FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168  
169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   >>   >|  
quitted the house; in my hurry and confusion quite forgetting to call the servants to her ladyship's assistance. Fortunately, I perceived the Misses Fairfax close to the iron railing of the garden. I crossed the road, wished them good-bye, and told them that I thought Lady Maelstrom looked very ill, and they had better go in to her. I then threw myself into the first hackney-coach, and drove home. I found Timothy had arrived before me, and I narrated all that had passed. "You will never be able to go there again," observed Timothy, "and depend upon it, she will be your enemy through life. I wish you had not said anything to her. "What is done cannot be undone; but recollect, that if she can talk, I can talk also." "Will she not be afraid?" "Yes, openly, she will; and open attacks can be parried." "Very true." "But it will be as well to pacify her, if I can. I will write to her." I sat down and wrote as follows:-- "My dear Lady Maelstrom,--I am so astonished and alarmed at the situation I put you in, by my impertinence and folly, that I hardly know how to apologise. The fact is, that looking over some of my father's old letters, I found many from Warrender, in which he spoke of an affair with a young lady, and I read the name as your maiden name, and also discovered where the offspring was to be found. On re-examination, for your innocence was too evident at our meeting to admit of a doubt, I find that the name, although something like yours, is spelt very differently, and that I must have been led into an unpardonable error. What can I say, except that I throw myself on your mercy? I dare not appear before you again. I leave town to-morrow, but if you can pardon my folly and impertinence, and allow me to pay my respects when London is full again, and time shall have softened down your just anger, write me one line to that effect, and you will relieve the burdened conscience of "Yours most truly, "J. Newland." "There, Tim," said I, as I finished reading it over, "take that as a sop to the old Cerberus. She may think it prudent, as I have talked of letters, to believe me and make friends. I will not trust her, nevertheless." Tim went away, and very soon returned with an answer. "You are a foolish mad-cap, and I ought to shut my doors against you; you have half-killed me--spoilt my gown, and I am
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168  
169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
impertinence
 

Timothy

 

letters

 
Maelstrom
 

offspring

 

discovered

 

maiden

 

morrow

 

unpardonable

 

spoilt


innocence

 
pardon
 

evident

 
examination
 
meeting
 

differently

 

foolish

 

Cerberus

 

reading

 

Newland


finished

 

answer

 

friends

 

prudent

 

talked

 
returned
 

London

 

killed

 

respects

 

softened


relieve

 

burdened

 
conscience
 

effect

 

hackney

 

thought

 

looked

 

arrived

 

observed

 

depend


narrated
 
passed
 

servants

 

ladyship

 

assistance

 
forgetting
 

quitted

 
confusion
 
Fortunately
 

perceived