Delphi Complete Works of the Brontes Charlotte, Emily, Anne Brontë (Illustrated) (280 page)

As Leslie or as we must now call him Ronald Lord St Clair revealed his rank & power, the proud blood mounted to his forehead his eye flashed like that of one of his own wild eagles & the majesty of his step & bearing as he slowly paced the appartment proclaimed the descendant of a hundred Earls. Lady Emily caught the lofty enthusiasm which infused a higher beauty into his noble countenance & rising from her seat she frankly extended her hand towards him & said “Accept the pledge of my inviolable faith though the whole earth should unite against me I will never love another. “True till death “ shall be my chosen motto. I cannot love you more than I did but I rejoice for your own sake that you can vie in rank with the proudest nobles of Africa.’ “Do you consent to go with me?” asked he “I do. at what time must I depart”

“this night at twelve o’clock meet me in the chestnut avenue” “I will be punctual” said the lady. “And now my lord tell me what your reason was for playing the incognito in Verdopolis.”

“Why Emily you must know that I was educated in England. After leaving Oxford I resided some time in London, there I was of course admitted into the highest circles of society; being young & rich great attention was paid me. the ladies in particular treated me very graciously but I suspected that much of this especial favour was owing rather to my rank & fortune than to my personal qualities, this idea having once entered my head I could not by any means drive it out. So I determined to take a voyage to Africa & try what luck would befall an unknown & apparently friendless stranger. In Verdopolis I met with De Lisle, his manners & address pleased me while his merits & poverty excited my warmest sympathy. Enjoining the strictest secrecy I told him who I was & my motives for wishing to remain unknown. Having some knowledge of painting I determined to assume the character of an artist & accordingly placed my self under De lisle’s tuition. At his house I met with you for you used to come there ocasionally under the protection of your worthy tutor Mr Gif- ford to purchase copies & drawing materials, the consequence of these interviews I need not relate, in a short time we became firmly attached to each other & when I was about to declare my rank & formally to solicit your hand of Lord Charlesworth I was suddenly called away to my northern estates among the Branni mountains. Legal affairs & business connected with the clan unavoidably detained me for nearly twelve months & now I have returned to Verdopolis for the double purpose of claiming you as my bride & when that is accomplished joining the Duke of Wellingtons standard against the rebellious Ashantees”

“I have but one more question to ask” said lady Emily “How did the Colonel become acquainted with your person?”

“I know not except it be by having seen me at Delisle’s house. I remember a gentleman strongly resembling him entering the studio one day while you were conversing with me & regarding us with an eye of the strictest scrutiny but the circumstance had slipped my memory until your question recalled it.”

“there still remains a single point on which I wish to be satisfied” said Lady Emily smiling as if a sudden thought had struck her. “were you present at the Olympic Games in disguise?” “I was”

“what dress did you wear?” “the costume of my clan.”

“then you were the gallant archer whose arrow shivered the white wand when every other failed.”

“you have guessed cleverly Emily it is as you say.” “Then Depend upon it my lord” said she seriously “Colonel Percy recognized you. His eye is keener than a hawk’s & I saw him glance sharply at you when you half lifted your vizor to speak, could I have heard your voice I should have remembered it I am certain & doubtless he did so. Oh I fear his revengeful spirit will never rest till it has accomplished your destruction.”

“Fear nothing for me Emily my sword is as good as his & my arm also, if he causes a tear to spring in that bright eye, his heart’s blood shall pay for it. & now my dearest fare well, we must part for the present but before another sun rises the conjoined powers of earth & hell will be insufficient to divide us. Only remember the appointed time, be punctual & trust to me for the rest.”

Lady Emily repeated the promise she had before given & the lovers separated each to make the necessary preparations. As Lord St Clair left the drawing room he saw a shadowy form hastily gliding down the dark corridor, fearful of their conversation having been overheard he pursued the retreating figuref. at first he appeared to be gaining some advantage but suddenly it turned down a side passage & he lost sight of it. Chagrined at this failure & somewhat apprehensive of what this nimble-footed personage’s design might be in lurking so suspiciously about, he thought of returning back & acquainting lady Emily with what he had seen, but just then the marquis of Charlesworth’s gruff, stern voice was heard in the hall, so our hero thought it best to take his departure instantly lest his presence might be discovered by that dignitary & the whole plan of elopement blown up. he proceeded therefore to the stables where he found both page & horse in readiness, mounting his beautiful Arabian charger with one glance at the western turret & one sigh for his lady-love he dashed out of the yard & in a few minutes was half way on the road to Verdopolis.

CHAPTER THE FIFTH

For the present I must leave Lord St Clair & lady Charlesworth to see what Colonel Percy was about while they were preparing to cheat him so cleverly. The Colonel occupied a large & splendid mansion in Dim- dim Square then a fashionable quater of the city though now the favourite abode of briefless lawyers, non-commissioned officers unpat- ronized authors with others of the tag-rag & bobtail species, this residence together with the expensive establishment of servants, carriages &c. appertaining to it was kept up partly by the owners pay, partly by his gains at the billiard & card-table & partly by liberal borrowings from usurers on the strength of his great expectations, there in a magnificent saloon furnished with all the elegance that luxury or taste could devise Colonel Percy sat alone on the afternoon spoken of in my last chapter, his fine form was stretched in very unmilitary ease on a silken sofa. his languid eye & pale cheek revealed the dissipation of the previous night while the empty decanter & glass which stood on a table near him showed that the stimulus of wine had been employed to remove his lassitude though without effect, while he was lying thus with his hands pressed to his lofty & aristocratic forehead a window of the saloon was suddenly opened and a man with a red head & ragged inexpressibles sprang in from without.

“Beast” said Percy starting up with a loud oath “how dare you enter my house in such a brazenly impudent manner. How dare you come near me in fact after the manner in which you have lately treated me?”

this reception did not in the least seem to daunt the unabashed entree whom no doubt our readers will have already recognized as the hero of the ass drawn chariot, on the contrary he advanced with a smiling countenance & seizing the colonel’s hand with his horny paw replied “How is all with you my sweet rogue, I’m afraid you’re not quite as your best friends could wish, that pale face & this feverish hand tell tales”

“Curse you for the hardiest scoundrel that ever deserved a hempen neckcloth”‘ replied the Colonel at the same time dashing the other hand into his face with a violence that would have felled any other man but which only drew a horse-laugh from the sturdy charioteer. “Curse you ten thousand times I say how in the name of body & soul dare you face me alone & without arms after our last transaction?”

“Why what I have I done to thee my Emperor of Roguesf?”

“What have you done to me brute? Did I not bribe you with two hundred guineas to cut out Captain Wheeler from running his chariot at the games by becoming a competitor yourself with your vile cart & asses? did I not give you fifty guineas more in advance to let me win & after swearing a hundred oaths of fidelity did you not break them all & by so doing swindle me out of twenty thousand pounds for I had laid a wager to that amount on my success?”

“Well & if I did all this” replied the carroty haired gentleman “was it not just what you would have done in my situationf? I had your two hundred & fifty pounds safe in my breeches pocket when by ill or good luck which you please as soon as it was publickly known that I was to run upwards of forty bets were laid against me. I accepted them all & so in self defence was obliged to do my best, but comef he continued “this is not what I intended to talk about, my purpose for coming here was to beg the loan of a few pounds; I’ve spent every farthing of what I got last week in drink & other matters”

this demand was made in a quiet self-complacent tone as if the request had been one of the most reasonable in the world. Colonel Percy could bear it no longer, quivering all over & deadly pale with rage he snatched a loaded pistol from his pocket & discharged it full at him. this attack like the former produced no other effect than a fiendish laugh, the shot flew from his head and in the rebound one of them struck the Colonel so smartly as to produce blood. Baffled in this manner a second time he threw down the weapon & began to pace the apartment with furious strides.

“Fool that I am” cried he “Why do I waste my strength in vain? the Demon as I might have known before now is impervious to fire or shot, my fruitless attempts only expose me to his derision”

“Ha, Ha, Ha” shouted his tormentor “that’s true Rogue, so now sit down & let’s have a little sensible conversation”

Percy exhausted with the efforts he had made threw himself mechanically into a chair: “S’death” said he in a calmer tone “You’re not a man as sure as I live you’re an evil spirit in the flesh a true fiend mcarnate. no human being could have lived after a shower of such hailstones as those”

S death (for such was the unblushing swindler’s name) made no answer but rising from his seat went to a sort of beaufet or side-board
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hich stood several bottles of wine &c. and taking a case of liquers first helped himself to a brimming bumper & then pouring out another advanced with it to Rogue, Percy I mean.

“here charmer” said he lifting it to his lips “here taste this cordial you look faintish I think & should have something to comfort your poor heart. “

the Colonel who at that time was no drunkard whatever he may have become since just sipped of the offered beverage & returned it to Mr S’death by whom it was annihilated at a draught, the Conversation was now carried on in a more animated & less violent strain than before. Percy’s anger seemed to have been in some measure appeased when he found that it was useless to exert it against one whom he could not possibly injure. Still however half at least of every sentence they addressed to each other was composed of oaths & execrations, S’death continued to demand a loan of twenty pounds which Percy for some time refused declaring that he had not that sum in the world. S’death then tried to intimidate him & threatened to inform against him for certain highly criminal transactions in which he had been concerned, this had the desired effectf: the Colonel immediately unfastened a diamond clasp from his stock & throwing it on the floor commanded him with an oath “to take that & be off”. the hardened villain picked it up with a chuckle &, going again to the side-board helped himself to another tumbler of liqueurf. he then made his exit through the open window saying as he went away “Good bye Rogue at this moment I have bank-bills for two thousand pounds in each waistcoat pocket” with these words he scampered off followed by the discharge of a second pistol.

“Infernal scoundrel” said the colonel as he closed the sash with violence. “I wish the earth would yawn & swallow him up or the skies rend & strike him dead with a flash of his native element”

As he uttered this pious aspiration, he flung himself again on the sofa from which he had been roused by his unwelcome visitor. Two hours elapsed before he was again disturbed but at the end of that time a low tap was heard at the door.

“Come in beast whoever you are” shouted he in a loud voice, the door softly unclosed & a footman in livery enteredf. “what do you want now scoundrel?” asked his master furiously.

“merely to tell your honour that the green Dwarf has just arrived quite out of breath & says he has important information to communicate.”

“the green Dwarf! show him into my library & say I’ll come directly”

The servant bowed & left the room. Colonel Percy followed him almost immediately & proceeded to the library . there we shall now leave him to revisit Clydesdale Castle.

Lord St Clair had hardly left Lady Emily’s private drawing-room before her uncle the Marquis of Charlesworth entered it. he was a tall & stately old gentleman between sixty & seventy years of age. his grey locks curled & powdered with the most scrupulous nicety surrounded a countenance whose fresh weather-beaten skin, stern aquiline features & peculiar expression would have at once marked him out to the attentive observer as a veteran soldier even if his military jack boots & enormous sword had not done so more decidedly.

“Well Emily” said he saluting his niece who had run forward to meet him. “How are you this evening love? I’m afraid you’ve had a dull day of it sitting here alone”

“O no uncle” said she “I never in the least feel the want of company . my books & music & drawing give me sufficient employment without it”

“That’s well, but I think you have not been quite alone this evening, has not the Colonel been with you?”

“No” replied Lady Emily “why do you ask me uncle”

“because I saw a very handsome horse standing in the yard which I concluded to be his, but since it was not pray what other visitor have you had?”

this was an unexpected question . lady Emily however was not thrown off her guard by it. she instantly did what perhaps will not be thought very becoming in the heroine of a novel viz coined a little lie.

“Oh” said she carelessly “I suppose the horse must have belonged to Mr Lustring the linen-draper’s apprentice, he has been here this afternoon with some articles which I bought at his master’s shop the other day & now uncle” she continued willing to change the conversation to some less ticklish subject “tell me what you have been doing in the city to day”

“Why” said he “in the first place I went to Waterloo Palace for the purpose of soliciting an audience of the Duke. our interview lasted two hours & when it was over his Grace requested my company to dinner, there I saw the Duchess who was as affable & agreeable as ever. she asked kindly after you & desired me to say that she should be happy to have the pleasure of your society for a few weeks at Verdopolis”

“Sweet creature” exclaimed lady Emily “I love her more than any body else in the world except you uncle & perhaps one or two besides but did you see the little baby?”‘
“Yes”

“Is it a pretty child?”

“remarkably so but I fear it will be spoiled: the Duke seems disposed to indulge it in everything & the Duchesses whole existence is evidently wrapped up in it”

“And no wonder, pray what’s it called?”

“Arthur I believe”

“Does it seem well-dispositioned?”

“I really dont know. it will be tolerably headstrong I think, there was a regular battle between it & the nurse when she attempted to convey it out of the room after dinner, now have you any more questions to ask concerning the little imp?”

“Not at present. what did you do when you left the palace?” “I stepped into the Genii’s Inn & had a bottle of wine with Major Sterling, after that I proceeded to our barracks where I had some business to transact with the officers of my regiment, when this was finished I went to Mr Trefoil’s & purchased something for my neice to wear on her wedding-day which I intend shall soon arrive”

here the Marquis took from his pocket a small casket in which when it was opened appeared a superb diamond necklace with ear-rings, finger-rings & brooches to correspond, he threw them into lady Emily’s lap. a tear started into her eye as she thanked him for this costly present & at the same time thought what an act of disobedience to her kind Uncle’s will she was about to commit. He observed it & said “now my love let us have no piping. the Colonel is an admirable fellow, a little wild perhaps but marriage will soon cure him of that”

A long silence followed, both Uncle & neice judging by their pensive countenances seemed to be engaged in sorrowful reflections. At length the former resumed the conversation by saying “In a few days Emily we shall have to be separated for some time” “How?” exclaimed lady Emily starting & turning pale for her thoughts instantly reverted to Colonel Percy.

“Why my love” replied the Marquis “News has lately arrived that the Ashantees are mustering strong. the Duke therefore considers an addition to the army requisite . several regiments have been ordered out as reinforcements among which number is the ninety-sixth & I being Commander must of course accompany it. it is on this account that the Duchess of Wellington has invited you to pay her a visit for she very kindly considers that you will feel Clydesdale Castle a very dull & lonely residence in my absence. I hope you will accept the invitation my love”

“Certainly” replied lady Emily in a faint voice for her heart misgave her when she thought of the deceitful part she was acting towards the careful & affectionate guardian from whom she was about to be separated perhaps for ever.

Supper was now announced & when this meal was concluded Lady Emily pleading a slight head-ache as an excuse for retiring early bade her uncle good night & with a heavy heart proceeded to her little chamber in the western Turret. When she reached it & had secured the door she sat down to consider a little of the decisive step she was about to take. after long & deep meditation she arrived at the conclusion that there were but two practicable modes of acting namely either to obey her uncle prove false to her lover & sacrifice her own happiness for life or to disobey the marquis, be faithful to st Clair & run away with him according to her promise. Driven to such a dilemma who can blame her if she made a choice of the latter course & determined to run the hazard of an elopement rather than to await the evils which delay might produce. Just as her resolution was fixed the Castle- bell began in deep and solemn tones to announce the eventful hour of midnightf. each stroke of the resounding hammer seemed in her excited imagination a warning voice enjoining her instant departure. As the last hollow echo died away to the profoundest silence she started from the chair where she had hitherto sat motionless as a statue & proceeded to wrap herself in a large hooded mantle such as was then frequently worn by the ladies of Verdopolis & which served the treble purpose of a veil, hat, & cloak.