Rosa Lambert — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

TT TE TT TT TT TSS TT eT TT A Tn themes. het a" | BA dicative of embarrassment, “all that you purpose to do will cost a great deal of money; and I am forced to confess, humiliating though it be, that I eannot dispose of sufficient funds of my own for the purpose. As for applying to my aunt, she would wonder wherefore L could possibly need such an amount.” “Place yourself at ease upon this point,” I said: “I have ample resources, which you may command; and you can easily repay me at some future period according to your convenience :’— | EOSA LAMBERT. _————————————— —_— SSS quently discovered that it was not my right name The business was finished; and I returned home. It was my resolution to depart the first thing in the morning for Sittingbourne: but I knew not exactly what excuse to make to Reginald Fortescue for this journey, which would keep me two days absent. I had embarked heart and soul in the enterprise on Lady Lucia’s account: and I was determined to keep her secret inviolable. Therefore I could neither mention her name, nor say anything that might afford the least clue to for I added these words in order to save Lady | the purpose which I had in hand. T could not very Lucia from as much humiliation as possible, and | well pretend that I had received an invitation from put the advances I was about to make in the light of a loan instead of a gift. She again expressed her gratitude, pressing my hands fervently—vowing that she should never forget my goodness—and calling me her angel- saviour. We then separated; and I proceeded at once to a house-agent whose office was at no great distance from my own residence. recently distributed circulars throughout the neighbourhood, directing attention to his business ; and I had carefully studied the details of that prospectus, because at the time I had already formed my plan on Lady Lucia’s behalf. I ex- plained my requirement to the house-agent : namely, a small but genteel and comfortably fur- nished country-dwelling, at least forty miles from London, and to be taken only for a term of three months. “T think,” said Mr. Perkins, the house-agent, “that I can accommodate you :”—and having looked over his book, he went on to observe, “ Here is the very thing! <A neat cottage-residence, situ- ated in the midst of a large garden—genteelly furnished—and with every convenience. The family has gone abroad for some time, and has left me discretionary power in the letting of the place. An elderly couple are in charge of 1t,—the man serving as the gardener, the woman as cook and servant-of-all-work. There are. parlour and dining-room—four bed-rooms—-kitchen—outhouses —and so forth. The rent is marked at fifty pounds a-year; and therefore I think that for a term of three months you will not object, ma’am, to pay fifteen guineas P” “ Certainly not,” I answered; ‘and you shall have the amount in advance. But you have omitted to tell me where the residence is situ- ated.” “Ah! to be sure!” ejaculated the house-agent. “Tt is on the outskirt of Sittingbourne—a town in Kent, on the high road between Rochester and Canterbury. And when I bethink me, it is ex- actly forty miles from London—neither more nor less. When do you wish to take possession P” “YT will go and see it to-morrow,’ was my re- sponse; “and if its appearance be according to your description, I will close with you at once on my return. Here are a couple of guineas as an earnest ; and if I do not take the premises, this little fee shall be your own.” The house-agent was satisfied; and inquired what name he should write upon the card that would have to bo presented to the old people in charge of the house, which he informed me was valled Jasmine Cottage. I bade him write the name of Mrs. Wilton; for it was indeed a matter of perfect indifference whether or not he subse- | But an idea struck me. This person had | any female friend to pay her a visit; because, if so, Reginald would think it strange that I did not, in the spirit of confidence, show him the letter. It would be unkind to- wards Lady Lucia to do things by halves, and leave her to find her way alone to the temporary residence that was to be taken for her, I there. fore resolved to wait at Sittingbourne untif her arrival. This would occasion a prolonged absence from London: but the prolonged absence itself suggested a befitting excuse to be made to Regi-« nald. I had told him that my parents dwelt in Cheshire : I could now intimate to him that it wag my desire to pay them a visit. I knew that he would remonstrate: I was sorry to deceive him; but I had undertaken something from which I could not now retreat—and the best must be made of it. He came at the dinner-hour; and in the course of the evening, I stated that, with his concurrence, I purposed to set off on the morrow to visit my parents. He was seized with consternation and alarm. I had never entered into any family mat. ters with him; and he naturally thought that if I once returned to my parents, they would do their best to keep me altogether with them. I however succeeded in quieting his fears, by solemnly assur- ing him that I would return at the expiration of a week—and likewise by hinting that my parents believed me to be otherwise situated than what I really was. To be brief, he assented: but the evening we passed together was a dull and gloomy one, notwithstanding all my endeavours to rally my own spirits and cheer those of my lover. On the following morning, Reginald waited to see me off in the post-chaise that was ordered for my accommodation. He had wished Frances, my maid, to accompany me: but I hinted that this was impossible, as the mere fact of my being so attended, would prove to my parents that I had deceived them as to my actual position. Reginald was satisfied: we embraced each other—I entered the vehicle—and it drove rapidly away. But the instructions given to the postilion by Captain Fortescue, were of course calculated to make him take a road which I had not the slightest intention of pursuing. I was therefore compelled to call to him to stop so soon as we were at a suitable dis- tance from the house; and when I gave him counter-instructions, he stared in astonishment. A guinea however soon rendered the man satisfied ; and proceeding in the direction of Westminster Bridge, he urged his horses on towards the Kent Road. It was a little past one o’clock in the afternoon that the post-chaise entered the town of Sitting- bourne, and stopped at the principal inn. This (E(e) nee} ee i MV iA wv