The Soldier's Wife — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIERS WIFE. 35 when weighed in the balance with his own il-|well be given ferth? Oh, for one glinipse of limitable woe# Aga n his thoughts fell into|that dearly-loved countenance, ere he entered confusion; and after the ciauses cf the Mutiny|/upon his dismal career—for such he felt the Act and the Artieles of War were read, he orlviirresistible presentiment that it would prove! recollected having heard some humming,| All on a sudden the crashing of glass was drowning sound, the sense of which he had not|heard ; and Lonsdale stopped short. A white - caught. He was awakened to consciousness|hand had been: dashed through one ot the again by being roughly told to take up the} window-panes on the ground-floor; and the Bible and swear to the Oath of Allegiance. He|/kerchief which the hand grasped, was wavea obeyed mechanically; and then a feeling such/for a moment. The very way in which it was as might be supposed to take possession of a|shaken, indicated the frantic excitement of her doomed man when his death-sentence is pro-| who thus shook it. Frederick waved his own nounced, seized upon the wretched, wretched|in response, and then rushed onward with Lonsdale. frenzy in his brain. Oh! too well did he com: “Thank heaven, the village wili now be rid|prehend what all that meant! The father had of a desperate character,” exclaimed the Baro-| become the savage tyrant—a gaoler watching net, thrusting his hands into his breeches-/his captive daughter; and she in her despa pockets and chinking his guineas. had madly dashed her hand through the win- The young man threw upon him a look of|dow to signal that last farewell to her lover. blank despair; but, speaking not a word, issued| Yes: and that signal not merely conveyed an forth from the room. As he was traversing|adieu, but likewise a hope and a pledge,—the the hall, the rustling of a silk dress met his ears; and he mechanically looked round. It was Miss Redburn, the Baronet’s sister, passing towards the staircase; and it instantaneously struck Frederick that she fixed upon him a look so peculiar that nothing short of such a look could have had the effect of arresting his attention for a single moment under such cir- cumstances. It struck him then most forcibly, as we have just said; and it frequently haunted him afterwards: for it was a look which he could not understand. It certainly was not spite—nor gloating triumph; and he could not fancy that if was commiseration. She disap- eared from his view the next moment; and be issued forth from the hall: but the cireum- etance we have just related was speedily ab- sortsd in the harrowing thoughts which again rushed baek intu his soul. “Now, my fine fellow,” exclaimed the ser- geant, as he loilowed our hero down the declivity of the eminence on which the mansion stood, “ yuu can’t escape me—you are in my power. An there’s ofteu a slip between the -eup and the lip, and you are the slipperiest dog I ever zame near, I resolved not to say a word more than was necessary till the nail was elenched; but now that it 2s clenched, I don’t mind telling you that I will make you smart for all the trouble you have given me. I will pay you off for your infernal insolence. Talk of you ever rising from the ranks!—why, you ’ —————— hope that better days might come, and a pledge that the heart of his Luey would remain con- stant until the end! but, alas! so profound was Frederick’s despair—so poignant his aftlie- tion—that his soul was inaccessible to hope. He re-entered the village, followed by the sergeant; and he was taking the direction of the barber’s-shop. At least he would have the satisfaction, poor though it were, of upbraiding that man for his black treachery. But no— even this was denied him: ferim a stern voice, the sergeant commanded him -to proceed to the public-house. Lonsdale already felt that he had lost his manhood—that he was reduced to the condition of a mere automaton—that thenceforth he could only move in pursuance of orders; and he therefore obeyed mechani- cally. On arriving at the Royal Oak, he was commanded to fasten the colored ribbons to his hat—then to betake himself to the tap- room, and there stay until the hour of depart- ure should arrive. The other recruits had been permitted to visit their friends and bid them farewell. Lonsdale was therefore alone in the tap-room. Seated upon a bench, with his elbows upon his knees, and his countenance buried in his hands, he gave way to his wretched thoughts. But language has no power to describe the intensity of their bitterness. Presently the door opened; and Langley, tossing in a parcel, said in a gruff brutal voiee, “There are your things from Bates’s: he has will never even get to be a corporal! There|packed them up for you, to save you the isn’t a shadow of a chance if you behaved ever|trouble. And there,” added Langley with a so well—which you won't; for | know you will}mocking laugh, “is what was forgotten to be rove a deuced troublesome customer, and I}delivered to you.” shall have the pleasure of seeing you fastened| As he uttered these last words, he threw up and well trounced before you have been|down a little packet; and closing the door many months at the depot. You will see what| violently, stalked away. Lonsdale rushed for- a common soldier’s life is; and if you don’t| ward, and seized upon the packet. Ah! it was find it hell upon earth, then my name’s not|not for the money which it contained, that he Langley.” thus caught it up with avidity: that was now In this manner the ruffian went on until the} dross—vile, useless, contemptible dross! Butit vicinage of Davis's cottage was again reached| was because there might be a note inside: and, on the way back to the village. Lonsdale|Oh! to possess a few lines in the hand-writing answered him not a word: he had no thought|of his well-beloved. He tore open the brown for such a wretch as he. His eyes were now|paper wrapper—some money fell upon the riveted upon the cottage. Would any sign|floor—but his fingers ciated: a note addressed be riade?# would some indication of a last fare-!to himself. Its contents were as follow :— EORMICL AOC) a(S)