignities, rather than be provoked to retaliation. The sight of the eottage, and another waving of the handkerchief from the window, together with another glimpse of the countenance of his adored one, strengthened him in this resolve; and he continued his way tow- ards the village, without taking any apparent notice of the sergeant’s foul abuse. Not fora single moment did Mr. Langly cease to heap upon him every insulting epithet and goading taunt which he could’ possibly think of; and as the sergeant was by no means deficient in vclu- bility of Janguage of every kind and description, it was a perfect torrent of Billingsgate that thus flowed forth from his lips. Jn this manner they reached the door of Mr. Bates’s house; and as Frederick was about to euter the dwelling, the sergeant called out, “Stop !” Lonsdale—remembering that he was still a recruit until the smart-money should be paid, and therefore subject to the orders of the non- commissioned offcer—at once obeyed. But as he turned round and confronted this individual, his pale cheeks, his flashing eyes, aud his quiver- ing lips, showed how much it cost him to sub- due an outburst of terrific resentment. 3 this extraordinary scene. Frederick, who had lingered for a few mo- ments upon the door-step, was recalled Ey that recommendation, which ha took to bea frienasy- meant one, from the stupor of dismay into which he had been thrown; and he at once as- cended to his chamber. There he sat himself down and gave way to his reflections. At first he was well nigh reduced to despair, as he saw the impossibility of keeping the appointment at the oak-tree in the grove: but then he recol- lected that Lucy had spoken of the possibility of neither herself nor Martha being enabled to meet him there in the evening, in which case the servant-girl was to find an excuse for coming into the village in the morning. This cireum- stance at once relieved his mind of the cruel apprebension which had at first seized upon it; and becoming suddenly calm, he gaid to bin- self, “ It is after all but a transitory venting of this brutal ruffian’s spite upon me, Should Lucy or Martha keep the appointment this evening and find that I come not, it will be coir cluded that something has transpired to prevent me; and therefore Martha will cume across ig the morning.” His reflections were interrupted by the ex» COMICIOOXS. eC)