Evan Harrington -- Volume 1

ficient vindication be found in the exercise he affords our crews in the science of seamanship. She entered our noble river somewhat early on a fine July morning. Early as it was, two young

ro and dangling cloak, of which one fold was flung across his breast and drooped behind him. The line of an adolescent dark moustache ran along his lip, and only at intervals could you see that his eyes were blue and of the land he was nearing. For the youth was meditative, and held his head

see him! I haven't seen one for two years and seven months. When I 'm at home, I 'll leave my w

her nose aga

given anything to be a dairy-maid for half an hour! I used to lie and pant in that stifling air a

and shut her lips; sweet, cold, chaste lips she had: a mou

and after seeking to fill them with a doleful look, which was im

' and commenced tapping with his

ys the effort. Listening an instant to catch the import of

hat do y

ation. The doleful look, the superhuman indifference, were repeat

n England!' and then the cheerfu

d not be friends with me, because we've come back to Engla

not mean it! but he replie

Evan? Won't you promise me to come and stop with us for weeks? Haven't you said we

th the quiete

the dead-alive monosyllable, as he had done. 'Why are you so sin

ensitiveness induced the young m

hall not see each other every day. Nothing more than th

, sorry?' A shade of ar

ect something in her mind, an

You don't suppose we could see

ld have been addressed to the sentimental boy

ow; and that's why I liked you so much! Do change! Do, please, be lively, and yourself again. Or mind; I'll call you Don Doloroso, and that shall be your name

t to satisfy her minute

uched his h

hat you did for my poor drunken brother Bill, and you may take my word I won't forget it, sir,

to a faintly critical frown, and nodding intelligently to the boatswain's remark, that the young

ou turn away so ungraciously from Mr. Skerne, while he was thanking you for having saved

thanked because I

u have. Wouldn't my eyes have sparkled if anybody had come up to me to thank me for such a thing? I w

r Miss

ha

narrowed their enlarged lids. She g

tand you. I suppose it's

till I'm a w

h a burden to himself as he is an enigma to others. Evan felt this; but he could do nothing and say no

by a summons to b

ed. 'Now, what will you

s doesn

he this morning? bloomin

ster's manner constrained him t

at, I get three finge

, young

tical words of the respective greetings were employed, which

y, and suck with placidity, in the intervals of a curt exchange of French with the wife of the Hon. Melville, a ringleted English lady, or of Portuguese with the Countess; who likewise sipped chocolate and fingered dry toast, and was mournfully melodious. The Hon. Melville, as became a tall islander, carved beef, and ate of it, like a ruler of men. Beautiful to see wa

England again, and anything that belonged to her native land. Mrs. Melville perceived that it pained the refugee Counte

to hear the sweet

addressed the diplomat

d procured fre

aid he, glaring shrewd

shed to know how it was comprised. A passage o

hampton. He does not comprehend the word "expense," but' (

d the Hon. Melville, accustomed

e, may I ask, do you think?'

two hours before dark. Another reckoning, keenly balanced, informed the company that the

e, nodding general gratulation, '

untess's straining eyes under

wait upon Lord Livelyston

! certainly, too late tonight. A-hum! I think, madam, you had better not

untess, with a beam of

to place myself in y

aste of the diplomatist. He put

cant unit over here, you know; I, personally, can't guarantee much assistance to you-n

d the Countess, smiling, as at a

rest of them over here,' he ad

' continued: 'For over here, in England, we are almost friendless. My relations-such as are left of them-are not in high place.' S

e, and returned it, as one who

d a-a brewer! He is rich; but, well! such was her tast

tes with the opposite party,'

Silva's interest, he will assuredly so dispose of his influence as to suit the desiderations of his

, when he heard this extremely alienized idea of the nature of a member of the P

not-should not-forget it now. Had we money! But of that arm our enemies have deprived us: and, I fear, without it we cannot hope to have the justice of our cause pleaded in the English papers. Mr. Redner, you know, the correspondent in Lisbon, is a sworn foe to Silva. And why but b

, smiled perfect sympathy, and s

a small shopkeeper of s

he

low in his way,'

,' Rose exclaimed. 'I always keep out

pprobation of her exclusiveness a

y, my dear?' she asked

and so was Rose. They made an appointment,

Countess smiled

sper when I'm by

le to re-echo; but that lady thought it best for the moment to di

k with my brother on d

o harassed f

draw away from these people a little. We 've done as much as we could for them, in bringing them over here. They may be trying to compromise us. That woman's absurd. She 's ashamed of the brewer, and yet sh

said Mrs. Melville. 'Rose's inv

down to Hampshire?' The dip

ther,' said the d

ry good young fellow. Gen

said the dipl

ts us to keep him on, or pr

it did not matter; and as soon as the Hon. Melville saw that she was brooding something essentially femi

the admiration she could, without looking, perceive that her sorrow-subdued grac

benefactor early." To Rose you will say: "Be assured, Miss Jocelyn "Miss Jocelyn-"I shall not fail in hasteni

l him benefactor to his

my ch

nefactor at all. His pr

the post, because n

her who pushed y

, I'm sure I'm

in England. For your brother- in-law-I ask you, what sort of people will you meet at the Cogglesbys? Now and then a nobleman, very much out of his element. In short, you have fed upon a diet which will make you to distinguish, and painfully to know t

n said: 'Yes, and I should have liked to have told her th

utenant met her eye. Blandishingly she smiled on him: 'Most beautif

resumed, 'a

such a hypoc

o not love

resulted from a clear sequence of ideas i

igue for Silva; I look to your future; I smile, Oh heaven! how do I not smil

er hand, an

our pity?'

, my dear sister, I should

n! You are a Dawley!' sh

ossessing more of his mother's sp

would have betrayed yourself! and you would have said you were that! and you i

g confession became present to his mind. It was a clever stroke of this female intriguer. She saw him redden grievously, and bli

of course that you should go overboard after anybody, in your clothes, on a dark night. So, then, the Jocelyns took it. I barely heard one compliment to you. And Rose-what an effect it should have had on her! But, owing to your manner, I do believe the girl thinks it nothing but your ordinary busines

g before. By tender moonlight, in captivating language, beneath the umbrageous orange-groves, a Portuguese would have accurately calculated t

, 'one of them d

? And you-wha

him with her

old you, and you helpe

ceptions? Why d

ught him such a

a woman,' said the Co

e, enjoyed a quiet parade up and down under the gaze of the lieutenant, and could find leisure to note whether she at all struck the inf

matists that they fear none save their own sex. Men they regard as their natural prey: in women they see rival hunters using their own w

g your kind and most considerate attentio

her he hoped not, h

think of us foremost; but his argument I can distinguish. I can see, that were you openly to plead Silva's cause, you might bring yourself into od

it of the Portugal clime, and observed, confidentially, that, with every willingness in the world to serve her, h

s. 'He, poor boy! his career is closed. He must sink into a different sph

pinion of the young gentleman, his abilities, and hi

ice, the lady thus ob

manoeuvred for lack of a wife at his elbow, was quickly engaged in appeasing the great British hunger fo

g the cognizant air of one whose head is above the waters of events, to enjo

oad length of the serpentine haven of the nations of the earth. A young Englishman returning home can hardly look on this scene without some pride of kinship. Evan stood at the fore part

ind so beautif

the ships, and the houses,

hought you despised

trade, but tradesmen. Of

o and fro, and make the picture

ith a sort of fervour, 'Why do you always grow

ly jealous of this subject. He turned it off. 'Why, our feelings are just the same. Do you know what I was

nd I'm sure you never will. Of an Engli

d a true English lady than

answered, pertly; 'but "gentleman"

gentleman, m

so. Something you are, sir,

tion. His sister in her anxiety to put him on his g

ons, put an end to the colloquy of the young people. They were all assembled in a circle when the vessel came to her moorings. The diplomatist glutted with news, and thirsting for confirmations; the Count dumb, cour

ered, and they were preparing to move forward.

r Customs? I did imagine we were saf

n in a long brown coat and loose white neckcloth, spectacles on nose, which he wore considerably below the bridge and peered over, as if their main use were to sight his eye; a beaver hat, with broadish br

llow of the name of Goren wants you. Say

ed, and bow

I cut out your first suit for you when you were breeched, thou

he chapter of facts this name should

that when he spoke a word of two syllables, commenced with a lugubriou

'm not the best messenger for such tidings. It

but Rose remained beside the Countess, who breathe

ke care of the shop. He 's to be buried in his old uniform. You had better c

at had fallen, the Count

is un

on. 'Thanks! thanks!' was murmured in his ear. 'Not a word more. Evan cannot be

ckon in a glance how much Rose had heard, or divined. She had to mark whether the Count h

' and preserved herself from weeping her heart out, that none might guess the thing who did not positively know it. Evan touched the hand of Rose without meeting her eyes. He was soon cast off in Mr. Goren's boat. Then the Countess murmured final adieux; twilight under her lids, but yet a smile

it to the darkness of their common exile. She wept: but in the excess of her misery, two words of strangely opposite signification, pronounced by Mr. Goren; two words that w

ne last kiss! Oh! how she hoped that her inspired echo of Uniform, on board the Joc