Rosa Lambert — page 232: what you’re looking at

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

re RE ES EE ee RE ee RR ae er Se ed ROSA LAMBERT. diately asked, my thoughts settling themselves all in a moment upon Toby Grayson. “ A man of about forty, as near as I can guess,” responded Joanna. “He had dark hair and whiskers—prominent features, and a fierce deter- mination of looks. He was not above my own stature—by no means stout, yet strongly built. He had large dark eyes ss “ Ah! I do not know him,” I observed. first thought he might be some one from whom on former occasions I have experienced much annoy- ance.” “He does not know you by sight, Rose,” re- sumed Joanna,—“ as you shall presently learn. The man of whom I am speaking, came so sud- denly into my presence, that I was seized with dismay: his looks were sufficient thus to strike me. Iwas about to shriek forth and fly—when he abruptly caught me by the wrist, saying, ‘Young lady, a word with you, if you please! But if you dare cry out you will repent it !’—Not- withstanding this menace, I did endeavour to give vent to a scream for assistance: but terror sealed mylips. I cannot explain the mortal dread which came upon me: but I do not profess to be consti- tutionally endowed with a very remarkable degree of courage.—‘ You must come along with me,’ he said, seizing me round the waist with one arm, and placing one of his large hands over my mouth in such a way as to stifle a cry, even if I had pos- sessed the power of giving vent to one. I struggled with him: but it was allin vain. He lifted me up with that one arm as a giant might lift a child: his strength was evidently colossal. He rushed with me through the little door in the wall—hurried across the paddock—and bore me to the lane which skirts it on the most secluded side. There a post-chaise was waiting ; and in it an elderly woman was seated. The postilion was evidently in readiness to start; and I have no doubt he was well bribed for the service he was rendering.—‘ There, young lady, jump in!’ said | the ruffian who had thus borne me thither: but the woman, on catching a glimpse of my coun- tenance, exclaimed, ‘ Good heavens, Mark! what have youdone? This is not Mrs. Beaumont !’— ‘ Perdition’ cried the fellow in a tone of rage and disappointment. At the same instant I was free ; and I need scarcely tell you, my dear Rose, that I rushed back across the paddock as fast as I could: but glancing over my shoulder, I beheld the post- chaise dashing away. That is the history of my adventure.” * © And wherefore,” I asked, “my dear cousin, did you earnestly enjoin me not to raise an alarm nor mention anything to the servants P” “Because, Rose, if publicity were given to this incident, it would reach my mother’s ears; and I should then be deprived of the pleasure of seeing you again,—a pleasure which, I can assure you, I am by no means inclined to renounce. Besides, it would serve no useful purpose to send the domes- tics in pursuit: for the post-chaise must have been far distant before you could have given a single word of instruction on the subject. It is evident that some very bad people are harbouring a treacherous design towards you 4 “Not merely bad people, but also very bold ones,” I observed: “for such an outrage as this to be perpetrated in the broad daylight—it is Cm me rn a ee nn eee “T at | 221 astounding! If you had screamed, assistance must have inevitably come.” “T do not think so,’ replied Miss Haverstock. “Tt was all the work of a few moments fs “Describe the woman to me as well as you can,” I said, wondering who on earth she could possibly be. “TI caught but a single glimpse of her,” returned Joanna: “but the impression she made upon me was that of a stout red-faced person, gaudily dressed. I can give you no farther particulars.” I knew no one at all corresponding with such a description : that is to say, I could not think of any one whom I had ever seen that it would precisi2ly suit. But as the reader may observe, it was ‘too meagre in its details to permit the easy establish- ment of an identity. Before Joanna took her leave on this occasion, she besought and conjured mé: to take the utmost precaution not to fall into «ny new snare that might be set, or expose myself to any fresh outrage that might be attempted. I promised to be careful: her carriage was ordered|— and she went away, promising to return on the morrow. When she was gone, I proceeded to the door ‘in the garden-wall; and on carefully examining it, found that it had been forced from the outer side. | I had therefore no reason to imagine that there had been any treacherous connivance on the part of any one of my own household: because if so, the door might have been unlocked by means of the key. I directed the attention of one of the male domestics to the circumstance of the door having been thus forced—but gave no explanations of what had occurred. The man attributed it to some mischievous boys who occasionally sought the paddock as a playground; and I did not think it worth while to disturb him in this belief. I how- ever gave orders that a carpenter should be sent for to board the door completely over on the inner side. When I had leisure to reflect upon the incident I have been relating, I foufid myself more and more at a loss to conjecture who could be the author of the outrage. It assuredly was not Toby Grayson: for he would have managed matters per- sonally, and not have intrusted them to a deputy. It could not be Sir John Haverstock: for in the first place he was out of town—but even if he were not, he would not pursue such a course at the very time that his sister was visiting me. It could not be Horace Rockingham: for only a few days had elapsed since I beheld him in a state of penury and rags; and it was by no means probable his fortunes had undergone so sudden a change as to put him in possession of the means to hire a post- chaise and fee the agents of the outrage. Was I to arrive at the conclusion that the authorship thereof must be attributed to the Marquis of Bel- more? This solution of the mystery certainly appeared the most probable: but it was after all a mere surmise—and the mystery remained one still. But whoever my intending persecutor might be, I felt assured, from the boldness and audacity which had characterized the attempt already made, he would not be diverted from his purpose by this failure: I felt exceedingly uneasy at my position in that secluded villa; and I was half-inclined to remove more into London. But I was never prone to abandon myself with facility to the suggestions CORNICE OOO SS (CO)