Carlos, whom lord Beaudesert, in gratitude for his having twice contributed to save his life, still determined to make his heir. I recalled myself to his lordship's memory by letter, in order to enable him to do justice to the son of my former friend. I transmitted to him, through Montfort, documents that completely established her innocence. The event surpassed our expectations. Once convinced of the identity of Ferdinand Montfort, and the innocence of Sophia, the unfortunate marquis was enabled easily to trace back the labyrinth of perfidy and guilt by which he had been entangled, and he gave me all the particulars, as I have related them to you, on our meeting in Dublin. "When the present lord O'Melvyl became aware of the expectations, and consequent disappointment, of the count di San Carlos, he prevailed with his father to make a very handsome provision for him, as some compensation for this unexpected change in his prospects." ¡VOL. II. C "That That was worthy of O'Melvyl!" exclaimed Geraldine, with a glow of pleased approbation; "I trust the son of Fiorenza may prove as worthy of him, yet I cannot help fearing" "What, Geraldine!" interrupted lady Louisa, hastily, "can you not believe that the offspring of erring parents may be good?" A gleam of painful light shot across the mind of Geraldine: she remembered the mysterious conversation she had heard among the ruins of Kilmallock respecting her family. Every circumstance relating to that shocking scene recurred to her mind. She thought this was the moment to demand a full explanation of it, and, with tremulous emotion, recounted to lady Louisa all that she had then seen and heard. Her ladyship was evidently agitated by the description of the dreadful countenance. She made Geraldine repeat it twice over, and then said to herself" It was he! it could be no other!" Suddenly changing her manner, her lips trembled, her eyes flashed flashed fire." Never, I adjure you, Geraldine," she said, "speak to me on that subject again; your happiness is all I desire, and I shall yet secure it, if you do not, by your own wilful folly, traverse my design. Be satisfied, and inquire no more!" Lady Louisa rose in great emotion, took two or three turns up and down the room, and then, as if desirous to banish from Geraldine's mind the too great earnestness of her expression, reverted to the previous subject of their conversation, and said, with a constrained smile-"You have made quite a novelist of me, GeraldineI don't think I ever told so long a story in life." my "The novel is still somewhat deficient in one ingredient," answered Geraldine, endeavouring, though timidly, to catch her friend's spirit of gaiety. "Indeed, and what ingredient may that be?" "Love!" replied Geraldine, blushing. "Love! you little unconscionable gip sy! have not I given you, in the space of one history, the loves of the fair Fiorenza and the unfortunate Sophia ?" "I can imagine another," Geraldine resumed. "Well, then," said lady Louisa, gaily, "let us see your roman.” "There were difficulties in the way, and prejudices to be removed," Miss Southwell continued, "which a common acquaintance would hardly have dared to touch upon, but which an influence more powerful has obviated. My idea is, that, before he devoted himself either to Sophia or Fiorenza, Montfort would willingly have become attached to a much superior woman, and that, though repulsed at the time, he was destined to acknowledge her ascendancy to the latest period of his life." Lady Louisa looked earnestly at Geraldine, as if she would have penetrated whether mere accident dictated this random conjecture; then complimenting her upon her powers of divination, she avail ed ed herself of a phrase of the French loyalists, which the circumstances of the times had brought that year into fashion, and, laughing off her confusion, exclaimed"Well, et quand même *!" CHAPTER II. Perchè mai Limpido il core in fronte Ah frattanto ben giusto è il mio pianto Ma sicuro pur troppo è il dolor. METASTASIO-Il Trionfo di Clelia. THE next morning the young people formed a party to visit the Scalp. Cobham * "Aimez le roi quand même.”—An expression first introduced during the Vendean war. |
