The Soldier's Wife — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. tance, appears to be “ill darker—but which, when seen in the day-time, is of violet hue) The brows were highly arched, and were set upon the opals of a fine forehead, white as snow and amooth as alabaster. Her complexion was fair, and with but little color: it was that paleness which so often accompanies a high order of in tellect :—and of this elevated standard was the mind of Adela Clive. To continue, however, the sketch of her portraiture, we must observe that her nose was perfectly straight—the upper lip short and slightly curved—the under lip somewhat fuller, but not to give a sensuous ex- pression to the beautiful intellectual countenance. The chin was small and delicately rounded: the teeth were like pearls. Her movements were replete with mingled dignity, elegance, and race. She was altogether a divine creature. But how was it that she had not already be- come a bride, with the attractions of beauty, rank, and wealtb—-and the still greater advan- tages of brilliant accomplishments? Because her mother—who, though so thoroughly worldly- minded, was nevertheless an old fashioned wo- man—preferred living at the time-honored coun- try-seat, Clive Hall, about a dozen miles distant froca the Manor House, rather than passing any portion of her time amidst the gaieties of Lon- don. Her son—Adela’s brother, two or three years older than herself—had succeeded to the family title and estates: he was married, and occupied the town mansion, completely surren- dering up Clive Hall to the use of his mother and sister. It was therefore on account of lead- ing a comparatively secluded life, that Lady Adela had not as yet won the affections or eaptivated the heart of any individual on whom _ Lady Burton chose to bestow her. Offers she had ¢ertainly received; but none was deemed eligible by the mother—although one had been most agreeable to the young lady herself. Of this, however, we shall have to speak presently : suffice it to say, that it was generally believed her affections were totally dixengaged; and the time had now come when the Countess of Bur- ton seriously thought of marrying her daughter. When, therefore, she received Lady Redburn’s note of invitation to pass a few weeks at the Manor House—the letter mentioning, as if quite in a casual way, that Captain Redburn was at home—it had struck Lady Burton, that the son of the richest and most influential baronet in the county, would form an excellent match for her daughter. Under this impression she had ae- cepted the invitation, and arrived with Lady Adela, and a couple of lady’s-maids, .at the Manor House. Before continuing our narrative, we must ob- serve, that Lady Adela Clive had been brought up in a habit of implicit obedience towards her mother. Thoth possessing so fine an intellect, and the high spirit which invariably accom- panies an elevated standard of mind, the young \ady had never been accustomed to assert her ywn will, but to continue in that routine which her parent rendered habitual. Her spirit there- fore slept, as it were—while her intellect had cot been sufficiently enlarged by contact with the world, to make her fully compreherd that she was not altogether an automaton, to move 117 and think only at her mother’s good will and pleasure. She was naturally of an affectionate disposition ; she was an only daughter; she had been brought up entirely at home, her education having been conducted by governesses under Lady Burton’s continual supervision. She had never been to a boarding-school; she had not visited London more than on three or four o¢- casions, and then only for a few weeks each time ; and therefore she was completely ignorant of the world This ignorance might be better characterized as the most unsophisticated arte lessness and ingenuousness, but which never merged into awkward diffidence or girlish em- barrassment, because the natural power of her mind rescued her from those extremes. Such was Adela Clive—the beautifl and interesting creature whom it was intended, if practicable, to bestow as 4 wife upon the sickly, ill-con- ditioned, effeminate, and dissipated Gerald Red- burn. It had so happened, that on the last two or three occasions when Captain Redburn paid his annual visit to the Manor, be did not fall in with Lady Adela Clive. He had known her, however, almost from-ehildhood ; but when last he saw her, she was a virl of seventeen. Now she was a blooming young woman of twenty: and the lapse of that interval had made a won- drous change in. her appearance. Gerald was immediately struck by her extraordinary beauty, so that Sir Archihald and Lady Redburn ex- changed significant looks, as they observed the impression which Lady Adela made upon their son. The Countess of Burton likewise perceived that impression, and noticed those looks on the part of the Baronet and his spouse: she there- fore understood it) a moment what was passing in their minds—and she was secretly pleased, because it corre: ponded with her own views, Aunt Jane suspe sted what was going on; and a withering sneer passed over her pale, emaci- ated countenance as she observed the striking contrast betweer the beautiful and brilliant Adela Clive and the dissipated, sickly Gerald Redburn. CHAPTER XXVII. AUNT JANE, For the first week after the arrival of the Countess and her danghter at the Manor Horse, Gerald was constant 1n his attendance upon the latter. When the ludies remained in-doors, he sat with them in the drawing-room ; when they walked out, he accompanied them; when they took an airing in the carriage, he went with them on horseback; and when Adela wished to take a longer ramble than her aunt and Lady Redburn chose to venture upon, Gerald was her companion. As he was on his very best behavior, Adela failed at first to perceive any of the bad points in his disposition; and she accepted his courtesies as those which the son of the host and hostess of the mansion where she was staying, was bound to show. It happened, at the expiration o1 this first (E(O) GOMmiGDooks