Rosa Lambert — page 208: what you’re looking at

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

ROSA LAMBERT. a a a meee eta bal to alight from the phaeton with the intention of following him into the wood, to anticipate any desperate design which in the uneasy condition of his thoughts he might have formed. A hedge bordered the road: but there was a gate a little way ahead, leading into the wood ; and by that means had Mr. Rockingham pene- trated thither. Just at the moment that I reached the gate, a person on horseback came galloping up; and the moment our eyes met, ejaculations burst from our lips. “ Ah, Rosa! is it indeed your most delectable self?’ eried Horace Rockingham, with mocking irony in his accents. “ Ah, the fiend!’ were the words which escaped from me, as his father’s words of that morning came vividly back to my recollection. “Call me what you will,’ Horace at once re- sponded: “but you must confess that it was a pleasant scene the other day at the artist’s.” “Mr. Rockingham,” I said, with a look and manner which at once riveted his attention, “ you would perhaps diminish that air of insolent joy- ousness and reckless gaiety, if you had overheard the complainings of your own father a few hours back, as I myself heard them!” “My father! What, have you seen the old boy ?” “ Disgusting flippancy !” I ejaculated, in mingled loathing and indignation. “And yet what else can be expected from you, devil that you have always shown yourself !”’ “T can brook hard names from you, Rosa,” responded Horace: “because I know that sooner or later there will be another phase in my ven- geance :’’—and his eyes suddenly flashed with those unnatural fires which at times so vividly reflected the evil feelings of his heart. ‘ But you say that you saw my father fe ‘“‘T saw him steeped to the very lips in wretch- edness,” I answered, in a tone of grave re- proach. : — “ All his own fault !” cried Horace. “He ruined himself—he ruined me fi “ He is not the less your father,” I interrupted the vile unfeeling speech: “and if you had seen lim weep, as I saw him, you would have been moved, if anything on this earth could move you. But no!” I quickly ejaculated: “ that 1s impos- sible. Your’s is a heart which, for the honour of humanity, exists alone of its kind.” “ [have no doubt my father went on against me in fine style,’ said Horace: and being evi- dently curious to ascertain whether I had done anything for him, he added, “I suppose that as you yourself are well off, under your new protector Beaumont, you flashed your gold about and paraded an ostentatious charity ?” “ Mr. Rockingham,” I responded coldly, “ if I tell you that my purse afforded your father some assistance 4 “Tt is not to make a boast of it Oh no, not at all!” he cried contemptuously: “ it is no doubt with the very best possible intenticn—to move my heart—eh ?” “Would that it were capable of melting on behalf of a father who is driven almost mad by his misfortunes, and is goaded to frenzy by the sense of the son’s black ingratitude! Know you that ke is wandering about in such an uneasy state of mind, that I shall not be surprised” then not daring to give expression to the thought which was nevertheless uppermost in my brain, I quickly ejaculated, “ Your father is nearer than you think! He plunged into this wood the in» stant he saw my chaise approaching * “What! is he here?” cried Horace. believe it. “ Do as you like, sir,’ I observed with cold indignation. “I had descended from my carriage to follow him into this wood : for if no one else in the world will speak a syllable of soothing sym- pathy to the forlorn and desolate man, it shall be my task to console him. Pursue your own course, sir, and leave me to mine.” “ And I wish you joy of it,” said Horace: and the next instant he was galloping away. I watched the retreating horseman until he had disappeared from my view: for had he lingered on the spot, or near it, I should not have entered the wood, for fear lest the miscreant might take it into his head to follow and attempt some outrage against me. But when he was no longer in sight, —and as I calculated that in his utter heartless- ness he would rather avoid his father than endea- vour to seek him,—I no longer hesitated to pass the gate and enter amongst the trees. I should observe that the phaeton had remained at such a distance from the gate, that the coachman could not overhear the discourse which took place be- tween me and Horace: and though our conversa- tion was but little friendly, yet it was unaccom- panied by any gesticulations or outward signs to make the man suspect that it was anything more than what was passing in an ordinary manner be- tween two acquaintances who thus happened to meet. I entered the wood,—impelled by that same secret and scarcely comprehensible influence which had prompted me to alight from the phaeton and follow Mr. Rockingham. [I had nosettled purpose in view; beyond the endeavour to find the unfor- tunate man if possible—and lead him, if I could, into a serious train of conversation. But yet there was in my mind a certain inexplicable under- current of feeling, swaying me like a presenti- ment, and which seemed to be totally apart from the aim that I believed myself to be pursuing. I wandered about in every direction—but beheld him not. Thus nearly half-an-hour passed; and I was on the point of giving up the search and returning to the phaecton, when all in a moment I T don’t | came upon a spectacle which made me shriek out in wildest horror. For there was the object of my search, suspended by a cord to the bough of a tree,—his countenance swollen and livid—his eyes seeming about to start from their sockets, but fixed with the stony glare of death. Yes, there he hung, the wretched suicide ; and his coat, which he had taken off, Jay upon the grass above which he dangled lifelessly. Scarcely had that wild shriek burst from my lips, when a cry of horror sounded near me; and glancing round, I beheld Horace Rockingham. There could be no doubt that the fiend-like young man had resolved to intercept me in the wood, for the purpose of committing an outrage upon me— that his quick galloping away from the gate had only been a feint to throw me off my guard—but that he had made a circuit and had thus regained — GoOmicsvooks (Elo)