Rosa Lambert — page 360: what you’re looking at

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

ROSA LAMBERT. surance! When the month has passed and the bridal is over, I shall be entirely my own master. Then shall I bear you away with me—we will go whithersoever you think fit—and my whole time shall be devoted unto you. But even now, if you desire immediately to leave Albion House % “No—I will wait the month,’ I answered: “for I think I understand your motives, my dear Henry. You do not wish to separate from me during this month; and you do not like to provide a home for me anywhere in the Isle of Wight, for fear lest it should reach the ears of your aunt and sister ?” “You have accurately penetrated my motives,” he replied: “for though it is painful to me to leave you for even another day under Sir James Thornley’s protection, yet I must make that sacri- fice of my feelings rather than take any step which | might lead to results calculated to shock the mind of my sister and mar ber happiness on the very eve of her bridal.” “T am glad you speak to me with so much frankness,” I answered; “ and all things consi- dered, it will be better that I should remain at Albion House for the present. For if I were to remove thence, if must be to some abode in the neighbourhood of Newport or of Ryde, so that we might see each other daily: Sir James would find me out—and all would be exposed in respect to yourself and me.” Thus we conversed: and after a long interview we separated,—he returning to Ryde, and I re- tracing my way to Albion House. We continued to meet daily for another week,—Sir James often erumbling at my prolonged absences, but evidently being without suspicion as to the cause. I cared nothing for his grumblings: for I had learnt the secret of overawing him; and by the assumption | of amenacing demeanour I invariably succeeded in reducing him to quiescence, if not ‘to actual sub- mission. But at the expiration of this second week of which I have just spoken, the old nabob was seized with another serious fit of illness; and as it took him suddenly, I was com- pelled to forego the usual meeting with Lord Ilderton on this particular day. I however sent him a note by the faithful groom,—who brought me back a message to the effect that if I should be unable to go out riding on the morrow, Lord Ilderton besought that I would devise some arrangement to enable him to see me if only for a few minutes. Andon the morrow Sir James Thornley was worse: so that I could not find it in my heart _to leave him :—I considered that so long as I re- mained beneath his roof enjoying the position of | a wife, I was bound to fulfil the duties of one. I accordingly despatched a note to the young no- bleman, telling him that I would be in the garden attached to Albion House at nine o’clock in the evening; and that if he came to the back gate at that hour, he would find it open. The groom re- turned with a message expressing the young | nobleman’s gratitude, and his assurance that the nppointment would be gladly kept. A. little before nine o’clock I descended to the garden; and having unlocked the back gate, roamed amongst the shady avenues until the ap- pointed hour. It was dusk: but the evening was beautifully serene and clear, it being now the close of April. I was at some little distance from the gate when methought I heard it open; and I hastened in that direction: but I encountered no one, and therefore concluded that some other sound must have deceived me. Scarcely had I thus settled the point in my mind, when the gate did unmistakably open; and the next instant I was clasped in the arms of Henry Ilderton. “ Dearest, dearest Rose, how kind of you,’ he said, “to let me meet you thus! If it were only for a minute I felt that I must see you—I could not endure this separation without it !” “ And what excuse have you made to your aunt and sister,’ I inquired, “for being absent from them so many hours?” “Oh! love renders the brain fertile in pre- texts,” cried Ilderton. “I represented that I had friends at Newport who had asked me to dine with them; and I shall not be expected at Ryde until to-morrow morning.” We walked together in conversation; and I happened incidentally to observe that in conse- quence of Sir James Thornley’s illness, a nurse had been engaged to sit up with him—whence Ilderton was naturally led to infer that I and the Baronet now occupied separate chambers. Then he pleaded that he might be admitted to mine, if there were a possibility of effecting an arrange- ment which would thus crown his happiness; and I suffered myself to be over-persuaded. I described to him the situation of a side-door com- municating with the private staircase, and ex- plained likewise the situation of my own chamber. I told him that the last thing before I retired for the night, I would unfasten that side-door—but that I could not do this a minute earlier than eleven o’clock, for fear lest any servant sitting up later than I, should refasten it. As for the back- gate of the garden, I told Ilderton to take the key, so that he might let himself into the pre- mises; and with this understanding we separated for the present,—he issuing from the garden, and I retracing my way into the mansion. A little before eleven o’clock I bade Sir James Thornley “ good night ;” and the domestics having by this time retired, I stole down stairs and un- fastened the side-door. Having done this, I ascended to my chamber, and began to disapparel myself,—almost immediately dispensing with the assistance of my maid. I enveloped my form in an elegant French muslin wrapper ; and my heart beat with expectation as my ears, keenly alive to the slightest sounds, caught the stealthy tread of approaching footsteps. I gently opened the door —some one hastily passed into the chamber—and I was smitten with a dread consternation on recog- nising the monster Toby Grayson ! CHAPTER XLVII. THE NABOB. THE sudden dismay which thus smote me, kept back the shriek that had risen up to my lips. The villain closed the door, and placed his back against it. I had shrunk into the middle of the room; and there I stood, gazing upon him in speechless horror. GOMIGIOG 349