“Adieu, sweet girl, a last adieu!We part to meet no more;Adieu to peace, to hope, to you,And to my native shore.“If fortune had propitious smiled,My love had made me blest;But she, like me, is Sorrow’s child,By sadness dire opprest.“I go to India’s sultry clime,Oh! never to return;Beneath some lone embowering limeWill be thy soldier’s urn.“No kindred spirit there shall weep,Or, pensive musing stray;My image thou alone wilt keep,And Grief’s soft tribute pay.”
“Adieu, sweet girl, a last adieu!We part to meet no more;Adieu to peace, to hope, to you,And to my native shore.“If fortune had propitious smiled,My love had made me blest;But she, like me, is Sorrow’s child,By sadness dire opprest.“I go to India’s sultry clime,Oh! never to return;Beneath some lone embowering limeWill be thy soldier’s urn.“No kindred spirit there shall weep,Or, pensive musing stray;My image thou alone wilt keep,And Grief’s soft tribute pay.”
“Adieu, sweet girl, a last adieu!We part to meet no more;Adieu to peace, to hope, to you,And to my native shore.
“If fortune had propitious smiled,My love had made me blest;But she, like me, is Sorrow’s child,By sadness dire opprest.
“I go to India’s sultry clime,Oh! never to return;Beneath some lone embowering limeWill be thy soldier’s urn.
“No kindred spirit there shall weep,Or, pensive musing stray;My image thou alone wilt keep,And Grief’s soft tribute pay.”
Oscar, previous to his going to England, with the expectation of being sent to the West Indies, had paid a secret visit to, Woodlawn, to review and bid adieu to every well-known and beloved spot, and had, one morning at early day, inscribed these lines on a window in the root-house, prompted by a tender melancholy he could not resist.
“His love is then unfortunate,” said Adela, pensively, leaning her head upon her hand. “Oh, Oscar! how sad a similtude is there between your fate and mine!” She returned to the house. Mr. and Mrs. Howel (for so we shall in future call Mr. and Mrs. Marlowe, that name being only assumed while her husband had a prospect of inheriting his uncle’s fortune) had consented to stay some time with her. Oscar’s lines ran in her head the whole day; and in the evening she again stole out to read them.
She had been absent some time, when Mrs. Howel came out to her. Adela blushed and started at being caught at the window. “’Tis a long time, my dear Adela,” said Mrs. Howel, “since we had a ramble in this delightful garden together. Indulge me in taking one, and let us talk of past times.” "Past times,” cried Adela, with a faint smile, “are not always the pleasantest to talk about.” “There are some, at least one friend,” cried Mrs. Howel, “whom you have not yet inquired after.” Adela’s heart suddenly palpitated; she guessed who that one friend was. “Oscar Fitzalan, surely,” continued Mrs. Howel, “merits an inquiry. I have good news to tell you of him; therefore, without chiding you for any seeming neglect, I will reveal it.” She accordingly related his late reverse of situation. Adela heard her with deep attention. “Since fortune, then, is propitious at last,” cried she, “his love will no longer be unfortunate.” “’Tis time, indeed,” said Mrs. Howel, looking at her with pleasure, “that love, so pure, so constant as his, should be rewarded. Oh! Adela,” she continued, suddenly taking her hand, “sweet daughter of my care, how great is my happiness at this moment, to think of that about to be your portion.” “My happiness!” exclaimed Adela in a dejected voice. “Yes,” replied Mrs. Howel, “in your union with a man every way worthy of possessing you; a man who, from the first moment he beheld you, has never ceased to love—in short, with Oscar Fitzalan himself.” “Impossible!” cried Adela, trembling with emotion as she spoke. “Did not—how humiliating is the remembrance—did not Oscar Fitzalan reject me, when the too generous and romantic spirit of my beloved father offered my hand to his acceptance?” “For once,” said Mrs. Howel, “I must disturb the sacred ashes of the dead to prevent the innocent from being unhappy. Oh! Adela, you were cruelly deceived: and the moment which gave you to Belgrave, rendered Oscar the most wretched of mankind. My heart was the repository of all his griefs, and how many are the bitter tears I have shed over them! Be composed,” continued she, seeing Adela’s agitation, “and a few moments will explain everything to you.” She then led her back to the root-house,and in a most explicit manner informed her of Belgrave’s treachery. Adela burst into tears as she concluded. She wept on Mrs. Howel’s bosom, and acknowledged she had removed a weight of uneasiness from her mind. “Poor Oscar!” she continued, “how much would the knowledge of his misery have aggravated mine!” “He acted nobly,” said Mrs. Howel, “in concealing it; and amply will he be rewarded for such conduct.” She then proceeded to inform Adela that she soon expected a visit from him. There was something in her look and manner which instantly excited the suspicion of Adela, who, blushing, starting, trembling, exclaimed—"He is already come!” Mrs. Howel smiled, and a tear fell from her upon the soft hand of Adela. “He is already come,” she repeated, “and he waits, oh! how impatiently, to behold his Adela.”
We may believe his patience was not put to a much longer test. But when Adela in reality beheld him as she entered the parlor where she had left Mr. Howel, and where he waited for the reappearance of her friend, she sunk beneath her emotion, upon that faithful bosom which had so long suffered the most excruciating pangs on her account; and it was many minutes ere she was sensible of the soft voice of Oscar. Oh! who shall paint his transports, after all his sufferings, to be thus rewarded! But in the midst of his happiness, the idea of the poor general, who had so generously planned it, struck upon his heart with a pang of sorrow. “Oh, my Adela!” he cried, clasping her to his heart, as if doubly endeared by the remembrance, “is Oscar at last permitted to pour forth the fulness of his soul before you, to reveal its tenderness, to indulge the hope of calling you his—a hope which affords the delightful prospect of being able to contribute to your felicity?” “Yes, most generous of friends!” he exclaimed, raising his eyes to a picture of the general, “I will endeavor to evince my gratitude to you by my conduct to your child.” Oh! how did the tear he shed to the memory of her father interest the heart of Adela! her own fell with it, and she felt that the presence of that being to whom they were consecrated was alone wanting to complete their happiness. It was long ere she was sufficiently composed to inquire the reason of Oscar’s sudden appearance, and still longer ere he could inform her. Mrs. Marlowe’s melancholy letter, he at last said, had brought him over, with the hope of being able to cheer her solitude, and also, he acknowledged, his own dejection, by mutual sympathy; from her cottage he had been directed to Woodlawn, and at Woodlawn received particulars, not only of her happiness, buthis own. Adela, who had never yet deviated from propriety, would not now infringe it, and resolutely determined, till the expiration of her mourning, not to bestow her hand on Oscar; but permitted him to hope, that in the intervening space, most of his time might be devoted to her. It was necessary, however, to sanction that hope by having proper society. She could not flatter herself with much longer retaining Mr. and Mrs. Howel, as the latter particularly was impatient to behold her son. Oscar therefore requested, and obtained permission from Adela, to write in her name to Lord and Lady Cherbury, and entreat their company at Woodlawn, promising she would then accompany them to Castle Carberry, and from thence to Dunreath Abbey, a tour which, previous to Oscar’s leaving Wales, had been agreed on. The invitation was accepted, and in a few days Oscar beheld the two beings most valued by him in the world introduced to each other. Tears of rapture started to his eyes, as he saw his Adela folded to the bosom of his lovely sister, who called her the sweet restorer of her brother’s happiness! Lord Cherbury was already acquainted with her, and, next to his Amanda, considered her the loveliest of human beings; and Lady Martha and Lady Araminta, who were also invited to Woodlawn, regarded her in the same light. A few days after their arrival Mrs. Howel prepared for her departure. Adela, who considered her as a second mother, could not behold those preparations without tears of real regret. “Oh, my Adela!” she exclaimed, “these tears flatter, yet distress me. I am pleased to think the child of my care regards me with such affection, but I am hurt to think she should consider my loss such an affliction. Oh, my child! may the endearments of the friends who surround you steal from you all painful remembrances! nature calls me from you; I sigh to behold my child; I sigh,” she continued, with eyes suffused in tears, “to behold the precious earth which holds another.”
About three weeks after her departure the whole party proceeded to Castle Carberry. Amanda could not re-enter it without emotions of the most painful nature. She recollected the moment in which she had quitted it, oppressed with sorrow and sickness, and to attend the closing period of a father’s life. She wept, sighed to think, that the happiness he had prayed for he could not behold. Lord Cherbury saw her emotions, and soothed them with the softest tenderness; it was due to that tenderness to conquer her dejection, and in future the remembrance of her father was only attended with a pleasing melancholy. She did not delay visiting the convent. The goodnatured nuns crowded around her, and cried, laughed, and wished her joy, almost in the same moment; particularly Sister Mary. The prioress’s pleasure was of a less violent, but more affecting nature. An almost constant scene of gayety was kept up at the Castle, a gayety, however, which did not prevent Lord and Lady Cherbury from inspecting into the situation of their poor tenants, whose wants they relieved, whose grievances they redressed, and whose hearts they cheered, by a promise of spending some months in every year at the Castle. After continuing at it six weeks, they crossed over to Port-Patrick, and from thence proceeded to Dunreath Abbey, which had been completely repaired, and furnished in a style equally modern and elegant; and here it was determined they should remain till the solemnization of Lord Dunreath’s nuptials. The time which intervened till the period appointed for them was agreeably diversified by parties amongst the neighboring families, and excursions about the country; but no hours were happier than those which the inhabitants of the Abbey passed when free from company, so truly were they united to each other by affection. Lord Dunreath, soon after his return, waited upon the Marquis of Roslin, and, by his sister’s desire, signified to him that if a visit from her would be agreeable to the marquis she would pay it. This, however, was declined; and about the same period Lady Dunreath died. Mrs. Bruce, whom from long habit she was attached to, then retired to another part of Scotland, ashamed to remain where her conduct was known—a conduct which deeply affected her niece, whom Amanda visited immediately after her arrival, and found settled in a neat house near the town she had lodged in. She received Lady Cherbury with every demonstration of real pleasure, and both she and her little girls spent some time with her at the Abbey.
The happy period for completing the felicity of Oscar at last arrived. In the chapel where his parents were united, he received from the hand of Lord Cherbury the lovely object of his long-tried affections. The ceremony was only witnessed by his own particular friends; but at dinner all the neighboring families were assembled, and the tenants were entertained in the great hall, where dancing commenced at an early and was continued till a late hour.
And now having (to use the words of Adam) brought our story to the sum of earthly bliss, we shall conclude, first giving a brief account of the characters connected with it.
Lady Greystock, as one of the most distinguished, we shallfirst mention. After the death of Lady Euphrasia, she found her company no longer desired at the marquis’s, and accordingly repaired to Bath. Here she had not been long ere she became acquainted with a set of female Puritans, who soon wrought a total change (I will not say a reformation) in her ladyship’s sentiments; and to give a convincing proof of this change, she was prevailed on to give her hand to one of their spruce young preachers, who shortly taught her, what indeed she had long wanted to learn, the doctrine of repentance; for most sincerely did she repent putting herself into his power. Vexation, disappointment, and grief, brought on a lingering illness, from which she never recovered. When convinced she was dying, she sent for Rushbrook, and made a full confession of her treachery and injustice to him, in consequence of which he took immediate possession of his uncle’s fortune; and thus, in the evening of his life, enjoyed a full recompense for the trials of its early period. Lady Greystock died with some degree of satisfaction at the idea of disappointing her husband of the fortune she was convinced he had married her for.
Mrs. Howel, after visiting her son, retired to her husband’s cottage, where their days glide on in a kind of pleasing melancholy. The happiness of that son, and his Emily, is as perfect as happiness can be in this sublunary state.
Sir Charles Bingley, after studiously avoiding Lord and Lady Cherbury for above two years, at last, by chance, was thrown in their way, and then had the pleasure of finding he was not so agitated by the sight of Amanda as he had dreaded. He did not refuse the invitations of Lord Cherbury. The domestic happiness he saw him enjoying, rendered his own unconnected and wandering life more unpleasant than ever to him. Lady Araminta Dormer was almost constantly in his company. No longer fascinated by Amanda, he could now see and admire her perfections. He soon made known his admiration. The declaration was not ungraciously received, and he offered his hand, and was accepted—an acceptance which put him in possession of happiness fully equal to Lord Cherbury’s.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Roslin pass their days in gloomy retirement, regretful of the past and hopeless of the future. Freelove flutters about every public place, boasts of having carried off a Scotch heiress, and thinks, from that circumstance, he may now lay siege to any female heart with a certainty of being successful.
To return once more to the sweet descendants of the Dunreath family. The goodness of heart, the simplicity of mannerswhich ever distinguished them, they still retain. From having been children of sorrow themselves, they feel for all who come under that denomination, and their charity is at once bestowed as a tribute from gratitude to Heaven, and from humanity to want; from gratitude to that Being who watched their unsheltered youth, who guarded them through innumerable perils, who placed them on the summit of prosperity, from whence, by dispensing his gifts around, they trust to be translated to a still greater height of happiness. Lady Dunreath’s wish is fulfilled. To use her words, their past sorrows are only remembered to teach them pity for the woes of others. Their virtues have added to the renown of their ancestors, and entailed peace upon their own souls. Their children, by all connected with them, are considered as blessings. Gratitude has already consecrated their names, and their example inspires others with emulation to pursue their courses.
The End
TRANSCRIBER NOTES:Printing errors have been corrected as noted below. Punctuation errors have been corrected without note.The Table of Contents has been added as an aid to the reader.Page 47: persued => perused (to her great surprise, perused the following lines).Page 67: assurdly => assuredly ("Most assuredly, my lord,")Page 83: iradiated => irradiated (it irradiated the gloomy morning of care,).Page 112: siezed => seized (an universal tremor seized her;).Page 163: pelieved => believed (They were all, for her part, she believed, alike;).Page 195: window => widow (A good jointure devolved to his widow,).Page 204: desirious => desirous (which she was desirous of concealing).Page 209: malignaney => malignancy (and Lady Euphrasia regarded her with peculiar malignancy).Page 219: predeilction => predilection (without any longer appearing anxious to conceal his predilection for her.)Page 219: suid => said ("Ah, you young people," said Lady Greystock).Page 222: suspicionof => suspicion of (and confusion of her face gave at least a suspicion of the language).Page 253: re-remove => remove (in hopes the amusement would remove her dejection.)Page 263: Fitzallan => Fitzalan ("I do declare, Miss Fitzalan,").Page 274: not => nor (Neither the world nor I am so credulous as you imagine.)Page 298: rerevive => revive (and called upon her to revive, that heart whispered me it was cruelty to wish she should).Page 309: to to => to (however, to his lordship).Page 310: flutered => fluttered (and the birds, as they fluttered from spray to spray).Page 323: villanous => villainous (when he found they not only resisted but resented his villainous designs.)Page 325: of of => of (attentions of Lord Mortimer).Page 327: far => for (she related the incident, and took much merit to herself for acting so prudently.)Page 341: tittle => title (surely I may be esteemed as a friend, and with such a title I will be contented).Page 357: t��te-��-t��te => tete-��-tete for consistency (to be indulged in atete-��-tetein Lady Martha's dressing-room.)Page 358: everwhelm => overwhelm (thrown back upon her, perhaps, to overwhelm me also by its weight.)Page 362: he => be (because I know I should not be pardoned by a certain person).Page 378: perfidous => perfidious (the creuel, perfidious Cherbury).Page 387: thev => they (and may they never again meet with such interruptions as they have received).Page 395: replyed => replied (She replied she would attend her directly).Page 402: be => he (as if there was something on his mind he wanted courage to say.)Page 404: assseveration => asseveration (She was well convinced he would believe no asseveration of her innocence.)Page 415: stoped => stopped (She suddenly stopped before one.)Page 441: own => renown (May your virtues add to the renown of your ancestors).Page 467: biassed => biased (it was probable she might be biased.)Page 497: as => at (Amanda soon found herself at the end of her little journey.)Page 513: ...he has languished many months." "Oh, my brother!" exclaimed Amanda, while for tears gushed from her. => ...he has languished for many months." "Oh, my brother!" exclaimed Amanda, while tears gushed from her.Page 546: delighful => delightful (no delightful idea of being able to make reparation for my injustice).Page 557: to to => to (He desired Oscar to make no secret of his now being heir).Page 558: not = nor (Neither grief nor business could banish it a moment).Page 558: augumentation => augmentation (Is it not an augmentation of my misery?)Page 569: toubt => doubt (and what trials they had undergone, no doubt, to prove their constancy).Page 574: behold => beheld (when suddenly she beheld a form rising from a neighboring grave.)Page 583: proceeeded => proceeded (they crossed over to Port-Patrick, and from thence proceeded to Dunreath Abbey).Page 584: aud => and (rendered his own unconnected and wandering life more unpleasant than ever to him.)
TRANSCRIBER NOTES:
Printing errors have been corrected as noted below. Punctuation errors have been corrected without note.
The Table of Contents has been added as an aid to the reader.
Page 47: persued => perused (to her great surprise, perused the following lines).
Page 67: assurdly => assuredly ("Most assuredly, my lord,")
Page 83: iradiated => irradiated (it irradiated the gloomy morning of care,).
Page 112: siezed => seized (an universal tremor seized her;).
Page 163: pelieved => believed (They were all, for her part, she believed, alike;).
Page 195: window => widow (A good jointure devolved to his widow,).
Page 204: desirious => desirous (which she was desirous of concealing).
Page 209: malignaney => malignancy (and Lady Euphrasia regarded her with peculiar malignancy).
Page 219: predeilction => predilection (without any longer appearing anxious to conceal his predilection for her.)
Page 219: suid => said ("Ah, you young people," said Lady Greystock).
Page 222: suspicionof => suspicion of (and confusion of her face gave at least a suspicion of the language).
Page 253: re-remove => remove (in hopes the amusement would remove her dejection.)
Page 263: Fitzallan => Fitzalan ("I do declare, Miss Fitzalan,").
Page 274: not => nor (Neither the world nor I am so credulous as you imagine.)
Page 298: rerevive => revive (and called upon her to revive, that heart whispered me it was cruelty to wish she should).
Page 309: to to => to (however, to his lordship).
Page 310: flutered => fluttered (and the birds, as they fluttered from spray to spray).
Page 323: villanous => villainous (when he found they not only resisted but resented his villainous designs.)
Page 325: of of => of (attentions of Lord Mortimer).
Page 327: far => for (she related the incident, and took much merit to herself for acting so prudently.)
Page 341: tittle => title (surely I may be esteemed as a friend, and with such a title I will be contented).
Page 357: t��te-��-t��te => tete-��-tete for consistency (to be indulged in atete-��-tetein Lady Martha's dressing-room.)
Page 358: everwhelm => overwhelm (thrown back upon her, perhaps, to overwhelm me also by its weight.)
Page 362: he => be (because I know I should not be pardoned by a certain person).
Page 378: perfidous => perfidious (the creuel, perfidious Cherbury).
Page 387: thev => they (and may they never again meet with such interruptions as they have received).
Page 395: replyed => replied (She replied she would attend her directly).
Page 402: be => he (as if there was something on his mind he wanted courage to say.)
Page 404: assseveration => asseveration (She was well convinced he would believe no asseveration of her innocence.)
Page 415: stoped => stopped (She suddenly stopped before one.)
Page 441: own => renown (May your virtues add to the renown of your ancestors).
Page 467: biassed => biased (it was probable she might be biased.)
Page 497: as => at (Amanda soon found herself at the end of her little journey.)
Page 513: ...he has languished many months." "Oh, my brother!" exclaimed Amanda, while for tears gushed from her. => ...he has languished for many months." "Oh, my brother!" exclaimed Amanda, while tears gushed from her.
Page 546: delighful => delightful (no delightful idea of being able to make reparation for my injustice).
Page 557: to to => to (He desired Oscar to make no secret of his now being heir).
Page 558: not = nor (Neither grief nor business could banish it a moment).
Page 558: augumentation => augmentation (Is it not an augmentation of my misery?)
Page 569: toubt => doubt (and what trials they had undergone, no doubt, to prove their constancy).
Page 574: behold => beheld (when suddenly she beheld a form rising from a neighboring grave.)
Page 583: proceeeded => proceeded (they crossed over to Port-Patrick, and from thence proceeded to Dunreath Abbey).
Page 584: aud => and (rendered his own unconnected and wandering life more unpleasant than ever to him.)