The Second Macabre MEGAPACK®. Эдит Несбит
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in uniform.”
“It must have been some fancy uniform.”
“Then you have been acquainted with him for a long time?”
“Not exactly, since I have never meddled with the smuggling trade.”
“How! what do you mean, uncle.”
“Nay! I should have said nothing about it, since it may, and may not be true; although people report that Drummond is tolerable active in that business. This much is certain, that he is intimate with Hackstone & Co., who have made a fortune by contraband.”
At the period of our story, smuggling was not held in such disrepute as at present, yet, nevertheless, Eliza was greatly disturbed by this intelligence; and she earnestly wished that the rumor, as her uncle said, might prove false. Yet greater was her anxiety on another point, whether the John William Drummond, who sued for her hand, was one and the same with the handsome stranger who had boarded opposite. What if he should be another, she mentally exclaimed, ‘Ah! I shall have to marry him, whether he prove agreeable or disagreeable, since my uncle would never forgive me if I hesitated.’
While absorbed in these reflections, Captain Drummond was announced, and Eliza became so pale and tremulous, as to be unable to stand. The door opened and her lover entered; not her former neighbor, but a handsome man about thirty, who greatly resembled him, and whose animated and independent bearing stamped him immediately as a seaman. He seemed to notice the maiden’s perplexity, and sought to remove it by observing that under common circumstances, his conduct might have been thought impertinent, in thus writing to her without a formal introduction; but that he was better acquainted with her than she supposed; since a friend of his had often spoken of her, before he himself had the pleasure of seeing her, which notice first induced him to sue for her hand. Fearful that she might become the affianced of another before he returned to Liverpool, he had determined to trust to luck like a seaman, and rejoiced that he had been so successful.
Drummond’s honest and ingenuous manner of speaking, produced a favorable impression on Eliza, indeed almost any girl would have looked on him with favor; and it was therefore not to be wondered at, that interested by his lively conversation and prepossessing appearance, the image of the naval officer somewhat faded from her mind, and when, after a long interview, he departed, she felt that if not exactly a loving, she would not be an unhappy bride. The visit was repeated every day until the betrothal, on the evening previous to which Eliza’s lover informed her that he had succeeded in procuring a witness to sign the papers on the following day. Without mentioning his name, he remarked that it was the same person who had first interested him in her favor, and who, no doubt, would be greatly surprised on learning the name of his bride.
It was about 4 o’clock on the appointed afternoon, when Eliza, Mr. Barlow, Nathaniel Simple and a few intimate friends, together with a lawyer, were collected in the merchant’s drawing room.
Dressed in tasteful costume, the bride sought to appear tranquil and cheerful, while she waited the bride-groom’s arrival; but in spite of her seeming attention to the conversation, which turned principally on commercial subjects, she could not repress emotions of anxiety and alarm; and a hand cold as ice seemed to press on her heart, as a carriage rolled tip; voices were heard on the stairs; and Drummond entered, attended by the young naval officer who had resided opposite.
After introducing him to the master of the house, her lover brought him up to Eliza observing playfully, “here is my brother, whom I commend to your mercy, although he really does not deserve it. Would you believe it, after first inducing me through his enthusiastic admiration of you, to sue for your hand; after promising to become the witness of our union, he dared this morning to plead that he might be excused from attending, under pretext of some very urgent business; nay, even now, he only shows himself on condition that I allow him to depart in an hour.”
William Drummond blushed deeply and stammered some unintelligible words of excuse; while Eliza, overcome almost to fainting, scarcely heard her uncle, when looking at his watch he desired the notary to read aloud the marriage contrast. She however supported herself tolerably well till he came to the clause, “Miss Eliza Barlow promises to marry John William Drummond,” when she began to totter, a feeble “no! no!” broke from her lips, and she sank senseless on the ground.
It is impossible to describe the confusion produced by this unexpected occurrence; the company dispersed, physicians were called in, who declared her attack to be convulsion of the most dangerous character; and in truth more than a month elapsed, during which she languished between life and death. In the meanwhile, John Drummond had been compelled by business to make a short voyage; but immediately on his return he received a letter from Eliza, in which she declared that she could not marry him, since by so doing, she would only cause unhappiness to both, but declined giving any reason for change of purpose; and when her lover wrote, pleading an interview, she declined any personal meeting, even while she assured him of her continued friendship and esteem.
Shortly after this time, John entered his brother’s chamber, while both were on a sojourn at Plymouth. With a melancholy countenance he handed William an open letter, exclaiming, “Read this, she loves you! I am convinced of it. Ah! had you acted more openly, all would have been different.”
“I assure you I never had an idea of marrying her,” rejoined William, “since how could I have supported her with my lieutenant’s pay? and I am sure her rich uncle would never have consented to so poor a match.”
“But you must marry her!” said John in a mournful tone, “I will try and persuade Barlow to allow you the same income which he promised me.”
“Never! I will neither be supported by the merchant, or deprive my brother of his betrothed.”’
“But she is mine no longer, dear William: sue at once for Eliza’s hand, and thus make false the old saying, that twins born in the parsonage will always cause unhappiness to each other.”
“How can you be so superstitious? An unlucky chain of circumstances alone has caused this misunderstanding, which might as easily have existed between mere acquaintances. If I had said Eliza interested me, and that I intended courting her as soon as I was able to support a wife, you would never have thought of choosing her, but as I could not hope for any success, I did not refer to my own feelings. You see it is all mere accident.”
“Be it as you wish, but I am convinced that one of us will bring misfortune on the other, and as we love one another, let us adopt the safe resolution of never meeting again if possible.”
“Gracious Heavens! what a dreadful thought! Ah! I see that you hate me for being the unhappy cause of your separation from Eliza.”
“Be composed, dear William, such is not the case. but only that something tells me that an unhappy fate hangs over us. You misunderstand me when you imagine that I propose to resign all future intercourse. No! I shall constantly think of you with anxious affection, and we will correspond together. Accident favors my views;—in a few days I sail for Boston, where the wealthy owner of a ship has made me a very liberal offer, if I will accept its command for two years.”
“Think, brother, of what you are about to do; for the sake of a mere old woman’s story you will forsake old England to go the United States, where even now the Hydra of rebellion is raising its head. As a good seaman, you must see into what a conflict your business may lead you as a British subject.”
“Nothing won without danger;” exclaimed John, “If I had not ventured something, I should not have amassed the little fortune which I now possess. You must allow that I would not have advanced as quickly had I entered the navy.”
“I own it; and never envied you, though receiving such small pittance myself. Nay,” he added, after a pause, in which he seemed trying how best to soften his expression, “I have often been anxious on your account.”
“You mean as regards the Custom House laws?”
“Yes! you must acknowledge that you run a risk in disregarding them as you do.”
“Risk! What seaman cares for that? I never