Part 14 (1/2)

”'Ay, who?'

”'Why Lady R--,' replied I, 'and that young gentleman who, I heard say, once lived with her as her servant.'

”'Ay!' said the old man, 'indeed! then she has done justice at last.

I'm glad on it, Harry, glad on it, for it's a relief to my mind. I was bound to the secret, and have kept it; but when a man is on the brink of the grave, he does not like to have a secret like that upon his mind, and I've more than once talked to my daughter about--'

”'What, aunt Green?'

”'Yes, your aunt Green; but she would never listen to me. We both took our oath, and she said it was binding; besides, we were paid for it.

Well, well, I thank G.o.d, for it's a great load off my mind.'

”'Yes, sir,' replied I, 'you need not keep the secret any longer now.'

”'And how has he grown up?' said the old man; 'is he good-looking?'

”'Very much so, sir,' replied I, 'and looks very much like a gentleman.'”

I could not help laughing at this part of Lionel's story, although I could not but admit the truth. Lionel observed it, and said, ”You cannot be surprised at my giving myself a good character, Miss Valerie, for, as they say in the kitchen, it's all that a poor servant has to depend upon.”

”Go on,” replied I.

”'He was a very fine child while he lived with us; but he was taken away at six years old, and I have never seen him since.'

”'Some people say that he is very like Lady R--.'

”'Well, why should he not be? ay, she was once a very beautiful young person.'

”'Well, grandfather, I have never heard the rights of that story,' said I, 'and now that you are at liberty to tell it, perhaps you will let me have the whole history.'

”'Well,' said the old man, 'as there is no longer a secret, I do not know but that I may. Your aunt Green, you know, was nurse to Lady R--, and remained in the family for years afterwards; for old Sir Alexander Moystyn was confined to his room for years with gout and other complaints, and your aunt Green attended him. It was just as Sir Alexander had recovered from a very bad fit, that Miss Ellen, who was Lady R--'s sister, and years younger than she was, made her runaway match with Colonel Dempster, a very fas.h.i.+onable, gay young man, who had come down here to shoot with the present baronet. Everyone was much surprised at this, for all the talk was that the match would be with the eldest sister, Lady R--, and not the youngest. They went off somewhere abroad. Old Sir Alexander was in a terrible huff about it, and was taken ill again; and Lady R--, who was then Miss Barbara, appeared also much distressed at her sister's conduct. Well, a year or more pa.s.sed away, when, one day, Miss Barbara told your aunt Green that she wished her to go with her on a journey, and she set off in the evening with four post-horses, and travelled all night till she arrived at Southampton. There she stopped at a lodging, and got out, spoke to the landlady, and calling my daughter out of the chaise, desired her to remain below while she went upstairs. My daughter was tired of staying so long, for she remained there for five hours, and Miss Barbara did not make her appearance, but they appeared to be very busy in the house, running up and downstairs. At last a grave person, who appeared to be a doctor, came into the parlour, followed by the landlady--in the parlour in which my daughter was sitting.'

”'It's all over, Mrs Wilson,' said he, 'nothing could save her; but the child will do well, I have no doubt.'

”'What's to be done, sir?'

”'Oh,' replied the doctor, 'the lady above stairs told me that she was her sister, so of course we must look to her for all future arrangements.'

”After giving a few directions about the infant, the doctor left the house, and soon after that Miss Barbara came downstairs.

”'I'm quite worn out, Martha,' said she, 'let us go to the hotel as fast as we can. You sent away the carriage, of course. I would it had remained, for I shall hardly be able to walk so far.'

”She took her arm, and as the landlady opened the door, she said, 'I will call to-morrow, and give directions about the infant, and everything which is necessary.'--'I never went through such a trying scene,' said Miss Barbara; 'she was an old school-fellow of mine, who entreated me to come to her in her distress. She died giving birth to her infant, and it was, I presume, with that presentiment, that she sent for me and entreated me, on her death-bed, to protect the unfortunate child, for she has been cast away by her relations in consequence of her misconduct. You have never had the small-pox, Martha, have you?'

”'No, miss,' she replied, 'you know I never have.'

”'Well, it was having the small-pox at the same time that she was confined, that has caused her death, and that was the reason why I did not send for you to come up and a.s.sist.'

”'My daughter made no answer, for Miss Barbara was of a haughty temper, and she was afraid of her; but she did not forget that the doctor had told the landlady that Miss Barbara had stated the lady to be her sister. My daughter had thought it very odd that Miss Barbara had not told her, during their journey, where she was going, and who she was going to see, for Miss Barbara had wrapped herself up in her cloak, and pretended to be asleep during the whole time, only waking up to pay the post-boys; but Miss Barbara was of a very violent temper, and had, since her sister's marriage, been much worse than before; indeed, some said that she was a little mad, and used to walk at moonlights.

”'When they arrived at the hotel, Miss Barbara went to bed, and insisted upon my daughter sleeping in the same room, as she was afraid of being alone in an hotel. My daughter thought over the business as she lay in bed, and at last resolved to ascertain the truth; so she got up early the next morning, and walked to the lodging-house, and when the door was opened by the landlady, pretended to come from her mistress to inquire how the infant was. The reply was that it was doing well; and then a conversation took place, in which my daughter found out that the lady did not die of the small-pox, as Miss Barbara had stated. The landlady asked my daughter if she would not like to come up and look at the corpse. My daughter consented, as it was what she was about to request, and when she went up, sure enough it was poor Mrs Dempster, Miss Ellen that was, who had run away with the colonel.