Volume VI Part 46 (2/2)
”He said you would pay,” observed the landlord
The Englishwoman blushed I paid the bill, and ent on
I was delighted to see her blushi+ng, it proved she was not a party to her husband's proceedings
I was burning with the desire to kno she had left London and hadto Rome; but I did not want to trouble her by ive her any pain
We had a three hours' drive before us, so I turned the conversation to Sophie, hom she had been at school
”Was Miss Nancy Steyne there when you left?” said I
The readerlady, who had dined with h she was only twelve
My co the name of Nancy, and told me that she had left
”Was she pretty when you knew her?”
”She was a beauty, but her loveliness was a fatal gift to her Nancy was a close friend of mine, we loved each other tenderly; and perhaps our sympathy arose from the si and too simple, is now, perhaps, even more unhappy than myself”
”More unhappy? What do you mean?”
”Alas!”
”Is it possible that fate has treated you harshly? Is it possible that you can be unhappy with such a letter of coiven you?”
”Alas! let us speak of so else”
Her countenance was suffused with emotion I pitied her in secret, and led the conversation back to Nancy
”Tell me why you think Nancy is unhappy”
”She ran aith a youngthe parents' consent to thehas been heard of her, and you see I have soht I would willingly giveof her”
”Where did you know her?”
”In my own house She and Sophie dined with me, and her father came in at the end of the meal”
”Now I knoho you are How often have I heard Sophie talking of you
Nancy loved you as well as her father I heard that you had gone to Russia, and had fought a duel with a general in Poland Is this true?
Hoish I could tell dear Sophie all this, but I may not entertain such hopes now”
”You have heard the truth about land? I take a lively interest in you, trust in me, and I promise you that you shall coed to you”