Rosa Lambert — page 341: what you’re looking at

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

330 + er ee a i oe there | is such a person in the world as Sir James Thornley, who will be proud and happy to em- bellish that beautiful person of yours with far richer jewels than those which you have ere now been compelled to part with. In a word, I beg to place at your service the amount of the cheque which I just now drew,” “IT am exceedingly obliged to you,” was my answer, given with mingled irony and hauteur ; “but Sir James Thornley’s knowledge of the world has proved but of little service to him—or else there must be something in my appearance which I had not hitherto comprehended—if it be deemed that I am one to be thus picked up in the streets, or to sell myself to a stranger all in a moment, I wish you good day, sir,” sir James Thornley—nothing abashed by my address, and yet with no supercilious insolenge, but with the utmost politeness—made me another bow; and we separated. I returned to the place where I had left the fly that brought me to New- port—and returned to the villa, whieh was only about four miles distant, Jor the remainder of the afternoon I oceupied myself in looking over the tradesmen’s bills; and I found that when they were all paid, together with the rent and the arrears of servants’ wages, there would be but a hundred poundsremaining. I therefore knew that unless Hdwin should consent to a complete reform in our expenditure, we should in a few months’ time be as badly off asever—or I might say much worse, as there would remain no stock of jewellery wherewith to raise supplies, On the following morning I went into Cowes for the purpose of psying the bills; and of this task I acquitted myself with the air of one who had not in reality been embarrassed for money, but merely treated pecuniary matters with that sort of indifference which is frequently exhibited by persons in even the very best circumstances. Lhe tradesmen were all bowing and scraping: two or three of them uttered some words of apology for having pressed for payment: but I treated their remarks with an air of surprise,—carelessly cbserving, “I really was not aware you nad sent at ali—the servants never mentioned it: but they are terribly forgetful :’—and the shopkeepers to whom I thus spoke evidently believed that I was Bincere. Having liquidated all the accounts, I was pass- ing along a street with the purpose of returning ere i J ROSA LAMBERT. a a pe Se SSS Ss ss Sls oe, —— ee ? Prospered indeed!” he ejaculated with some degree of bitterness: “I have given up all hope of ‘that ; and if L can only manage to knock on from day to day, [ consider myself fortunate. If I were of the other sex, and as handsome as you, Rose——-” “Silence, Cyril!” I quickly interrupted him, You, as my brother But have you heard,” I asked, thus abruptly changing the topic—“ have you heard what has happened to our poor father ?” * Not LT indeed! ‘You do not think I should be in a very great hurry to show myself at Haw- thorn, But what has happened? If the old gentleman is dead, his death must have taken place some time ago, as you are not in mourning.” I was shocked at his heartlessness: but knowing how useless if was to remonstrate, I simply in- formed him of the faet that our sire was the in- mate of a lunatic-asylum. Tor a few moments he appeared affected; and his countenange wore an expression which brought back to my mind the Cyril of other times,—such as he was in that nobler period of his youth, when, high-spirited and frank-hearted, he would have scorned the deeds which he had since done, and would have shuddered at the bare idea of becoming what he now was—an escaped convict anda reckless adven- turer. But that expression of countenance which for a few swift brief moments indicated a Paster citation of better feelings, quickly passed aw and assuming his abi tual air of flippant in if. ae mingled with devil-me-care hardihood, he said, “Well, Rose, once more you myst be my Fa ors for Lam sure you have if in your power —and I know that you possess the will.” “What have you been doing for the last three years?” I inguired, still surveying him with a mournful look, “Why, to tell the truth,” he answered, “the history of those three years may be summed up in that one brief sentence which explains how thousands and thousands of persons do contrive to ~ You ask how I have 292 exist in civilised countries. been living? The reply is, ‘ Upon my wits. “And are you not afraid to be seen within the precincts of the English dominions ¢” I asked. “Why, the fact is, France got rather too hot to | hold me: because the French ‘laws are most incon- 'veniently severe for gentlemen in my condition— ‘and what we in England should simply denominate honmeward,—when I heard my Christian name sud- | debt, they are barbarous enough to term swindling, denly ejaculated ; and my brother Cyril stood be- | So, having had enough of France, I tried Belgium: fore me. ‘Three years had elapsed since I last | saw him,—which, as the reader will recollect, was ! at Sandgate, after his escape from the convict- ferred to. ; presence : hulk: and so far as his physical appearance went, } but I soon found that the Belgians entertain the ‘same harsh ideas as the French on the point re- Then I honoured Germany with my but there was little to be picked up he was looking much better than on the occasion | amongst a parcel of fellows who smoke bad to- referred to. His toilet was likewise. somewhat | superior to the tatterdemalion plight in which Te had last seen him: but still it was threadbare, and in every detail indicative of poverty. * Well, “for 1 was just at the moment thinking how the this is fortunate!’ exclaimed Cyril: | a wait, bacco and drink small beer from morning night. What was I to do? I managed to get “back to my native shore; and having “landed at Southampton, took it into my head to pay Cowes thrown me in your way! , I should observe, deuce I should manage to dine to-day; and even. | my dear Rose, that I have mors than once thought if the affair of dinner were successfully got over, ‘of getting over to America, if. possible. There there would haye remained the equally difficult | may be some opening among the Yankees—which consideration of a lodging for the night,” “You have not prospered in the world, Cyril P” | no easy matter for a man to get across the Atlantic, \ . ;and establish himself as a gentleman wt New {| I said, contemplating him mournfully, ee a re ee D it is impossible to find in the old world. But itis 200KS om mire (E(o) Very forkangte, ino. it was—since it hey |i If »