Rosa Lambert — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

a ee” But he would not have done it—he is too honour- | suddenly ejaculated, “I would take some means to able and high-minded to pry into the secrets even | punish the vile woman !” of his own son, were it not that something had occurred to afford him a previous insight into my position with regard to you. or the detestable system of anonymous writing has not been applied to you alone, Rose: it has taken wider ramifica- tions—and the traitorous hand of our unknown enemy despatched one of those coward epistles to my father in the north of Hngland.” “Ah!” I ejaculated, with a sudden start of fierce indignation, as I of course instantaneously knew that this was another phase in Horace Rock- ingham’s detestable machinations. “Yes,” continued Reginald, not for an instant suspecting the real meaning of that ejaculation nor of that start; “an anonymous letter gave my father to understand that I was ruining myself for a beautiful syren; and the old gentleman at once came up to London to investigate the truth of the | matter.” “ And the unfortunate step which I took,” I ob- served regretfully, “threw me at the very instant in his way!” “Do not blame yourself, dearest Rose—for I | claimed, flinging my arms rownd lis eck, “ that I blame yow not !” answered Reginald. “Tt is true that the governor, on hearing from _my valet that a lady was up-stairs, had his already excited sus- pictons at onee strengthened—and he was deter- mined to see who the lady was. From the confusion of your manner P “Yes—I was confused, Reginald,” I interrupted him mournfully; “beeause I felt that I had done wrong to visit your lodgings.” “ Dearest cirl, pray cease to reproach yourself: Tam only telling you what my father thought, as he has ere now explained e¥erythine to me. He witnessed your confusion, as I was saying; and it struck him that you might be the very lady concerning whom the anonymous letter was written. He would have perhaps questioned you. farther; but you intimated that you had left a letter for me—and he therefore knew that this would afford him all the information he sought. He read the two enclosures you had left. He did not seck me at the guard-house—he did not even | send to inform me that he was in London: he re- mained at my lodgings until this morning—when J returned thither. Conceive my astonishment on finding him there, and on learning that you had called yesterday! My father remonstrated with me gently but firmly: I promised everything, with the intention of fulfilling nothing; and to- morrow he will leave London again.” “Reginald,” I observed, in a deep and low mur- muring voice, “you must not for my sake fly in the face of your father !” “Good heavens, Rose!” exclaimed my protector ; “do you think that I would consent to a separa- tion ? No—not for worlds! Let me hear nothing more of this kind from your lips; or I must silence you thus:’—and he imprinted a long, tender kiss upon my mouth. ‘“ No—dear girl,” he went on to observe, “I am not quite a child to be thus ruled by the governor. ‘To set his mind at rest, and induce him to leave London all the more speedily, I of course promised everything. All we have to do is to be as guarded as pos- sible But if L thought that Mrs. Harborough was the authoress of these anonyimous letters,’ he ——— ee - eee ROSA LAMBERT. | doubtless some cowardly seoundrel who is jealous —_—— —— eee eee ee “] do not for a moment think anything of the sort,’ was my observation, quickly uttered: for though liking Mrs. Harborough as little as could be, I did not choose her to bear the brunt of a fault which she had not committed. “Mr. Al- vanly had similar letters sent to him, which pro- voked a quarrel between us: for he suspected me unjustly—and indeed was subsequently found to admut that he had been misled.” “Persons too often have their unknown ene- mies,’ remarked Reginald; “and if it be not Mrs. Harborough in this ecase—as from what you have told me it would seem that it is not—it is of iny happiness in possessing you. However, we will not allow these circumstances to trouble us any more. And remember, dearest Rose, that should anonymous letters reach either of us in future, we will at once show them to eaeh other, and trust to explanations to remove every jealous alarm.” “Rest assured, my generous’ Reginald,’ I ex- shall never more be so foolish im respect to you as I yesterday wast!” A fortnight passed away after the imeidents which I have been relating; and one morning, on sending to the post-office im Cavendish Street to inquire for letters, 1 received the long-expected | one from Lady Lucia Calthorpe. She thereim ob- ‘served that I must doubtless feel astonished she | had not previously communicated with me, if only to renew in writing the gratitude which she had expressed at our interview in Myde Park: but she assured me’ that she had trembled at’ the’ bare idea of taking’ a single step;which would tend to exeite any suspicion; and that she was so fearful of a letter falling into other hands than those for whom it might be intended. She requested me to meet hey on the following day, at the same place and at the same hour as before,—when we might converse together upon the subject. in respect to which she dared write no more. She concluded with renewed expressions of her grateful feelings towards me, and with the assurance that she held herself under an obligation which she could never hope to repay. The letter bore merely the initial “L,” and was addressed from no place of abode. On the ensuing day, at the appointed hour, L proceeded on foot to the spot where I was to meet her, and which was at no considerable distance from my own house: indeed, I may as well observe for the benefit of those readers who are unacquainted. with the great metropolis, that Sloane Street is in the immediate vicinage of Hyde Park. I was not kept many minutes waiting, Lady Lucia soon accosting me: she was dressed plainly and unob- trusively, as on the former occasion. She was closely veiled; and, as a matter of course, she came on foot. From her appearance it would have been — } scarcely possible to suspect that she was in a way to become a mother: indeed, if I had not previously — known it, I am convinced that such an idea would not have oecurred to me. But she was tall—rather inclined to embonpoint—and thus, with these phy-» sical advantages, aided by the artificialities of the_ toilet, she was enabled to conceal her position. — Yet she was within a month of the time at which = m