Rosa Lambert — page 115: what you’re looking at

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

4 104, | ROSA LAMBERT, self; and assuredly, if his conduct had been limited I arose at my usual hour; Frances came, as to these, I should never have travelled out of my was her wont, to assist in my ‘toilet. She had Oe» way to decelerate his father’s ruin and his own. casion to leave the room to fetch something that I But it was the one tremendous crime he had per- required: and on her return, she intimated that petrated, which inspired me with a vengeance that Margaret wished to speak to me at once, was so implacable: and I said to myself as I “I am afraid, ma’am,” added Frances, “that journeyed homeward, after taking leave of Caro-!| she is inclined to be rather impertinent; and line, “ I may be brought down to miseries, priva- | I should be sorry to see you put out and vexed.” tions, and distresses—I may become houseless,| ‘Let her come up,” I answered; “and you re- friendless, and foodless: but at all events I will | main below until I ring.” never lose sight of an opportunity to reduce my| I was at the time seated in front of a psyche, destroyer to the same abject condition. Even if | arranging my hair. In a few moments Margaret my own career should terminate in a catastrophe | entered the room; and I at once saw that she was similar to that which Caroline voluntarily sought, | armed with a sort of cool insolence, mingled with but only more fatal in its result,—I should take | an air of defiance, the final plunge resignedly if I knew that LI left ‘“ You wish to speak to me?” I said, surveying Horace Rockingham in the world, likewise home- | her with a firm look. less, friendless, foodless! Forgiveness for all| ‘To be sure I do!” she exclaimed: “because I ‘other enemies—but pardon for him, never !” know very well that you meant to say something I reached my house in Sloane Street, wearied | to me: and the sooner we have it out, the bet- almost to exhaustion with the incidents of that | ter.” - busy day. Captain Fortescue being on guard, I ‘dlere are the wages which are due to you,” had to dine alone; and I pur posed to retire to | I said; “and you can leave my service at once.” bed early with the hope of obtaining a good ‘ That’s just what I meant to do!” she cried, night’s rest. As there was no man-servant in the | working herself up into a rage. “A pretty thing house, I had been in the habit of having all the | indeed, if a servant can’t go out for an hour or keys brought up to me the_ last thing, —the | two, without your tearing at the bells and sitting incident of the burglary at Mrs. Harborough’s in | up to watch when she comes home! I suppose Jermyn Street having rendered me cautious. Ac- | you think that I am preciously grieved at leaving cordingly, at about ten o’clock, I rang the bell to | without a character: but it isn’t to such as you intimate that I was about to retire,—when Frances, | that respectable people will apply for references. who answered the summons instead of the house- 7 A pretty thing indeed,” she repeated, “that you maid (whose place it was to do so), said that the | may amuse yourself just as you like, and yet servants were not ready to withdraw as yet. I) grudge your servants the least recreation !” inquired the reason ; and Frances, who was a very | “ Leave the room directly, Margaret,’ I said; good, attentive, and well- behaved gul—but who;|“and the house as soon as your boxes are nevertheless made some little attempt to screen a mi el fellow-servant—informed me, after a few minutes’ “As for leaving the house,” she exclaimed, “I hesitation and cross-questioning, that Margaret the | shall be only too glad to get out of such a disre- housemaid had gone out and had not yet returned. | putable place: but as for leaving the room, I I was somewhat annoyed that she should thus have | sha’n’t do it till l’ve told you my mind. A pretty issued forth without my permission: but supposing | creature you are to give yourself such airs! that her absence would not be prolonged, I said | Pray who are you?” she demanded, assuming an that I would sit up until her return; for tired | insolent attitude and placing her hand upon her though I was, I did not choose to seek my own|hip. “A kept mistress—a pensioned harlot 4 chamber until I knew the house was properly se- “Margaret, begone!” I ejaculated, my coun- cured and shut up. tenance becoming crimson, and my whole form I again fell into meditations on recent incidents : | burning with mingled shame and indignation. and thus for some while I did not notice how time “T sha’n’t till I like!” she replied, in a menac- was passing. The pendule on the mantel an-|ing manner. “J aman honest young woman, and nouncing eleven with its silver tongue, startled me | well conducted too; and I am ashamed of myself from my reverie. Again Trang the bell; Frances | for having come into such service. There’s cor- replied to the summons: Margaret had not yet | ruption init! Cook says so too; and she means come in. I was stillresolved to sit up; and, tobe |to leave. As for that sentimental kypocrite brief, it was past midnight when the housemaid Frances, I dare say you will make her as bad as veturned. I was exceedingly angry, and desired | yourself before long 2 Frances to order her to come up tome immedi-| ‘“ Margaret,’ I exclaimed, “leave this room ately that she might give an account of her con- | directly !”—and I sprang up from my seat. duct. But instead of obeying, Margaret flaunted | ‘Well, and what will you do if I don’t choose up to her own chamber; and as she passed the | to obey ?” she cried, with an impudent leer. “ You drawing-room, the door of which happened to be give yourself all the airs of a fine lady; and you ajar, she gave vent to some insolent observation, are only the scum of the earth. Look at yourself evidently intended for my ears, but the full mean- in the glass! You are very beautiful no doubt; ing of which I could not catch. I said nothing but you sell yourself for every morsel of bread you then, but resolved to dismiss her in the morning— eat—for the dress you put on—for the servants a step which I had all the less compunction in that wait upon you—for the house you lve in— taking, inasmuch as [ may say without vanity, for the carriage you ride in! And what will it that I was in the habit of treating my servants all come to? How does it all end with women with kindness, and therefore merited a better re- of your description P You come down to the turn than this. streets at last—you flaunt it for a time there—and ee CS re Ro eee + - en — ee i” : 4,” y ’ Politi Fl y L tn hig eer he Sewer y © \, .«! Ae PAL Pv Jp ye ei al a ee rr re ee ee Ye