Rosa Lambert — page 230: what you’re looking at

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eee HAS, their silence. through the medium of my own maid, will ensure As for the stealthiness of these visits which I propose to pay you, whatsoever blame belongs to them, rests with me—and not with you. And now I shall detain you no longer to-day: for I see that you are going some- where.” “J have no particular engagement,’ was my -answer: and then I intimated that my intended visit was to an artist,—mentioning his name. “ How remarkable !” exclaimed Joanna, per- fectly delighted at the announcement: “he is taking my likeness at this present time; and I have already given him four or five sittings. I am going to him now. Shall we proceed thither together? You can counter-order your carriage ; and I shall have so much pleasure in introducing you to him.” “ Nothing would afford me greater satisfaction,” I answered; “but that very circumstance will perhaps bring to your mother’s knowledge the fact of our acquaintance.” “Most unlikely!’ exclaimed Joanna: and then she added, with a tinge of mournfulness in her looks and accents, “Ah, you do not know my mother. She would not enter an artist’s studio for the world: she upbraids me for what she terms my vanity in having my likeness taken. But when you come to be better acquainted with me, you will find, my dear cousin, that I have no undue vanity. It was as much as a means of pastime ‘4 “Oh! do not speak as if you considered it necessary to excuse yourself on the point,” I in- terrupted Miss Haverstock. “If there be any vanity in having one’s portrait taken, it is a very general and avery pardonable species. There is only one reason why I still hesitate to accompany you; and after all your kindness I fear to men- tion it. Not for worlds would I wound feelings that have been so generously actuated towards me !” . “T understand what you mean,’ responded Joanna: “you fear that you might meet my brother? But I can assure you that he has gone out of town, and will not return for some weeks. He departed yesterday; and his last whispered injunciion to me was that IL would come and in- troduce myself to you.” “How came Sir Jobn Haverstock to know where I was residing ?” I inquired, as the thought suddenly struck me. “I forget what he told me on the subject,” said Joanna: then after a few moments’ reflection, she exclaimed, “Ah, I remember! —he learnt your town-address from the landlady of the lodgings which you occupied at Ramsgate. I see that you are deeply irritated against him———~” “ No—not irritated, my dear Joanna,” I hast- ened to observe; “but without entering into respect will never permit me to see Sir John Haverstock again.” this resolve on your part. I deeply, deeply deplore -his misbehaviour. But give me the assurance, my | ROSA LAMBERT. explanations towards his own sister, it will be suf- ficient for me to remark that my sense of self. | a ey dear cousin, that it shall make no difference be- tween you and me?” “ T am incapable of such injustice!” I exclaimed. “And now let us proceed to the portrait- painter’s.” I rang the bell, to counter-order my own ¢ar- riage; and accompanied Joanna to her’s. We entered the vehicle: Miss Haverstock gave the requisite order to the footman, where we were to be driven to; and as we proceeded towards Russell Square, in which the artist’s dwelling was situated, we continued to converse with a growing friendli- ness. On arriving at our destination I found that Miss Haverstock’s portrait was in a forward state, and that it promised to be a life-like resemblance. The artist cheerfully undertook the commission which I proffered him—but begged me to postpone the commencement for a few weeks, as he had so much business on hand. ‘To this request I of course acceded ; and when Joanna had given him an hour’s sitting, she took me back in her carriage to my villa-residence. We embraced each other affectionately at parting; and she promised to call again in a couple of days. When she was gone, and I was once more seated alone in my drawing-room, I had leisure to reflect deliberately on all that had taken place. One thing was plainly apparent to’ my comprehension: Sir John Haverstock hoped through the medium of his sister, to become reconciled tome. Joanna was a well-meaning, artless, unsuspicious young woman, -—although of an age when she might reasonably have been expected to have a little more experience in the ways of the world. I had read her charac- ter easily. It was utterly impossible that guile could lurk beneath so much generous frankness and affable candour. That she was an instrument— though a blind and unsuspecting one in her bro- ther’s hands—I had no doubt. Not for an instant did I believe in his repentance with regard to his conduct towards me; but it was natural that he should calculate on such belief on my part, inas- much as he was unaware that through the medium of Alvanly I had obtained so deep an insight into his views, proceedings, and designs. Yes—Joanna was an unsuspecting instrument in his hands: of this there could be no doubt. The natural gene- rosity and goodness of her disposition had rendered her ductile and pliant to his representations. But was I to repudiate the acquaintance of the virtu- Ous sister in consequence of the villany of the de- signing brother? No—I had not the heart to do so. And perhaps—indeed, I will frankly confess that my own motives in accepting her overtures of friendship, were not altogether unselfish. At Ramsgate and at Brighton 1 was enabled to amuse myself in the ever-changing gaiety, animation, and bustle of those watering-places :—my return to the villa had therefore smitten me with a deeper sense of loneliness than I had experienced previous to my departure on those sea-side excursions. I therefore naturally longed for female companion- ship; and when it came in so amiable a shape, it | was not to be expected that I should repudiate it. Joanna looked profoundly sad as I thus em- phatically spoke; and after a pause in the conver- sation, she said mildly and softly, “ If my brother’s | conduct was so gross towards you, I cannot blame | This explanation will also account for the circum- stance that I did not confess to Joanna that her brother had deceived her in respect to my true position, and that I was not married to Captain Beaumont. It was beyond all doubt that she firmly believed I was; and I had no difficulty ee ew re, Ee et Le Se a ee ee ee GoOmicdoo G ‘Ss