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honours--had he not great reason to dread, a hand might be bestowed, at some
day, upon himself, when the heart would point out some other destination, if
the real wishes of its owner were consulted.
Pendennyss was modest by nature, and humble from principle--though by no
means distrustful; yet the shock of discovering his mother s fault--the gloom
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of her death, and his father s declining health, sometimes led him into a
train of reflections, which at others, he would have fervently deprecated.
A short time after the decease of the Countess, Mr. Denbigh, finding his
constitution bending fast, under the wasting of a decline he had been in for a
year, resolved to finish his days in the abode of his Christian friend, Doctor
Ives. For several years they had not met; increasing duties and infirmities on
both sides having interrupted their visits.
By easy stages he left the residence of his son in Wales, and accompanied by
both his children, he reached Lumley Castle much exhausted; here he took a
solemn and final leave of Marian, unwilling she should so soon witness again
the death of another parent, and dismissing the Earl s equipage and
attendants, a short day s ride from B--, they proceeded alone to the rectory.
A letter had been forwarded, acquainting the Doctor of his approaching visit,
wishing it to be perfectly private, but not alluding to its object, and fixing
the day, a week later than the one he arrived on; this he had altered, on
perceiving the torch of life more rapidly approaching the socket, than he had
at first supposed. Their unexpected appearance and reception are known.
Denbigh s death and the departure of his son followed. Francis was his
companion, to the tomb of his ancestors in Westmoreland.
The Earl had a shrinking delicacy under the knowledge of his family, history,
that made him anxious to draw all eyes from the contemplation of his mother s
conduct--how far the knowledge of it, had extended in society, he could not
know, but he wished it buried with her in the tomb. The peculiar manner of his
father s death would attract notice, and might recall attention to the prime
cause of his disorder; they were unknown as yet, and he wished the Doctor s
family to let them remain so; it was impossible the death of a man of Mr.
Denbigh s rank, should be unnoticed in the prints, and the care of Francis,
dictated the simple truth, without comments, as it appeared: what was more
natural, than that the son ofMr. Denbigh, should also beMr. Denbigh .
In the presence of the Rector s family, no allusions were made to their
friends, and the villagers and the neighbourhood spoke of them as old and
young Mr. Denbigh.
The name of Lord Lumley, now Earl of Pendennyss, was known to the whole
British nation; but the long. retirement of his father and mother, had driven
them almost from the recollection of their friends. Even Mrs. Wilson supposed
her favourite hero a Lumley. Pendennyss castle had been for centuries the
proud residence of that family; and the change of name in its possessor, was
forgotten with the circumstances that led to it. When, therefore, Emily met
the Earl so unexpectedly the second time at the rectory, she, of course, with
all her companions, spoke of him as Mr. Denbigh.
Pendennyss had called in proper person, in expectation of meeting his
kinsman, Lord Bolton; but, finding him absent, could not resist his desire to
visit the rectory---accordingly he sent his carriage and servants on to
London, leaving them at a convenient spot, and arrived on foot at the house of
Dr. Ives. From the same motives which had influenced him before---a wish to
indulge, undisturbed by useless ceremony, his melancholy reflections---he
desired his name might not be mentioned.
This was an easy task; both Doctor and Mrs. Ives had called him when a child,
George or Lumley, and were unused to his new appellation, of Pendennyss;
indeed, it rather recalled painful recollections to them all.
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It may be remembered, circumstances removed the necessity of any introduction
to Mrs. Wilson and her party; and the difficulty in that instance was happily
got rid of.
The Earl had often heard Emily Moseley spoken of by his friends, and in their
letters they frequently mentioned her name, as connected with their pleasures
and employments, always with an affection, Pendennyss thought exceeding that
which they manifested--for their son s wife; and Mrs. Ives, the evening
before, to remove unpleasant thoughts, had given him a lively description of
her person and character. The Earl s curiosity had been a little excited to
see this paragon of female beauty and virtues; and, unlike most curiosity on
such subjects, he was agreeably disappointed by the examination. He wished to
know more, and made interest with the doctor, to assist him to continue the
incognito, accident had favoured him with.
The Doctor objected on the ground of principle, and the Earl desisted; but
the beauty of Emily, aided by her character, had made an impression not to be
easily shaken off, and Pendennyss returned to the charge.
His former jealousies were awakened in proportion to his admiration; and
after some time, he threw himself on the mercy of the divine, by declaring his
new motive, but without mentioning his parents. The Doctor pitied him, for he
scanned his feelings thoroughly, and consented to keep silent, but laughingly
declared, it was bad enough for a divine, to be accessory to, much less aiding
in a deception; and that he knew if Emily and Mrs. Wilson, learnt his
imposition, he would lose ground in their favour by the discovery.
 Surely, George, said the doctor with a laugh,  you don t mean to marry the
young lady as Mr. Denbigh?
 Oh no! it is too soon to think of marrying her at all, replied the Earl
with a smile,  but--somehow--I should like to see, what my reception in the
world will be, as plain Mr. Denbigh--unprovided for and unknown.
 No doubt, my Lord, said the Rector archly,  in proportion to your merits
very unfavourably indeed; but then your humility will be finely elevated, by
the occasional praises, I have heard Mrs. Wilson lavish on your proper
character, of late.
 I am much indebted to her partiality, continued the Earl mournfully; then
throwing off his gloomy thoughts, he added;  I wonder, my dear Doctor, your
goodness did not set her right in the latter particular.
 Why she has hardly given me an opportunity--delicacy and my own feelings,
have kept me very silent on the subject of your family to any of that
connexion; they think, I believe, I was a rector in Wales, instead of your
father s chaplain, and somehow, continued the Doctor, smiling on his wife,
 the association with your late parents, was so connected in my mind, with my
most romantic feelings; that although I have delighted in it---I have seldom
alluded to it in conversation at all. Mrs. Wilson has never spoken of you but
twice in my hearing, and that since she has expected to meet you--your name
has undoubtedly recalled the remembrance of her husband.
 I have many--many reasons to remember the General with gratitude, cried the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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