Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle. Charlotte Smith

cit, who had three half crowns depending, and who was a determined grumbler at cards, fell upon him without mercy; and said so many rude things, that Rochely could not help retorting; and it was with some difficulty Mrs. Ashwood prevented the grossest abuse being lavished from the enraged Rugby on the enamoured banker; who desiring to give his cards to Miss Galton, got up and ordered his carriage.

      Emmeline sat near the fire, with her handkerchief in her hand, which was yet wet with tears.

      Rochely, with a privilege he had been used to, and which Emmeline, from a man old enough to be her father, thought very inconsequential, took her hand and the handkerchief it held.

      'So, Miss Mowbray,' said he, 'Mr. Delamere is your near relation?'

      'Yes, Sir.'

      'And he has brought you, I fear, some ill news of your family?'

      'No, Sir,' sighed Emmeline.

      'No death, I hope?'

      'No, Sir.'

      'Whence then, these tears?'

      Emmeline drew her hand away.

      'What a strange young man this is, to make you cry. What has he been saying to you?'

      'Nothing, Sir.'

      'Ah! Miss Mowbray; such a lad as that is but an indifferent guardian; pray where does his father live?'

      Miss Mowbray, not aware of the purpose of this enquiry, and glad of any thing that looked like common conversation, answered 'at Audley Hall, in Norfolk; and in Berkley-Square.'

      Some other questions, which seemed of no consequence, Rochely asked, and Emmeline answered; 'till hearing his carriage was at the door, he went away.

      'I don't like your Mr. Delamere at all, Miss Mowbray,' said Mrs. Ashwood, as soon as the game ended. 'I never saw a prouder, more disagreeable young man in my life.'

      Emmeline smiled faintly, and said she was sorry he did not please her.

      'No, nor me neither,' said Miss Galton. 'Such haughtiness indeed!—yet I was glad he mortified that puppy Elkerton.'

      Emmeline, who found the two friends disposed to indulge their good nature at the expence of the company of the evening, complained of being fatigued, and asked for a glass of wine and water: which having drank, she retired to bed, leaving the lady of the house, who had invited Mr. Hanbury and his friend to supper, to enjoy more stories of Jonathan Huggins, and the pretty satyrical efforts of Miss Galton, who made her court most effectually by ridiculing and villifying all their acquaintance whenever it was in her power.

CHAPTER XIV

       Table of Contents

      When Rochely got home, he set about examining the state of his heart exactly as he would have examined the check book of one of his customers.

      He found himself most miserably in love. But avarice said, Miss Mowbray had no fortune.

      By what had passed in his bosom that evening, he had discovered that he should be wretched to see her married to another.

      But avarice enquired how he could offer to marry a woman without a shilling?

      Love, represented that her modest, reserved, and unambitious turn, would perhaps make her, in the end, a more profitable match than a woman educated in expence, who might dissipate more than she brought.

      Avarice asked whether he could depend on modesty, reserve, and a retired turn, in a girl not yet eighteen?

      After a long discussion, Love very unexpectedly put to flight the agent of Plutus, who had, with very little interruption, reigned despoticly over all his thoughts and actions for many years; and Rochely determined to write to Lord Montreville, to lay his circumstances before him, and make a formal proposal to marry Miss Mowbray.

      In pursuance of this resolution, he composed, with great pains, (for he was remarkably slow in whatever he undertook) the following epistle. —

      'My Lord,

      'This serves to inform your Lordship, that I have seen Miss Mowbray, and like her well enough to be willing to marry her, if you, my Lord, have not any other views for her; and as to fortune, I will just give your Lordship a memorandum of mine.

      'I have sixty thousand pounds in the stocks; viz. eighteen in the three per cent. consols. twenty in Bank stock: ten in East India stock; and twelve in South Sea annuities.

      'I have about forty thousand on different mortgages; all good, as I will be ready at any time to shew you. I have houses worth about five more. And after the death of my mother, who is near eighty, I shall have an estate in Middlesex worth ten more. The income of my business is near three thousand pounds a year; and my whole income near ten thousand.

      'My character, my Lord, is well known: and you will find, if we agree, that I shall not limit Miss Mowbray's settlement to the proportion of what your Lordship may please to give her, (for I suppose you will give her something) but to what she ought to have as my widow, if it should so happen that she survives me.

      'I have reason to believe Miss Mowbray has no dislike to this proposal; and hope to hear from your Lordship thereon by return of post.

      I am, my Lord,

       your Lordship's very humble servant,

       Humphrey Rochely.'

       Lombard-Street, Nov. 20th. 17—.

      This was going to the point at once. The letter arrived in due time at Audley-Hall; and was received by Lord Montreville with surprise and satisfaction. The hint of Miss Mowbray's approbation made him hope she was yet concealed from Delamere; and as he determined to give the earliest and strongest encouragement to this overture, from a man worth above an hundred thousand pounds, he called a council with Sir Richard Crofts, who knew Rochely, and who kept cash with him; and it was determined that Lord Montreville should go to town, not only to close at once with the opulent banker, but to get Delamere out of the way while the marriage was in agitation, which it would otherwise be impossible to conceal from him. To persuade him to another continental tour was what Sir Richard advised: and agreed to go to town with his Lordship, in order to assist in this arduous undertaking.

      Lord Montreville, however, failed not immediately to answer the letter he had received from Mr. Rochely, in these terms—

      'Sir,

      'This day's post brought me the honour of your letter.

      'If Miss Mowbray is as sensible as she ought to be, of so flattering a distinction, be assured it will be one of the most satisfactory events of my life to see her form a connection with a gentleman truly worthy and respectable.

      'To hasten the completion of an event so desirable, I fully intend being in town in a very few days; when I will, with your permission, wait on you in Lombard-Street.

      'I have the honour to be, with great esteem,

      Sir,

       your most devoted,

       and most obedient servant,

       Montreville.'

       Audley-Hall, Nov. 23.

      The haughty Peer, who derived his blood from the most antient of the British Nobility, thus condescended to flatter opulence and to court the alliance of riches. Nor did he think any advances he could make, beneath him, when he hoped at once to marry his niece to advantage, and what was yet more material, put an invincible bar between her and his son.

      While this correspondence, so inimical to Delamere's hopes, was passing between his father and Mr. Rochely, he was every hour with Emmeline; intoxicated with his passion, indulging the most delightful hopes, and forgetting every thing else in the world.