The Soldier's Wife — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

THE SOLDIER'S WIFE 5S Office. The reader may therefore conjecture| you ever hear from Oakleigh now ?”—and there the surprise and alarm which suddenly seized| was a malicious grin upon the sergeant’s coun- upon Frederick Lonsdale, when he one day|tenance. “ Ah, you don’t choose to answer that beheld the appointment of “Gerald Redburn, Hsq., to be Ensign by purchase in the —th regiment.” The coincidence which thus nomi- nated Sir Archibald’s son to the same corps in which Lonsdale was serving, naturally appear- ed most inauspicicus to the young soldier. The following day brought him a letter from Lucy, mentioning the circumstance, and tenderly en- treating that he would exert his utmost to avoid giving Mr. Redburn an opportunity (when joining the depot) to vent his malignant spite upon him. Lonsdale vowed in his heart that Lucy’s affectionate advice should not be lost: but it was with a deepening despondency|ner,” resumed the sergeant. question, eh? Perhaps you think that the bailiffs pretty daughter is pining, and sighing, and moping away just as you are? But I can tell you, my fine fellow, that it’s nothing of the sort.” Frederick started, and gazed with surprise upon Sergeant Langley. Not that he for a moment entertained the slightest suspicion of Lucy’s constancy: but he saw that Langley had something peculiar in his thoughts, and of which he was availing himself in the hope of inflicting torture upon Lonsdale’s mind. “Ah! you may well look at me in that mans Le reflected that another enemy would speedily| going on at Oakleigh: but of course I am not be added to the list of those against whom he;the man to let the cat out of the bag. How: had already to maintain himself on his guard|ever, I would just give you one piece of advice, with such unvarying constancy. A fortnight after Gerald Redburn’s name ap- peared in the Gazette as an officer in his Ma- jesty’s service, Jacob Jones the groom arrived at Portsmouth in charge of the two horses. In him Lonsdale recognized an old acquaintance ; and as Jacob was a good-hearted man in his way, though somewhat spoilt by the service in which he had been for so many years, it was with a certain degree of pleasure that Frederick encountered him. He brought the intelligence that his young master would soon join the depot: but in a day or two he informed Lons- dale that Mr. Redburn was not to be expected for another fortnight. Beyond this, Jacob— who was discreet and trustworthy—gave no snformation. Master Lonsdale—and that is, you had better not buoy yourself up with the hope that Miss Lucy means to wait till your seven years have expired. Such a lovely creature as that isn’t for a low fellow like you. She was meant for your betters, 1 can tell you. And so now you know.” With these words Sergeant Langley turned away in his usual pompous stateliness, and walked majestically through the long barrack- room. Now it happened that Mr. Langley had caught a cold; and as he was marching on, he was selzed with a sudden fit of sneezing—so that he hastened to draw forth his handkerchief from within his double-breasted coat. But im so doing, a letter which he had thrust there, fell Indeed all he himself knew, orj upon the floor, altogether unperceived by him, ~ather suspected, was that his young master had} He quitted the room; and Lonsdale remained obtained this additional leave of absence un- known to his father; and hence the injunction contained in Gerald’s letter to the groom, not to mention the circumstance on writing to his friends at Oakleigh. Two or three days after Lonsdale had re- ceived this information from Jacob Jones—or to be perfectly accurate as to the date, in con- sequence of what is to follow—it was on the morning of the 24th of August, that Sergeant Langley entered the room where Lonsdale was quartered with several of his comrades, and looked around to assure himself that it was kept in neat and proper order. Lonsdale hap- pened to be alone in that room at the time the sergeant thus made his appearance; and he knew perfectly well that the real object of the visit was to find some fault, if possible. “Well, what are you doing here, moping all seated in a thoughtful mood, wondering what could be the sergeant’s motive for speaking to him as he had just done. We repeat that not for an instant did Frede- rick believe a'syllable to the prejudice of the constancy of his beloved: but still he could not help fancying that there must be something going on at Oakleigh which had reached the sergeant’s knowledge and led him to speak in thatmanner. Perchance Mr. Davis himself was endeavoring to bring about a marriage between Lucey and some suitor of his own selection !— perhaps, too, Lucy had as yet remained in ig- norance of this design against her happinessi— or perhaps, being aware of it, she had forborne from mentioning it in her letters for fear of augmenting the sorrows of him whom her cor- respondence was intended to console? While the young soldier was thus ruminating, by yourself?” exclaimed the sergeant, fixing|his eyes suddenly fell upon the letter which la his eyes savagely upon the young soldier. “ You|upon the floor at a little distance. He viata look altogether the most discontented fellow|ed to pick it up, and observed that it was ad- at the depot.” dressed to Mr. Langley. It had come partially “T hope, Mr. Langley, that my looks give you| open as it fell from the sergeant’s coat; and a no offence,” observed Lonsdale, forcing himself] portion of the writing it contained met Lons to speak civilly and respectfully. “Yes, but they do though. dale’s eyes, without any studied intent on his I hate a sullen| part to violate the sanctity of the letter. The niserable aspect: it does harm to my feelings—|name of Lucy, coupled with that of Gerald “T know what's. and the feelings of an acting sergeant-major| Kedburn, caused the young soldier to start with ought to be respected. I tell you what I like—|amazement; and at the same instant a sense of and that is to see a soldier’s countenance as|some deeply ramified treachery was excited bright as his breast-plate. But, by the bye,do' within him. What he now did was natural GOMmiGDooks (C(O)