Henrietta Temple Part 37

'He is quite right,' said the old lady; 'and indeed I hardly expected him, for he told me there was a public dinner which he was obliged to attend. I am sure that our dinner is a very private one indeed,'

continued the old lady with a smile. 'It is really a family party, though there is one member of the family here whom you do not know, my dear Miss Temple, and whom, I am sure, you will love as much as all of us do. Digby, where is------'

At this moment dinner was announced. Lord Montfort offered his arm to Henrietta. 'There, lead the way,' said the old lady; 'the girls must beau themselves, for I have no young men to-day for them. I suppose man and wife must be parted, so I must take my son's arm; Mr. Glas...o...b..ry, you will hand down the d.u.c.h.ess.' But before Glas...o...b..ry's name was mentioned Henrietta was half-way down stairs.

The duke and his son presided at the dinner. Henrietta sat on one side of Lord Montfort, his mother on the other. Glas...o...b..ry sat on the right hand of the duke, and opposite their hostess; the two young ladies in the middle. All the guests had been seated without Glas...o...b..ry and Henrietta recognising each other; and, as he sat on the same side of the table as Miss Temple, it was not until Lord Montfort asked Mr.

Glas...o...b..ry to take wine with him, that Henrietta heard a name that might well indeed turn her pale.

Glas...o...b..ry! It never entered into her head at the moment that it was the Mr. Glas...o...b..ry whom she had known. Glas...o...b..ry! what a name! What dreadful a.s.sociations did it not induce! She looked forward, she caught the well-remembered visage; she sunk back in her chair. But Henrietta Temple had a strong mind; this was surely an occasion to prove it. Mr.

Glas...o...b..ry's attention was not attracted to her: he knew, indeed, that there was a lady at the table, called Henrietta, but he was engrossed with his neighbours, and his eye never caught the daughter of Mr.

Temple. It was not until the ladies rose to retire that Mr. Glas...o...b..ry beheld that form which he had not forgotten, and looked upon a lady whose name was a.s.sociated in his memory with the most disastrous and mournful moments of his life. Miss Temple followed the d.u.c.h.ess out of the room, and Glas...o...b..ry, perplexed and agitated, resumed his seat.

But Henrietta was the prey of emotions far more acute and distracting.

It seemed to her that she had really been unacquainted with the state of her heart until this sudden apparition of Glas...o...b..ry. How his image recalled the past! She had schooled herself to consider it all a dream; now it lived before her. Here was one of the princ.i.p.al performers in that fatal tragedy of Armine. Glas...o...b..ry in the house, under the same roof as she? Where was Ferdinand? There was one at hand who could tell her. Was he married? She had enjoyed no opportunity of ascertaining it since her return: she had not dared to ask. Of course he was married; but was he happy? And Glas...o...b..ry, who, if he did not know all, knew so much. How strange it must be to Glas...o...b..ry to meet her! Dear Glas...o...b..ry! She had not forgotten the days when she so fondly listened to Ferdinand's charming narratives of all his amiable and simple life!

Dear, dear Glas...o...b..ry, whom she was so to love! And she met him now, and did not speak to him, or looked upon him as a stranger; and he--he would, perhaps, look upon her with pity, certainly with pain. O Life!

what a heart-breaking thing is life! And our affections, our sweet and pure affections, fountains of such joy and solace, that nourish all things, and make the most barren and rigid soil teem with life and beauty, oh! why do we disturb the flow of their sweet waters, and pollute their immaculate and salutary source! Ferdinand, Ferdinand Armine, why were you false?

The door opened. Mr. Glas...o...b..ry entered, followed by the duke and his son. Henrietta was sitting in an easy chair, one of Lord Montfort's sisters, seated on an ottoman at her side, held her hand. Henrietta's eye met Glas...o...b..ry's; she bowed to him.

'How your hand trembles, Henrietta!' said the young lady.

Glas...o...b..ry approached her with a hesitating step. He blushed faintly, he looked exceedingly perplexed. At length he reached her, and stood before her, and said nothing.

'You have forgotten me, Mr. Glas...o...b..ry,' said Henrietta; for it was absolutely necessary that some one should break the awkward silence, and she pointed to a chair at her side.

'That would indeed be impossible,' said Glas...o...b..ry.

'Oh, you knew Mr. Glas...o...b..ry before,' said the young lady. 'Grandmamma, only think, Henrietta knew Mr. Glas...o...b..ry before.'

'We were neighbours in Nottinghams.h.i.+re,' said Henrietta, in a quick tone.

'Isabella,' said her sister, who was seated at the piano, 'the harp awaits you.' Isabella rose, Lord Montfort was approaching Henrietta, when the old d.u.c.h.ess called to him.

Henrietta and Glas...o...b..ry were alone.

'This is a strange meeting, Mr. Glas...o...b..ry,' said Henrietta.

What could poor Glas...o...b..ry say? Something he murmured, but not very much to the purpose. 'Have you been in Nottinghams.h.i.+re lately?' said Henrietta.

'I left it about ten days back with-----,' and here Glas...o...b..ry stopped, 'with a friend,' he concluded.

'I trust all your friends are well,' said Henrietta, in a tremulous voice.

'No; yes; that is,' said Glas...o...b..ry, 'something better than they were.'

'I am sorry that my father is not here,' said Miss Temple; 'he has a lively remembrance of all your kindness.'

'Kindness, I fear,' said Glas...o...b..ry, in a melancholy tone, 'that was most unfortunate.'

'We do not deem it so, sir,' was the reply.

'My dear young lady,' said Glas...o...b..ry, but his voice faltered as he added, 'we have had great unhappiness.'

'I regret it,' said Henrietta. 'You had a marriage, I believe, expected in your family?'

'It has not occurred,' said Glas...o...b..ry.

'Indeed!'

'Alas! madam,' said her companion, 'if I might venture indeed to speak of one whom I will not name, and yet-----'

'Pray speak, sir,' said Miss Temple, in a kind, yet hushed voice.

'The child of our affections, madam, is not what he was. G.o.d, in His infinite mercy, has visited him with great afflictions.'

'You speak of Captain Armine, sir?'

'I speak indeed of my broken-hearted Ferdinand; I would I could say yours. O Miss Temple, he is a wreck.' 'Yes! yes!' said Henrietta in a low tone.

'What he has endured,' continued Glas...o...b..ry, 'pa.s.ses all description of mine. His life has indeed been spared, but under circ.u.mstances that almost make me regret he lives.'

'He has not married!' muttered Henrietta.

'He came to Ducie to claim his bride, and she was gone,' said Glas...o...b..ry; 'his mind sunk under the terrible bereavement. For weeks he was a maniac; and, though Providence spared him again to us, and his mind, thanks to G.o.d, is again whole, he is the victim of a profound melancholy, that seems to defy alike medical skill and worldly vicissitude.'

'Digby, Digby!' exclaimed Isabella, who was at the harp, 'Henrietta is fainting.' Lord Montfort rushed forward just in time to seize her cold hand.

'The room is too hot,' said one sister.

'The coffee is too strong,' said the other.

'Air,' said the young d.u.c.h.ess.

Lord Montfort carried Henrietta into a distant room. There was a balcony opening into a garden. He seated her on a bench, and never quitted her side, but contrived to prevent anyone approaching her. The women cl.u.s.tered together.

'Sweet creature!' said the old d.u.c.h.ess, 'she often makes me tremble; she has but just recovered, Mr. Glas...o...b..ry, from a long and terrible illness.'

'Indeed!' said Glas...o...b..ry.

'Poor dear Digby,' continued her grace, 'this will quite upset him again. He was in such spirits about her health the other day.'

'Lord Montfort?' enquired Glas...o...b..ry.

'Our Digby. You know that he is to be married to Henrietta next month.'

'Holy Virgin!' muttered Glas...o...b..ry; and, seizing advantage of the confusion, he effected his escape.

[Ill.u.s.tration: frontis-t.i.tle2.jpg]