The Soldier's Wife — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

o4 CHAPTER IX. THE DEPARTUCE. Wira men of naturally strong minds there is|e often a sudden calm which suceceds the wildest yrief—tiat awful calm which is superinduced by despair when the worst is known. It is the calm that seizes like a stupor cr a consterna- tion upon those who have been weeping most bitterly at the bed of death; but whose an- guish is overawed in a moment when every thing is over. Such a calm was it that now ‘seized upon I*rederick Lonsdale ; and yielding himself to his destiny, he slowly ‘descende d the stairs. In the shop below he beheld the ser- geant, on whose countenance there was an ex- wession Which might be likened unto the ma- Nignant triumph of a fiend: there was indeed at as moment something truly satanic in the man’s features—a di \bolie gloating over the fallen condition of his victim. “Really, my dear fellow, I am truly sorry for this,” whispered Bates, clutching Frede- rick’s arm. ‘“ You know I offered last night to go and borrow the money for you é “Yes—you have done everything you could for me,” replied Lonsdale, shaking the barber heartily by the hand in his frank and unsus- pecting confidence. “Come,” said Langley, “ we have no time to lose. Tramp—march—be quick—and let me have none of your nonsense.’ The young man bit his lip almost till hee THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. ning of suspicion flashing in upon his soul; and he seemed thunderstruck. “ Yes—into his hand she delivered it,” eried the almost frantic girl. “I can believe her—I can rely upon her—I am certain that she has not deceived me!” “Heaven will not permit this great iniquity to go unpunished,” sald Lonsdale, in a low deep voice, as he sustained the half-fainting form of his adored one in his arms, “Oh! it is ter rible—terrible | ” “Now, young man,” eried the sergeant, who had stood as erect as possible, gazing upon this scene; “I can’t wait for you any more. It’s a great kindness on my part, after all you have done, to wait at all:” but the truth is that Mr, ia was so struck by the extraordinary beauty of the bailiff’s daughter, that he had not been able for a few moments to give utter ance to a single word. Searcely had he thus spoken when Mr. Davis himself came rushing forth from the cottage, Furious with rage, he actually tore Luey from her lover’s arms; ‘and, with a wild ery of des- pair, she became insensible. “Villain!” thundered the bailiff, flinging a diabolical glance of hate and rage upon the hapless young man; and he bore his daughter quickly back tow: ards the cottage. Lonsdale’s impulse was to follow at all risk, and insist upon a final interview with his be- loved. Not for a moment was he deterred by the presence of Langley: he would have strick- en the red-coated ruthan to the ground, reck- blood came, and his countenance was pale as|less of the consequences, had he interfered to death. The look that he swept around, showed |stop him. It was ancther consideration which, several sympathizing faces; and he thanked /flashing to his mind, held him back. For he them with a glance. At the doorway, two of|thought that if he obeyed that impulse, it the recruits, with the ribands flying frcm their] would only excite the father’s fury into mad- hats, were posted; and as Frederick stepped|ness; and he might visit his rage all the more Ne) forth, they also regarded him with coramisera tion, and gave him to understand by their looks as plainly as they dared, that it was against their will they had been placed there to keep guard upon him, Feeling as if completely crushed in spirit, Lonsdale passed out of the village, closely fol- lowed by the sergeant. He knew full well in which direction he had to go without being told; and he accordingly bent his steps towards the Manor House. As he neared Davis's cot- tage, he scarcely had the courage to east a look in that direction. Oh, what must be Luey’s feelings if she knew all? Suddenly the door of that cottage yet oe female figurs came bounding forth : ras Lucy herself! “ Frederick, Préderiek she eried, in the frenzy of agonising suspense, “what means this? Wherefore still with himn?”—and she flung her frightened glances towards the ser- geant, who was about a dozen yards behind. “Dearest, dearest Lucy,” replied the young man, “you did not send——” “Heavens!” she exclaimed with a wild shriek: “there has been the foulest treachery! You came not to the oak-tree last evening—— “ No—I could not—I was a prisoner,” “ut Martha delivered the packet with her awn hand last night at your lodging.” “Ah, Bates!” ejaculated Lonsdale, the light- -\heavily upon his unhappy daughter. There- fore, with one look of unutterable despair flung upon the inanimate form of her who was being borne away from his view, he sped onwards to- wards the Manor House. The sergeant said not a word. Indeed, from the moment they left the barber’s shop he had not once opened his lips, save and except when uttering those few words at the interview of the lovers. But if he had now levelled every possible taunt, invective, and insult at Frede- rick Lonsdale, the unhappy young man would not have heard them; for all his thoughts were absorbed in contemplation of the black treach- ery which had laid his fondest hopes in the dust. There was confusion in his brain with regard to other things; and it was not until he found himself in the presence of Sir Archi- bald Redburn, in the same parlour where he had stood in that same presence on the preced- ing day, that his ideas assumed a collected form again. The Baronet threw out some taunt as to “the trouble which the fellow gave with his vagaries and nonsense;” but Lonsdale replied not. What to him was the miserable "|spite of that proud over-bearing man, in com- parison with the sense of awful wrong and hideous treachery that sat like a nightmare upon his soul¢ hat to him was any petty demonstration of hate that might be shown, Gomilecbooks Cc co