The Soldier's Wife — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

very walia had ears for such a conversation as this,—“ and you will make up your mind to dare whatsoever fatigues must be encountered— whatsoever struggies we have to endure, in establishing a position els¢where¢” “T can make up my mind to anything so long as we are together,” replied Lucy, fixing upon him a look of the tenderest devotion: then in a very low whispering voice, she went on to say, “Is it not somewhat singular, dear- est, that you should be about to take this step almost at the very same date that you did so before—just three years back ?” “Ves—it is strange,” ejaculated Frederick, now struck by the coincidence. “This is the twenty second of August—it was on the twenty- fourth that I fled on the last ovcasion. But you do not consider that there is anything ominous in this ¢” “Oh, no, no! Iam not so weak-minded. It was merely a passing thought that occurred to me. Let us think no more of it.” The husband and wife thereupon began seriously to discuss the plan of their proceed- ings. Lucy’s industry had enabled her to save a few pounds: the jewellery which she had ledged had been redeemed from the pawn- frond moreover there was a deposit of five pounds which she could claim back from the slopseller. Altogether, in money they could eommand about twelve pounds; and in case of need they could safely reckon on as much more by making their personal property available. 1e means of flight were not therefore want- ing; and now the question arose whither should they go? where should they establish them- selves? This point was discussed long and seriously: but at length for several reasons, it was determined that they should proceed to London and fix themselves there—for Frede- rick calculated that in the mass of the multitu- dinous metropolis, it was far more easy for him to lose his identity, as it were, than in any of the cities and towns of the provinces, however remote from Portsmouth or from the Midland Counties they might be. Lucy coincided with these views; and it was resolved to lose no time in carrying their project into execution. When their minds weve thus made up, they both became more tranquil; and Frederick, indeed, sour displayed ‘such an elevation of spirits and talked so hopefully of the future, that his affectionate wife was speedily led to contemplate with a veal pleasure the intended change in their a... -astances. The next evening was decided upon as the one on which the flight was to be accomplished. Accordingly, on the following day after the resolve was thus seriously and deliberately come to, Lucy proceeded to the slopseller’s, gave back such work as she had in hand, and received whatsoever little money was due to her, tovether with the five pounds which had remained it, ais hands as deposit. It was not necessary to expend any of her money in plain clothes for her husband—inasmuch as he was well provided with garments when they had quitted Carlisle, and his Sunday suit had re- wained since then carefully stowed away in one of Ler boxes, ‘This swt she now brought THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. forth—brushed it carefully—and felt a thrill - of pleasure at the thought that it was the em-— blem of that freedom which he was about to seek, in contra-distinction to the uniform which, as the badge of slavery, he was about to put off, To her landlord and landlady an intima. tion was given that circumstances had trang pired which rendered her removal necessary ; and as she had merely hired her room by the week, 1t was but a week’s rent which she had to sacrifice through the brevity of this notice, When Frederick made his appearance at the usual hour, she at once saw by his looks that his purpose continued the same; and she quickly gave him to understand that her own preparations were complete. When dusk arrived, Frederick went back to the barracks to appear at the evening muster: and Lucy then called in a porter, who took her boxes down to the Point—a famous embarka- tion place at Portsmouth. She entered a wherry, with her little Frederick, and, the lug- gage being put in, she was speedily rowed across to Gosport, which is on the opposite side of the bay forming Portsmouth harbor. There she proceeded to a public-house which her hus- band had named to her; and in about half-an hour he joined her at this rendezvous. His suit of plain clothes had been kept out of her boxes, and was done up in a separate parcel ready for immediate use. He took it and went away, it being previously agreed that the next place of. ineeting should be at the coach-ofiice in about an hour, which would make it half-past ten o'clock, when a night-stage left for London, During his absence, Lucy proceeded to the office and secured two places on the outside of the vehicle: for as it was a beautiful night and the weather was exceedingly warm, they had re- solved to travel thus in order to economise their funds as much as possible. Nothing was demanded for little Freddy, as he would sit upon his parents’ knees by turns. Meanwhile Frederick Lonsdale had _ pro- ceeded along the shore of the harbor to a very secluded spot, and there he changed his elothes. His uniform he wrapped up in a bundle, to gether with a large stone to sink it; and then threw it into the water. At the appointed time he met Lucy at the coach-office. — took their places, little Freddy being well wrapped up—the vehicle started—and the lights of Gosport were soon left far behind Our travellers reached London, without any misadventure, soon after seven in the morning; and in the course of the day they were installed in a comfortable little lodging in the neighbor hood of Finsbury Square. ‘Thus was success: fully accomplished Frederick Lonsdaie’s sucond desertion from his regiment. CHAPTER XXII. \ THE DESERTER’S PROGRESS. Ir we were to enter into details respecting ¢ new epoch in the career of our hero and hero ine, it would be but a work of supereroyation — in respect to what had passed during the oroe _ (Eoypayiicel exeve)