Part 26 (1/2)

”I thank Heaven I am not. I have always told you that I was Adele Chabot, and no other person. You must admit that. My father and mother were no vulgar people, dearest husband, and my family is as good as most in France. Come over with me to Paris, and you will then see who my relatives and connexions are. I am poor, I grant, but recollect that the revolution exiled many wealthy families, and mine among the rest, although we were permitted eventually to return to France. What can have induced you to fall into this error, and still persist (notwithstanding my a.s.sertions to the contrary), that I am the daughter of those vulgar upstarts, who are proverbial for their want of manners, and who are not admitted into hardly any society, rich as they are supposed to be?”

The Colonel looked all amazement.

”I'm sorry you are disappointed, dearest,” continued Adele, ”if you are so. I am sorry that I'm not Caroline Stanhope with a large fortune, but if I do not bring you a fortune, by economy I will save you one. Let me only see that you are not deprived of your usual pleasures and luxuries, and I care not what I do or how I live. You will find no exacting wife in me, dearest, troubling you for expenses you cannot afford. I will live but to please you, and if I do not succeed, I will die--if you wish to be rid of me.”

Adele resumed her caresses with the tears running down her cheeks, for she loved her husband dearly, and felt what she said.

The Colonel could not resist her: he put his arms round her and said, ”Do not cry, Adele, I believe you, and, moreover, I feel that I love you. I am thankful that I have not married Caroline Stanhope, for I presume she cannot be very different from her parents. I admit that I have been deceiving myself, and that I have deceived myself into a better little wife than I deserve, perhaps. I really am glad of my escape. I would not have been connected with those people for the universe. We will do as you say: we will go to France for a short time, and you shall introduce me to your relations.”

Before the next morning, Adele had gained the victory. The Colonel felt that he had deceived himself, that he might be laughed at, and that the best that could be done was to go to Paris and announce from thence his marriage in the papers. He had a sufficiency to live upon, to command luxury as well as comforts, and on the whole he was now satisfied, that a handsome and strongly-attached wife, who brought him no fortune, was preferable to a marriage of mere interest. I may as well here observe, that Adele played her cards so well, that the Colonel was a happy and contented man. She kept her promise, and he found with her management that he had more money than a married man required, and he blessed the day in which he had married by mistake. And now to return to the Stanhopes.

Although they were too angry at the time to pay much heed to the Colonel's parting threats, yet when they had cooled, and had time for reflection, Mr and Mrs Stanhope were much distressed at the intelligence that their daughter was not legally married. For some days, they remained quiet, at last they thought it advisable to come to terms to save their daughter's honour. But during this delay on their part, Adele had called upon me, and introduced her husband and made me acquainted with all that had pa.s.sed. They stated their intention of proceeding to Paris immediately, and although I knew that Adele's relations were of good family, yet I thought an introduction to Madame d'Albret would be of service to her. I therefore gave her one, and it proved most serviceable, for the Colonel found himself in the first society in Paris, and his wife was well received and much admired.

When, therefore, Mr Stanhope made up his mind to call upon the Colonel at the address of the hotel where they had put up, he found they had left, and n.o.body knew where they had gone. This was a severe blow, and Mr and Mrs Stanhope were in a state of the utmost uncertainty and suspense. Now was the time for Mr Selwyn to come forward, and I despatched a note to him, requesting him to come to town. I put him in possession of Adele's history, her marriage with the Colonel, and all the particulars with which the reader is acquainted, and I pointed out to him how he should act when he called upon Mr Stanhope, which I advised him to do immediately. He followed my advice, and thus described what pa.s.sed on his return.

”I sent up my card to Mr and Mrs Stanhope, and was received almost as politely as the Colonel. I made no remark, but taking a chair, which was not offered to me, I said, 'You have my card, Mr Stanhope, I must, in addition to my name, inform you that I am a barrister, and that my father is Judge Selwyn, who now sits on the King's Bench. You probably have met him in the circles in which you visit, although you are not acquainted with him. Your sister, Madame Bathurst, we have the pleasure of knowing.'

”This introduction made them look more civil, for a Judge was with them somebody.

”'My object in coming here is to speak to you relative to your daughter.'

”'Do you come from the Colonel, then?' said Mrs Stanhope, sharply.

”'No, madam. I have no acquaintance with the Colonel.'

”'Then how do you know my daughter, sir?'

”'I had the pleasure of meeting her at my father's. She stayed a short time with my family at our country seat at Kew.'

”'Indeed!' exclaimed Mrs Stanhope, 'well I had no idea of that. I'm sure the Judge was very kind; but, sir, you know that my daughter has married very unfortunately.'

”'That she has married, madam, I am aware, but I trust not unfortunately.'

”'Why, sir, she has married a colonel,--a fellow who came here and told us it was no marriage at all!'

”'It is to rectify that mistake, madam, which has induced me to call.

The Colonel, madam, did hear that your daughter was at Mrs Bradshaw's establishment, and wished to carry her off, supposing that she was a very rich prize, but, madam, he made a slight mistake--instead of your daughter, he has run away and married the French teacher, who has not a sixpence. He has now found out his mistake, and is off to Paris to hide himself from the laughter of the town.'

”This intelligence was the cause of much mirth and glee to Mr and Mrs Stanhope; the latter actually cried with delight, and I took care to join heartily in the merriment. As soon as it had subsided, Mrs Stanhope said--

”'But Mr Selwyn, you said that my daughter was married. How is that?'

”'Why, madam, the fact is, that your daughter's affections were engaged at the time of this elopement of the Colonel's, and it was her intention to make known to you that such was the case, presuming that you would not refuse to sanction her marriage; but, when the elopement took place, and it was even reported that she had run away, her position became very awkward, and the more so, as some people declared (as the Colonel a.s.serted), that she was not legally married. On consulting with the gentleman of her choice, it was argued thus: If Miss Stanhope goes back to her father's house after this report that she is not legally married, it will be supposed that the Colonel, finding that he was disappointed in his views, had returned her dishonoured upon her parents' hands, and no subsequent marriage would remove the impression. It was therefore considered advisable, both on her parents' account and on her own, that she also should elope, and then it would be easily explained that it was somebody else who had eloped with the Colonel, and that Miss Stanhope had married in a secret way. Miss Stanhope, therefore, was properly married in church before respectable witnesses, and conducted immediately afterwards by her husband to his father's house, who approved of what was done, as now no reflection can be made, either upon Miss Stanhope or her respectable parents.'

”'Well, let us all know the person to whom she is married.'

”'To myself, madam, and your daughter is now at Judge Selwyn's, where she has been ever since her marriage, with my mother and sisters. My father would have accompanied me, to explain all this, but the fact is, that his lords.h.i.+p is now so much occupied that he could not. He will, however, be happy to see Mr Stanhope, who is an idle man, either at his town house, or at his country seat. I trust, madam, as I have the honour to be your son-in-law, you will permit me to kiss your hand?'

”'Caroline may have done worse, my dear,' said the lady to her husband, who was still wavering. 'Mr Selwyn may be a judge himself, or he may be a Lord Chancellor, recollect that. Mr Selwyn you are welcome, and I shall be most happy to see his lords.h.i.+p, and my husband shall call upon him when we know when he will be at leisure. Oh! that Colonel, but he's rightly served, a French teacher. Ha, ha, ha!' and Mrs Stanhope's mirth was communicated to her husband, who now held out his hand to me in a most patronising manner.

”'Well, sir, I give you joy. I believe you have saved my daughter's character, and my dear,' added he, very pompously, 'we must do something for the young people.'