贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the purcell papers-2 >

第15章

the purcell papers-2-第15章

小说: the purcell papers-2 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




struggle was in vain; and she burst into

floods of tears; bitterer than she had ever

shed before。



I cannot tell how passions rise and fall;

I cannot describe the impetuous words of

the young lover; as pressing again and

again to his lips the cold; passive hand;

which had been resigned to him; prudence;

caution; doubts; resolutions; all vanished

from his view; and melted into nothing。

'Tis for me to tell the simple fact; that

from that brief interview they both

departed promised and pledged to each other

for ever。



Through the rest of this story events

follow one another rapidly。



A few nights after that which I have

just mentioned; Ellen Heathcote disappeared;

but her father was not left long

in suspense as to her fate; for Dwyer;

accompanied by one of those mendicant

friars who traversed the country then even

more commonly than they now do; called

upon Heathcote before he had had time to

take any active measures for the recovery

of his child; and put him in possession of

a document which appeared to contain

satisfactory evidence of the marriage of

Ellen Heathcote with Richard O'Mara;

executed upon the evening previous; as the

date went to show; and signed by both

parties; as well as by Dwyer and a servant

of young O'Mara's; both these having acted

as witnesses; and further supported by

the signature of Peter Nicholls; a brother

of the order of St。 Francis; by whom the

ceremony had been performed; and whom

Heathcote had no difficulty in recognising

in the person of his visitant。



This document; and the prompt personal

visit of the two men; and above all; the

known identity of the Franciscan; satisfied

Heathcote as fully as anything short

of complete publicity could have done。

And his conviction was not a mistaken

one。



Dwyer; before he took his leave;

impressed upon Heathcote the necessity of

keeping the affair so secret as to render it

impossible that it should reach Colonel

O'Mara's ears; an event which would have

been attended with ruinous consequences to

all parties。 He refused; also; to permit

Heathcote to see his daughter; and even

to tell him where she was; until circumstances

rendered it safe for him to visit

her。



Heathcote was a harsh and sullen man;

and though his temper was anything but

tractable; there was so much to please;

almost to dazzle him; in the event; that he

accepted the terms which Dwyer imposed

upon him without any further token of

disapprobation than a shake of the head;

and a gruff wish that 'it might prove all

for the best。'



Nearly two months had passed; and

young O'Mara had not yet departed for

England。 His letters had been strangely

few and far between; and in short; his

conduct was such as to induce Colonel

O'Mara to hasten his return to Ireland;

and at the same time to press an engagement;

which Lord ; his son Captain

N; and Lady Emily had made to

spend some weeks with him at his

residence in Dublin。



A letter arrived for young O'Mara;

stating the arrangement; and requiring his

attendance in Dublin; which was accordingly

immediately afforded。



He arrived; with Dwyer; in time to

welcome his father and his distinguished

guests。 He resolved to break off his

embarrassing connection with Lady Emily;

without; however; stating the real motive;

which he felt would exasperate the resentment

which his father and Lord 

would no doubt feel at his conduct。



He strongly felt how dishonourably he

would act if; in obedience to Dwyer's

advice; he seemed tacitly to acquiesce in

an engagement which it was impossible for

him to fulfil。 He knew that Lady Emily

was not capable of anything like strong

attachment; and that even if she were;

he had no reason whatever to suppose that

she cared at all for him。



He had not at any time desired the

alliance; nor had he any reason to suppose

the young lady in any degree less

indifferent。 He regarded it now; and not

without some appearance of justice; as

nothing more than a kind of understood

stipulation; entered into by their parents;

and to be considered rather as a matter of

business and calculation than as involving

anything of mutual inclination on the part

of the parties most nearly interested in the

matter。



He anxiously; therefore; watched for an

opportunity of making known his feelings

to Lord ; as he could not with propriety

do so to Lady Emily; but what at

a distance appeared to be a matter of easy

accomplishment; now; upon a nearer

approach; and when the immediate impulse

which had prompted the act had subsided;

appeared so full of difficulty and almost

inextricable embarrassments; that he

involuntarily shrunk from the task day after

day。



Though it was a source of indescribable

anxiety to him; he did not venture to write

to Ellen; for he could not disguise from

himself the danger which the secrecy of

his connection with her must incur by his

communicating with her; even through a

public office; where their letters might be

permitted to lie longer than the gossiping

inquisitiveness of a country town would

warrant him in supposing safe。



It was about a fortnight after young

O'Mara had arrived in Dublin; where all

things; and places; and amusements; and

persons seemed thoroughly stale; flat; and

unprofitable; when one day; tempted by

the unusual fineness of the weather; Lady

Emily proposed a walk in the College

Park; a favourite promenade at that time。

She therefore with young O'Mara; accompanied

by Dwyer (who; by…the…by; when

he pleased; could act the gentleman

sufficiently well); proceeded to the place

proposed; where they continued to walk for

some time。



'Why; Richard;' said Lady Emily; after

a tedious and unbroken pause of some

minutes; 'you are becoming worse and

worse every day。 You are growing absolutely

intolerable; perfectly stupid! not

one good thing have I heard since I left

the house。'



O'Mara smiled; and was seeking for a

suitable reply; when his design was

interrupted; and his attention suddenly and

painfully arrested; by the appearance of

two figures; who were slowly passing the

broad walk on which he and his party

moved; the one was that of Captain

N; the other was the form ofMartin

Heathcote!



O'Mara felt confounded; almost stunned;

the anticipation of some impending

mischiefof an immediate and violent

collision with a young man whom he had ever

regarded as his friend; were apprehensions

which such a juxtaposition could not fail

to produce。



'Is Heathcote mad?' thought he。

'What devil can have brought him

here?'



Dwyer having exchanged a significant

glance with O'Mara; said slightly to Lady

Emily:



'Will your ladyship excuse me for a

moment? I have a word to say to Captain

N; and will; with your permission;

immediately rejoin you。'



He bowed; and walking rapidly on; was

in a few moments beside the object of his

and his patron's uneasiness。



Whatever Heathcote's object might be;

he certainly had not yet declared the secret;

whose safety O'Mara had so naturally

desired; for Captain N appeared in

good spirits; and on coming up to his

sister and her companion; he joined them

for a moment; telling O'Mara; laughingly;

that an old quiz had come from the country

for the express purpose of telling tales; as

it was to be supposed; of him (young

O'Mara); in whose neighbourhood he

lived。



During this speech it required all the

effort which it was possible to exert to

prevent O'Mara's betraying the extreme

agitation to which his situation gave rise。

Captain N; however; suspected no…

thing; and passed on without further

delay。



Dinner was an early meal in those days;

and Lady Emily was obliged to leave the

Park in less than half an hour after the

unpleasant meeting which we have just

mentioned

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的