The Soldier's Wife — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. up his situation as Sir Archibald’s steward, and has brought an action against Captain Redburn. Don’t think, dear Lucy, that I tell you all this to give you pain: it is only to show what a dia- bolical villain that man is, and how embittered my soul must be against him,” Lonsdale could not help feeling, even while thus speaking, that he was acting an unkind and hypocritical part: for it was merely to avert from himself his wife’s regrets and reproachful looks on account of his taking too much liquor, that he had endeavored to turn all her attention upon the conduct of Captain Redburn. — Indeed, e sought to make himself appear altogether a rictim in his wife’s regards, though the conduct of that officer in respect to Kitty had really no- thing to do with the circumstance of the ale- drinking of the preceding evening. It was in the bafrack-room where this inter- view took place ; and no one besides themselves and little Frederick was present. Nevertheless, Lucy, instead of giving free and unrestrained vent to her grief, subdued it as much as possi ble, for fear of adding to her husband’s afilic- tions. Lonsdale understood all this; and his heart smote him for behaving with even the slizhtest degree of hypocrisy towards that ad- mirable woman and for his unkindness in men- tioning a circumstance which he could so well have kept from her knowledge, and had hitherto done so. “ Promise me, dear Frederick—Oh! do_pro- inige me,” she said, “that you will exert all your courage to meet your lot with resignation; and do not—do not, I conjure you—have recourse to any thing that may in a moment wreck all the hopes which remain tv us in this lifei For we are not without hope, Frederick. We are yet young—and when your time shall have ex- pired, we may settle again comfortably in the world. Then what happiness—Oh, what hap- piness we may enjoy !” “ Yes, dear Lucy—we are not without hope,” rejoined Frederick: but as he gave utterance to these words, his soul was smitten with the dark- est presentiments of impending evil and of con- sequent despair. “ Do not be afraid—I will not commit any imprudence again, Ah! you look up so appealingly in my countenance, it seems as if you trembled lest I was promising some- thing which [ shall not perform! Yet you must once more give me your confidence—and | will not deceive you.” “T will, I will, my dearest husband,” she re- plied, scarcely able to subdue her subs: for she could not help remembering that he had made this pledge before, and that he had broken it.— Thea, in order to change the conversation quick- ty, she said, forcing herself to smile as she vpen- ed her basket, “ Look, I have brought you a few little things to make you as comfortable as Ican; and during the two or three days that you will be absent, I promise that our dear lit- tle Frederick shall not neglect his lessons. How long do you think it will be before you are re- leased from arrest ?” “Ouly the two or three days you have men- tioned,” returned Lonsdale, deeply moved by the delicate attentions which his wife showed him: “and then, dear Lucy we will endeavor | — ——————— a 14% to be happy with each other aga. But pray don’t risk insult by coming to this place.’ “T will not, Frederick,” she answere |, in wardly sorrowing that he should have given her this hint; because she was prepared to encoun- ter anything rather than desert or neglect her husband in his tribulation. “ But tell me that you are not angry with me for coming thig once ?” “ Angry ? No, dearest—that is not the term |” ejaculated Lonsdale. “I am only fea: ful that you should suffer insolent conduct at the hands of some of the unprincipled fellows who bear the rank of officer.” Little Frederick had been wandering abont the barrack-room in a manner natural to his age, while this colloquy took place between his parents; and be had not noticed the depth of feeling which they had displayed. Lonsdale now called his little boy to him, and chatted with him for a few minutes. He then embraced them both affectionately, and they took their departure. Lucy accompanied by little Frederick, effect- ed her egress from the barrack-yaid witbout being 1 oticed by any one in particular: and she regained her lodging, which now looked gloomy enough as she reflected that for two or three days it might not be cheered by the presence of her husband. Her spirits were most de sponding. She could not help perceiving, in many details of this interview wiih Frederick, additional evidences of the change that was taking place within him. She felt that it was a shocking thing fora wife to have her confidence shaken in a husband whom she adored: but she could not blind her eyes to the fact that his manner had not oeen altogether so frank and candid, nor so affectionate, as it was wont—but that there had been something constrained in his bearing througnout—something forced in the way in which he had sought to divert her attention from his own little backsliding, in ore der to rivet all the power of her feelings upon Gerald Redburn’s conduct. Nor could she ba- nish from her mind that transient il]-humor he had shown when she first made her appearance before him. She trembled lest circumstances should again drive him to drink, and that the habit might grow upon him: she feared also that in the gradual warping of his naturally no- ble heart, his love for herself might be ims paired, and that while his disposition was being soured against all the world, no exception might be made even for his wife and child. Such were the painful thoughts that forced themselves on Lucy’s mind; and vainly did she endeavor to put them away from her, as if they belonged to the reminiscences of a hideous dream. But she could not: they grew upon her-—they were fraught with a veritable mental anguish which she could not control; and they gave rise to the darkest though vaguest forebo- dings. Thus passed the remainder of that day ; and ineffectually did poor Lucy endeavor to set- tle herself to her work. At short intervals she found it dropping from her hand, and her mind falling into a fresh train of gloomiest medita- tion. It was about half-past nine in 05)