Sandra Belloni -- Volume 5

ee, muttering to himself that he had no notion where he was, as an excuse for his stationary posture, while the person he presumed he should have

s Wilfrid who had undone her work in the line of thirsty love-speech. "How can a little fool read them and not believe any lie that he may tell!" she cried to herself. She chose to say contemptuously: "It's like a child proclaiming he is hungry.

don't commonly write as he does, whoever wrote this." She had no doubt that it was Wilfrid. By fits her wrath was directed against him. "It's villany," she said. But more and more frequently a crouching abject longing to call the words her own-to have them

chief thought coming like a wave ov

we have when, at an odd hour, we fancy we have cheated time. The sensation of youth and strength seemed to set a seal of lawfulness and naturalness, hitherto wanting, on her feeling for Wilfrid. "I can he

looked about for an escape; but his father, whose plea of sickness had kept him from pursuing Emilia, petulantly insisted that he should go down to Lady Charlotte. Adela was ready to go. There were numbers either

nnection with the electric telegraph, was to enable him to join that gentleman speedily, whithersoever he might journey. He was not one to be deceived by t

to throw her attraction upon such a man, she thought, as she hoped, that probably it was due to the girl's Italian blood. Merthyr was not unwilling to speak of her, and say what he feared and desired for Emilia's sak

tudent. He is one who trusts his own light too exclusively. Is he godless?" She concluded: "He is a soldier, and an officer with brains-a good class:" Rare also. Altogether, though Emilia did not elevate herself in this lady's mind by choosing Wilfrid w

in habits, clear in mind, open in all practices of daily life, she was no sooner brought into an active course than astuteness and impetuosity combined wonderfully in her. She did not tell Merth

"I wonder whether Marini knows anything of

ok his daughter the night after we were

almost wrathfully. He had some of the English objec

well as its men; and if they have not brains and steadfast devotion, he concludes that the country will

r in his antipathy to the administration of an

metimes more binding on th

r imaginations vividly

to kiss a swor

e like a shrug, with

exemption. I have no idea of what is done. Water, salt, white thorns, and other Carbo

of conspiratorial masque Marini and his Chief indulge i

d fervent minds, that require a ceremony to keep them fast-yes, dear, and women more than others do. After that, they cease t

e had ever met a man worthy of her, Merthyr would have

d that Belloni will be

as not been there since.

ight, after all," sa

t he meant, and lo

you to an oath," he re

s small reserve with her brother as vanity, and could even tell him what she thought

erview with Belloni as early as possible, and t

sion on lively waters, and was then awaiting him at the appointed station. One of the old man's intermittent nervous fits had frightened them into the quasi-fabrication of this little innocent tale. The doctor's words were that Mr. Pole was to be crossed in nothing-"Not even if it should appear to be of imminent nece

as each day passed, the querulous invalid, still painfully acting the man in health, had to be fed with fresh lies; until at last, writing of one of the scenes in Brookfield, Arabella put down the word in all its unblessed aboriginal bluntness, and did not ask herself whether she shrank from it. "Lies!" she wrote. "What has happened to Bella?" thought Adela, in pure wonder. Salt-air and dazzling society kept all idea of penance from this vivacious young pe

sably content for the moment, in a severe fashion, save to feel herself th

fall very low, the shock and the sense that they are still on their feet make them singularly earnest to set about the plain plan of existence-getting air for their lungs and elbow-room. Contrast, that mother of melancholy, comes when they are some way advanced upon the upward scale. The Poles did not look up to their lost height, but merely exerted their fa

was that Arabella imagined her letters to be rather of a cheerful character. She related the daily events at Brookfield:-the change in her father's soups, and his remarks on them, and which he preferred; his fight with his medicine, and declaration that h

the detestable fling at the clergy, which she never misses. It seems in her blood to think that all priests are hypocrites. What a little boat to be in on a stormy sea, Bella! She appears to have no concern about it. Whether she adores Wilfrid or not I do not pretend to guess. She snubs him-a thing he would bear from nobody but her. I do believe he feels flattered by it. He is chiefly attentive to Miss Ford, whom I like and do not like, and like and do not like-but do like. She is utterly cold, and has not an affection on earth. Sir T.-I have not a dictionary-calls her a fair clictic, I think. (Let even Cornelia read hard, or woe to her in their hours of privacy!-his vocabulary grows distressingly rich the more you know him. I am not uneducated, but he introduces me to words that seem monsters; I must pretend to know them intimately.) Well, whether a clictic or not-and pray, burn this letter, lest I should not have the word correct-she has the air of a pale young princess above any creature I have seen in the world. I know it has struck Wilfred also; my darling and I are ever twins in sentiment. He converses with Miss Ford a great deal. Lady C. is peculiarly civil to Captain G. We scud along, and are becalmed. 'Having no will of ou

out.) "We must carry it on," Adela told her sister, with horrible bluntness. The message savoured strongly of Mrs. Chump. It was wickedly clever. Arabella resolved to put it by; but morning after morning she saw her father's anxiety for the reply mounting to a pitch of fever. She consulted with Cornelia, who said, "No; never do such a thing!" and subsequently, with a fainter firmness, repeated the negative monosyllable. Arabella, in her wretchedness, became endued with remorseless discernment. "It

itual and bodily doctors agreed that occasion altered and necessity justified certain acts. So far there was comfort. But the task of assisting in this correspondence, and yet more, the contemplation of Adela's growing delight in it (she would now use Irish words, vulgar words, words expressive of physical facts; airing her natural wit in Irish as if she had

orth. It stood for all the misery they suffered; nor co

Dover postmark bro

ments as these? They are the only true ones! She called the captain to witness that the wind was not for Dover she called the mate: she was really eloquent-yes, and handsome. I think Wilfrid thought so; or the reason far the opposition to Dover impressed my brother. I like him to be made to look foolish, for then he retrieves his character so dashingly-always. His face was red, and he seemed undecided-was-until one taunt (it must have been a taunt), roused him up. They exchanged about six sentences-these two. I cannot remember them, unhappily; but for neatness and irony, never was anything so delicious heard. They came sharp as fencing-thrusts; and you could really believe, if you liked, that they were merely stating grounds for diverse opinions. Of course we sailed East, reaching Dover at ten; and the story is this-I knew Emilia was in it:-Tracy Runningbrook had been stationed at Dover ten days by Miss Ford, to intercept Emilia's father, if he should be found taking her to the

follow Philomela-ze nightingales." I was just going to say, 'Well then, you are running away from one.' Wilfrid pressed my fingers, and taught me to be still; and I did not know why till I reflected. Poor Mr. Pericles, seeing him friendly for the first time, rubbed his hands and it was most painful to me to see him shake hands with Wilfrid again and again, till he was on board the vessel chuckling. Wilfrid suddenly laughed with all his might-a cruel laugh; and Mr. Pericles tried to be as loud, but commenced coughing and tapping his chest, to explain that his intention was good. Bella! the passion of love must be judged by the person who in