Rosa Lambert — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

7 ee —— ee 64. “ Yes—befriend you,” I emphatically rejoined. “Fear nothing : your secret is safe. It was I who ere now assumed your dress.” “Good heavens!” murmured Lady Lucia, evi- dently bewildered by all that she heard, as well as by her own distracting thoughts. “Fear nothing,” I repeat : safe.” “But who are your” she cried: “for God’s sake, tell me who you are!” “ Not now—not now,” was my quick response. “Give me an appointment———Or stay !” I ejacu- lated. “The day after to-morrow—at three o’clock precisely—I will walk alone, near the bridge over the Serpentine, in Hyde Park. Can you come P” “Yes, yes,” answered Lady Lucia, still in a state of feverish suspense. ‘‘ But how shall I know you? how will you know me ?” “Look!” I answered: and throwing back my veil, I removed my mask. “You will recollect this countenance P” “Yes—it is beautiful—and its expression is kind,” murmured Lord Eveleigh’s daughter, evi- dently experiencing some relief from my behaviour towards her. “And now farewell for the present,” I said, quickly replacing my mask and re-adjusting my veil. ‘The day after to-morrow—at three 9’clock —near the bridge of the Serpentine.” I then hurried away—tripped lightly along— gained the steps leading to the verandah—and on ascending to the verandah itself, which chanced at the instant to be unoccupied, lingered there for a few moments to calm my thoughts, which had been thrown into a state of excitement by the scenes which I have just described. I was about to re- enter the saloons, when Mr. Alvanly suddenly came forth upon the verandah; and perceiving me, he said, “I was just looking for you. I hope you have amused yourself. Have you been dancing again? I have been in the reception-room for the last half-hour, exchanging witticisms and repartees with a tribe of young fellows, who did their best to make me out—but they could not. I hope you have not missed me, dear Rose—and that you have found an agreeable succession of partners for the dance ?” “Thank you,” I responded: “I have been suffi- ciently well entertained ” “What !—still cool? still offended with me?” interrupted Alvanly, in a deprecating tone. “I did not think that you would cherish ill-humour like this.” “ And I should think very little of myself,” was my rejoinder, “if I were to tell you all in an in- stant that I have ceased to recollect your conduct of this evening. I may forgive it—but it is im- possible to forget it readily. And now, with your permission, I will return home. It is getting late —and no doubt the carriage has come,” “Tf you wish it, we will depart,” said Gustavus. “ But in an hour or so there will be supper and a general unmasking 4 “You know very well,’ I interrupted him, “that I cannot incur the risk of being recognised ; and you surely have not forgotten how strict were your injunctions that I should keep myself tho- roughly disguised.” “True, Rose—during all the early part of the evening: but just at the fag-end, when every one “your secret is - aw ROSA LAMBERT. will be intent upon taking refreshments Be- sides, you know we can keep as much apart as we choose from the bulk of the company.” “No, Gustavus,” I answered resolutely, “I will neither stand the chance of compromising you, nor of seeking humiliation for myself. Remain if you choose: but suffer me to depart.” “Then I will go with you,” he said, “ since you are determined.” Having made our bows to the Marchioness of Sudbury, we entered the carriage and returned to London. During the drive Gustavus did all he could to coax and ecajole me back into good- humour: I suffered myself to unbend somewhat ; but still in my heart I felt profoundly annoyed with him—for I could not help thinking that I had been badly treated, and indeed that his conduct had amounted sufliciently near to an actual outrage to be deserving of resentment, CHAPTER IX, CAPTAIN FORTESCUE, Mr. ALVANLY remained with me until after break- fast in the morning; and when he had taken his departure, I fell into a train of reflections upon the incidents of the ,previous evening. What revela- tions had met my ears! what things had come to my knowledge! It was but too evident that the unfortunate Lady Lucia Calthorpe had been sub- jected to the most atrocious outrage which one of the sex could possibly experience on the part of man—that her honour had been sacrificed to the fierce lust of the unprincipled violator! I remem- bered that on the memorable occasion when I had inveigled Horace Rockingham to my lodgings, and the Earl of Eveleigh was concealed in the adjacent room, the fiend-like young man had described Lucia as a cold inanimate image. But was this because she had not voluntarily surrendered her- self to his desires, and that he had found himself forced to employ violence in order to achieve his diabolic triumph? I could scarcely believe she was a cold inanimate image: on the contrary, it appeared to me that she possessed sensitive feel- ings ;—or at least the pathetic and passionate ap- peals she had made to him on the preceding night in the dark avenue, appeared to warrant that esti- mate of her character. But if there were any doubt as to the precise nature of the unfortunate young lady’s disposition, there was assuredly none in respect to that of her heartless ravisher. Though the hot blood of fiercest desires boiled in his veins, yet was it cold as ice at the fountains of the heart. Implacable and pitiless as the Enemy of Mankind himself, was Horace Rockingham ! Intensely selfish—the most thorough egotist that ever the world contatned—it was evident that he sought only .the gratification of his own desires, without the slightest regard for his victims. As it was with me, so was it with Lucia Calthorpe: no sense of honour could move the petrified heart nor influence the callous soul of that fiend in an angel’s shape ! Yes—heartless indeed was Horace Rockingham ! Full well could I judge the extent of his cold callous indifference towards Lady Lucia, when *. i ‘ . a F a