The Soldier's Wife — page 212: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE, heart was bounding with joy and delight; he, beloved Adela. knew that he was woving one who would be- come his bride. | And the work did drop suddenly from Lady Adela’s hands. Their eyes met: he caught those hands—he pressed them to his lips—he fell upon his knees before her—and in terms of manly earnestness and frank sincerity did he roclaim his passion, The affirmative was peed in his ear,—breathed in that soft-sil- very voice whose accents sank down like the most delicious music into his soul; and rising from his suppliant posture, he clasped the blushing maiden in his arms. Then followed ceitain explanations on, his part. While he was ovly the Government offi- cial, with a slender income and with no bright prospects to contemplate, he had not dared openly to declare his love—no, not even after the suit of his cousin Ferdinand Stansfield had been rejected. And when that cousin’s death so suddenly altered his position and made him the heir presumptive to a proud title and im- mense estates, the rumor had reached him that Lady Adela had become engaged to Captain Redburn—so that his heart was smitten with defpandency. It was only within the last few days, and by mere accident, that another report upon the subject had come to his ears,—a re- ort of afar different and more cheering charac- ter, to the effect that the former one was un- founded, and that Lady Adela was still unwed- ded—still disengaged, Then, with the full and free consent of Lord and Lady Stansfield, he had sped to Clive Hall to proclaim his love and to profier his suit. By the time the preceding explanations were given, worthy Mis. Browning, the housekeeper, ventured to peep into the room, As the reader may well imagine, she had her own good reasons for sending Mr, Herbert up to that apartment, where he might find the object of his visit. She knew that if poor Adela had been sinking into despondeucy and beginning to pine away, Regi- nald was the only physician upon earth whose presence could bring her back to health and spirits; and that in the language which he might breath in her ears, there would be a ta- lismanic power of an infallible quality. There- fore, whew Mrs. Browning looked into the room, and perceived the lovers gazing upon each other With smiling fondness and a soft caressing joy in their looks, the heart of the old housekeeper bounded with delight, and she almost felt her- self young again at the interesting spectacle. As she wdvanced into the room with an arch emile on her venerable countenance, Adela sprang towards her—emibraced her with affec- tionate gralitude—and in a few murmuring ~ words, thauked her for all the consolation she had proffered, aud the hopes which almost 191 “he Countess, as the reader may be assured, did not reject the suit of Regi- nald Herbert on behalf of her daughter; and thus happiness was again fully restored within the precincts of Clive Hall. Mr. Herbert had travelled post from his un- cle’s mansion In one of the southern counties ag far as Middleton, which was the nearest larga town to Clive Hall; and having rested there the previous night, he had on the forenoon of this day of which we are speaking, hired a horse at the hotel where he put up, and had ridden across to the Hall, which was only a few miles distant. He was of course invited to pass the remainder of the day with the Countess and his intended bride: but, for obvious reasons, he could not be asked to take up his quarters alto- gether at the mansion during his contemplated stay in the neighborhood. The time passed away su agreeably in the society of his beloved, that it was not until a late hour in the evening that he thought of taking his departure. Indeed, the time-piece on the mantel in the drawing- room proclaimed the hour of eleven, when he fancied it could not possibly be more than nine; and it was not before he had referred to his own watch that he could bring himself to believe the or-molu clock was correct. A domestic was then summoned to order the horse to be imme- diately got in readiness; and in a few minutes Reginald Herbert was in the saddle, having taken leave of Adela and the Countess, with the understanding that he was to ride over to break- fast on the following morning. It was a beautiful moonlit night in the month of January: the ground was hard as marbie with the frost—the air was crisp and cold, but without a raw bleakness. Upon the leafless hedges and the skeleton boughs of the trees, the white tracery of the frost-work gleamed in the argentine flood which poured down from a bril- liant moon and its company of countless stars: the trampling of the horse’s huofs on the hard road sent forth the only sounds that broke the silence of the night. At first Reginald Herbert, weil wrapped up in a winter-coat, urged the steed to a gallopping pace, in order to keep off as much as possible the intenseness of the cold, and quicken his own blood as well as that of the animal into a glowing circulation. But after awhile he drew in the reits and slackened the horse’s pace to a walk: for the steam was ascending from its sides in vapory whiteness around him, He had probably been proceeding at this 4i- minished rate for about five minutes, when he ob erved some dark object by the side of the road at a little distance, and appearing io be a man sitting on a bank. As he drew nearer, he found his conjecture right ; for the object proved to be a man, who rising up, began to walk in until the very last she had prophetically held/the direction from which Herbert was coming out, aud which were at length receiving their| As he approached, Reginald perceived that he fulfilment. walked with difficulty, as if dragging himself Within the hour that was passing, Reginald |along ; and supposing him to be some destitute Herbert had formally solicited of the Countess person overcome with faugue—perhaps home- her dauyhier’s hand in marriage; and to her |less and destitute—he resolved to offer him pe ladyship did be repeat the explanations, to ac-!cuniary succor: for Mr. Herbert possessed a most cvwunl for bis absence and his silence, which he | geuerous heart, which was easily moved by the bad abeady gven tv the Charming and well-,spectaet> of poverty and ais ress... The Man Sn(CO) OMMIC OCC)