Volume Iii Part 1 (1/2)
The Widow Barnaby.
by Frances Trollope.
VOL 3.
CHAPTER I.
MRS. BARNABY LOSES HER SENSES, AND RECOVERS THEM.--SHE TAKES A DESPERATE RESOLUTION.--MISS MORRISON PROVES HERSELF A FRIEND IN NEED.--AGNES FINDS CONSOLATION IN SORROW.
Mrs. Barnaby's horror on recovering her senses (for she really did fall into a swoon) was in very just proportion to the extent of the outlay her n.o.ble vision had cost her. To Miss Morrison, who had listened to all her hopes, she scrupled not to manifest her despair, not, however, entering into the financial part of it, but leaving it to be understood by her sympathizing friend, that her agony proceeded wholly from disappointed love.
”What a Lovelace!... what a Lothario!... what a finished deceiver!...
_Keloreur!..._” exclaimed the pitying spinster.... ”And how thankful ought I to be that no man can ever again cause me such terrible emotion.... _Nong jammy!_”
”Gracious Heaven! what is to become of me?” cried Mrs. Barnaby, apparently but little consoled by this a.s.surance of her friend's exemption from a similar misfortune; ”what ought I to do, Miss Morrison?... If I set off instantly for London, do you think I could reach it before he leaves it for Rome?”
Miss Morrison, having turned to the newspaper, examined its date, and read the fatal paragraph again, replied, ”You certainly could, my dear Mrs. Barnaby, if this statement be correct; but I would not do it, if I were you, without thinking very seriously about it.... It is true I never had a lord for a lover myself, but I believe when they run restive, they are exceedingly difficult to hold; and if you do go after him, and fail at last to touch his cruel heart, you will be only worse off than you are now.... _Say clare._”
”That may be all very true in one sense, Miss Morrison,” replied the unhappy widow; ”but there is such a thing as pursuing a man lawfully for breach of promise of marriage, and ... though money is no object to me ... I should glory in getting damages from him, if only to prove to the world that he is a scoundrel!”
”That is quite another thing, indeed,” said the confidant, ”_toot a fay_; and, if you mean to bring an action against him, I am pretty sure that I could be very useful to you; for my brother is an attorney in London, and is reckoned particularly clever about everything of the kind. But have you any proof, my dear lady?... that is what my brother will be sure to say to you.... I know you have had lots of letters; and if you have kept them all, it is most likely my brother may find out something like proof.... _Eel ay see abeel!_”
”Proof?... To be sure I have proof enough, if that's all that's wanted; and I'll go to your brother at once, Miss Morrison, for revenge I'll have ... if nothing else.”
”Then of course you'll take all his love letters with you, Mrs.
Barnaby; and I think, if you would let me look over them, I should be able to tell you whether they would answer the purpose or not.--_Jay me coney ung pew._”
”I should have no objection in the world to your seeing them every one,”
replied the outraged lady; ... ”but I am thinking, Miss Morrison, that I have an immense deal of business to do, and that I shall never get through it without your friendly help ... I am thinking....”
And Mrs. Barnaby was thinking, and very much to the purpose too. She was thinking, that though she had squandered about seventy or eighty pounds in trifling purchases, by far the greater part of the expenses her n.o.ble lover had induced her to run into, were still in the shape of debts, the money with which she proposed to discharge them being as yet paying her interest in the funds. Could she contrive to leave the heaviest of these debts unpaid till she knew the result of her intended attack upon Lord Mucklebury's purse, it would be very convenient. Perhaps some vague notion that she, too, might visit the continent, and thus escape the necessity of paying them at all, might mix itself with her meditations; but at any rate she very speedily decided upon leaving Cheltenham the following day without mentioning her intention to her milliner, mercer, tailor, shoemaker, hosier, perfumer, livery-stable keeper, librarian, or even to her hair-dresser. If she got damages, she should certainly return and pay them all with great _eclat_; if not ... circ.u.mstances must decide what it would be most advisable for her to do.
Great as was her esteem and affection for Miss Morrison, she did not think it necessary to trouble her with all these trifling details, but resumed the conversation by saying,--
”Yes, my dear Miss Morrison, I am thinking that the best thing I can do will be to go to London for a day or two, see your brother, put all my doc.u.ments into his hands, and then return to Cheltenham for the remainder of the season, for I am sure I should be more likely to recover my spirits in your friendly society than anywhere else.”
”Indeed I approve your resolution altogether,” replied Miss Morrison; ”and I will write a line by you to my brother, telling him that whatever he does to a.s.sist you, I shall take as a personal favour to myself.”
”I cannot thank you enough!” said the widow, pressing her hand.... ”We shall be able to get everything ready to-night I hope; and when my coachman comes as usual for orders at eleven o'clock to-morrow morning, tell him, my dear friend, to drive you about wherever you like to go....
And you may mention, if you please, that I shall want him to take us a long drive on Sat.u.r.day to see the Roman Pavement.... I mean to return on Friday night ... for what will be the use, you know, of my staying in town?”
”None in the world ... but I think you had better name Monday for the drive ... for fear you should be too tired on Sat.u.r.day.”
”Well, just as you please about that ... but you had better go and write your letter, and I'll speak to Agnes and my maid about packing.”
”Perhaps you will not like to take Miss Willoughby.... I will take the greatest care of her, if you will leave her in my charge.”