Rosa Lambert — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

a ES —- 102 til ROSA LAMBERT, Seymour, is the villain who seduced your daugh-!round my neck—she enthraced me—she ter.” forth her gratitude in expressions of the most | ~ e./ ¥ “What! that boy —that mere child —that |) fervid enthusiasm—she vowed that she would ever — girlish-looking stripling ?” shricked forth the old | cherish for me a sister’s love. man in amazement. nate him,” I answered, “ possesses the passions of a fiend—the capacity for mischief which would render him a worthy lieutenant for Lucifer him- self. Your daughter has told me her tale———” When she grew calm, I related to her the particulars of my inter. — “That girlish-looking stripling, as you denomi- | view with her father—at least so far as it was at all necessary to explain them—and quite enough to convince her that his forgiveness was sincere, and even in a measure independent of the service which I had vendered him in respect to the “Poor creature! and she was starving?” mur- | Rockinghams. mured the miser, his mind still harping on the “Oh, my dearest Miss Lambert!” murmured same string. And no wonder!—for if the human Caroline, “this is tle happiest moment I have heart be susceptible at all—if it be capable of | known for a long, long time! vibrating with a single compassionating emotion— | the home, which I never should have left To be restored to Ah!’ it must be when that horrible, frightvul, hideously | she ejaculated suddenly: “and to think too that ” expressive word “starving” smites the ear. “TI now hasten, Mr. Seymour, to bear the good tidings to your daughter. pany her in the course of the day: or perhaps I may not bring her hither until to-morrow. For she is ill and suffering shia) “Let her come to-day,” said the old man. “ Shall I—shall I go with you P” “No: you had better leave me to break the happy intelligence to her.” “ Well, well, have it all your own way. You would make a capital woman of business. You— you ought to be a discounter: you make such capital terms! JI shall now go and order my cletk to write a very brief note to Mr. Rocking- ham to say that I decline the transaction. Shall 1 tell him the motives P” “Most certainly!” I ejaculated. “ Tell him that his son was the seducer of your daughter, and that he himself endeavoured to dupe and de- - cerre you in this money-business.” a’. will,” responded the old man. ‘One hun- dréd thousand pounds! If Jack Sheppard was alive, he could not have attempted a more bare- faeed robbery. It would have killed me !” I took my leave of the miser, and re-entered the hackney-coach, my heart exultant at the suc- cess of my enterprise. I had not ehosen that he should accompany me, because I did not wish him to learn that his daughter had been driven to an attempt at suicide. That incident, which had so well nigh been the crowning one of her sad career, was much better buried in secrecy. The hackney- coach appeared to advance at a snail’s pace: every stoppage in the great thoroughfares of the City, filled me with a burning impatience. I could have leapt out and walked: I could have run—I could have flown, to bear to poor Caroline the joyous tidings whieh I had to impart. I thought the journey would never have ended. At length the coach drew up in front of the coffee-house ; and when the door of the private dwelling was opened, 1 could scarcely prevent myself fromyrush- ing up-stairs at the height of my speed. But I was fearful leat a too sudden shock—even of joy— might producz an evil effect; and I ascended slowly. Yet notwithstanding all my precautions, the success of my enterprise was reflected in my countenance: Tor the moment I entered the cham- bev, Caroline exclaimed, “Thank God!” in a tone which conyinced me at once she read her father’s decivion in my looks:—and she fainted. I was not-long in recovering her; and when she cum back to consciousness, she flung her arms vengeance has been wreaked at the same time—it is almost more than I can put faith in! It ap. Perhaps I may accom- | pears a dream.” | e After some little farther conversation, I said, “Do you think, Caroline, that you are well enough to be removed this day to your father’s house? Jt is now past four o’clock in the after- noon,” I added, looking at my watch. “ Would it not be better for you to wait until to- morrow P” “No,” she exclaimed: “you cannot fancy with what strength I am now nerved, Oh, yes! I am inspired with the energy of a thousand. Let me go at once; and you shall accompany me. But perhaps I am occupying your time P” “No,” I answered: “I have ample leisuse to devote to you. I will accompany you to your father’s house at once.” : I quitted the room to inquire of the landlady whether Miss Seymour’s clothes had been dried and were in a fitting condition for her to wear’. It was only necessary to procure another bor net, shoes, and other little articles—and these were speedily obtained. Caroline had not misjudged her strength: she was indeed inspired with an energy which was almost miraculous after every- thing she had gone through. She was: soon dressed: I remunerated the people of the house hiberally ; and by six o’clock I was on my way with Caroline towards Broad Street. As we drew near our destination, she trembled nervously: she showed me the spot where she had halted on the ~~ & preceding night when on her way to lay herself — down at her father’s threshold—that threshold over which she was now on the point of bemg re- ceived again! In afew minutes more the coach stopped in front of the house; and at that very minute, the front door opening, who should hasten forth but Mr. Rockingham and his son Hozace ? My. Rockingham, senior, was a little above the middle stature—strongly built without being in- clined to corpulency. His countenance had naturally a look half severe, half self-sufficient, with a certain tincture of ignobility and meanness derived from the many slimy ways by which he had amassed the fortune that was now scattered 24 i. yf to the winds.» But at the present moment, as he | issued forth from the miser’s house, his features: | were ghastly pale, with the anguish of despair | | upon them, ‘he word—the awful word “Ror? | was written upon those features as legibly as if | ~ eared there with red-hot iron. And Horace—Ais | . ; . _ re Yh] countenance, naturally so boaautiful, was distorted | with every agonizing and evil passion. Thedather | . 4 wt # J 4 : * ® [ > 7 J ‘ | on? a “a A ce TR th teenies opie emt - y eat = es od Fj 5 ae \ ' stl We} % # V4 4 yy * icbooks.com ‘ ¥