Rosa Lambert — page 227: what you’re looking at

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

——_—— ee - a) mare bos —_-_—_ Oe! ms, — o----- ——_ emmy me 216 ROSA LAMBERT. —— forth, with the intention of avoiding the sands and the picr, and strolling a little way into the country, —I beheld Mr. Alvanly at a short distance ; and he made me a sign that he had something to com- municate. I walked along the cliffs: he followed —and presently joined me. On the following day I left Ramsgate, and pro- “You managed matters admirably,” he said, | ceeded to Brighton—where I remained for about pressing my hand with a true friendly kindness. | a month,experiencing no adventure worth record- “Tbe exposure of Belmore was as withering as it |ing. The winter was now coming on; and I ro- was well deserved. I purposely left you alone | turned to London. <A few days after my arrival with your cousin yesterday, that you might serve | at the villa near Highbury, I proceeded one him in a similar manner. And you did too! | afternoon in my carriage to the West End to But the wager still holds good between them. | make some purchases. I was thus occupied in Nay, more~it is doubled! and now a thousand | shopping for about a couple of hours; and was guineas 44 thinking of returning home, for the dusk was be- “The miserable coxcombs!” I ejaculated. “ But | ginning to set in,—when, as I alighted at the last how know you all this—I mean in respect to | shop which it was my intention to visit, I sud- Haverstock ?” denly beheld Horace Rockingham shrinking back “Tt appears that with more candour than pride, | from my view. Ah! and well he might be thus and with more frankness than self-respect, he went | ashamed!—well might his pride sink down into straight off on leaving you yesterday, and told | utter humiliation! His appearance denoted penury Belmore how he had been treated. He was in a | —misery—destitution: his garments and his looks towering rage, and unable to restrain it—so that | all proclaimed the fallen, ruined, impoverished his aim was that they should lay their heads{man. For a moment I stopped short in astonish- together and devise some scheme of revenge. But} ment at his altered aspect: but he disappeared he found the Marquis more than ever resolved to | from my view by darting round a corner—and get you into his power; and the expression of | recovering my self-possession, I entered the shop. this determination animated your cousin with a! Ah! retribution had overtaken the miscreant for similarly evil design. Last evening I dined with | his numerous heartless profligacies and crimes! them, on purpose to see whether they would talk On the following day I proceeded to the upon the subject. They did so: for they had not | residence of the artist who had taken my por- the slightest suspicion of the betrayal of their | trait. It will be remembered that he had kept secrets by me. When heated with wine, they dis-| it to put a few finishing touches, as well as to coursed freely,—each vowing that love and revenge | have it varnished and framed for me. I now should be gratified at the same time; and the called to pay his account, and take the picture wager was not merely held good—but was doubled, | away. But to my mingled surprise and vexation, as I have informed you.” I learnt that the artist had died suddenly within a “ZT must again express all the gratitude I feel | few days after I last saw him—and that all his for your kindness towards me. To-morrow I leave | effects had been sold off to pay his creditors. Ramsgate oH There was no evidence in his books that the “You will do well to be upon your guard,” | amount due for my portrait had been liquidated responded Gustavus; “for those young men are | (as indeed it had not) and it so happened that on resolute and desperate: they are maddened by | no occasion when I called for a sitting had I love, rage, and disappointment. You have now! given him my address. Thus the portrait was received a proof of my friendly feelings towards | sold with the rest of his personal property; and I you. The other day, when we first met in this | was referred to the auctioneer by whom the sale town, I was so struck by your appearance—you | was effected. This person recollected full well the seemed so exceedingly beautiful—that I was on} picture of which I spoke—and said some com- the point of giving hasty vent to a proposal to| plimentary words, while remarking on the ad- renew our former connexion. But your manner | mirable resemblance it bore to the original: but chilled me; and I see from all circumstances that | he could not tell me into whose hands it had you are attached to Beaumont. I therefore say | fallen. I therefore lost all clue to it—and re- no more at present. Yes—a few words! You | turned home much annoyed and vexed at the dis- told me the other day that I had never loved you. | appointment I thus sustained. All the time spent Love perhaps, in the true sense of the word, I did | in the sittings had been thrown away; and I was not experience towards you when we were to-| so disheartened that a week passed before I could gether: but yet I loved you more than ever I had| bring my mind to a settled resolve to seek out previously loved a woman-more than I am ever | another artist. Nevertheless, as Beaumont had likely to love one again. Now, Rose pardon | so particularly intimated his wish that I should me for addressing you by that familiar name once | have my portrait painted, I at length determined more if the time should come when you need | to sit again for the purpose. a friend, hesitate not to apply to me. I have| I was ready dressed one forenoon to call upon a my faults—and they are numerous: but still I] portrait-painter of some eminence, whose address am not altogether so bad as many men in my | I had procured, when a handsome carriage stopped own sphere of life; and I think that judging | at the garden gate. A lady alighted; and as I from my conduct towards you in recent circum- | looked from the drawing-room window, I saw her CHAPTER XXVIII, JOANNA. stances, you will give me credit for the ability to} follow the footman who had answered the sum- — perform a good action. And now farewell.” mons. I thought there must be some mistake,— He seized my hand—pressed it with much | until the drawing-room door was thrown open, and visible emotion—and hurried away. the footman announced “ Miss Haverstock.” ee ee ee ee —_ A A A te mm O) e —_ Eomicbooks.co f |