VOLUME I CHAPTER I .
A BOARDING SCHOOL .
“ ARE you for a walk , ” said Montraville to his companion , as they arose from table ; “ are you for a walk ?
or shall we order the chaise and proceed to Portsmouth ? ”
Belcour preferred the former ; and they sauntered out to view the town , and to make remarks on the inhabitants , as they returned from church .
Montraville was a Lieutenant in the army : Belcour was his brother officer : they had been to take leave of their friends previous to their departure for America , and were now returning to Portsmouth , where the troops waited orders for embarkation .
They had stopped at Chichester to dine ; and knowing they had sufficient time to reach the place of destination before dark , and yet allow them a walk , had resolved , it being Sunday afternoon , to take a survey of the Chichester ladies as they returned from their devotions .
They had gratified their curiosity , and were preparing to return to the inn without honouring any of the belles with particular notice , when Madame Du Pont , at the head of her school , descended from the church .
Such an assemblage of youth and innocence naturally attracted the young soldiers : they stopped ; and , as the little cavalcade passed , almost involuntarily pulled off their hats .
A tall , elegant girl looked at Montraville and blushed : he instantly recollected the features of Charlotte Temple , whom he had once seen and danced with at a ball at Portsmouth .
At that time he thought on her only as a very lovely child , she being then only thirteen ; but the improvement two years had made in her person , and the blush of recollection which suffused her cheeks as she passed , awakened in his bosom new and pleasing ideas .
Vanity led him to think that pleasure at again beholding him might have occasioned the emotion he had witnessed , and the same vanity led him to wish to see her again .
“ She is the sweetest girl in the world , ” said he , as he entered the inn .
Belcour stared .
“ Did you not notice her ? ” continued Montraville : “ she had on a blue bonnet , and with a pair of lovely eyes of the same colour , has contrived to make me feel devilish odd about the heart . ”
“ Pho , ” said Belcour , “ a musket ball from our friends , the Americans , may in less than two months make you feel worse . ”
“ I never think of the future , ” replied Montraville ; “ but am determined to make the most of the present , and would willingly compound with any kind Familiar who would inform me who the girl is , and how I might be likely to obtain an interview . ”
But no kind Familiar at that time appearing , and the chaise which they had ordered , driving up to the door , Montraville and his companion were obliged to take leave of Chichester and its fair inhabitant , and proceed on their journey .
But Charlotte had made too great an impression on his mind to be easily eradicated : having therefore spent three whole days in thinking on her and in endeavouring to form some plan for seeing her , he determined to set off for Chichester , and trust to chance either to favour or frustrate his designs .
Arriving at the verge of the town , he dismounted , and sending the servant forward with the horses , proceeded toward the place , where , in the midst of an extensive pleasure ground , stood the mansion which contained the lovely Charlotte Temple .
Montraville leaned on a broken gate , and looked earnestly at the house .
The wall which surrounded it was high , and perhaps the Argus ’s who guarded the Hesperian fruit within , were more watchful than those famed of old .
“‘ Tis a romantic attempt , ” said he ; “ and should I even succeed in seeing and conversing with her , it can be productive of no good : I must of necessity leave England in a few days , and probably may never return ; why then should I endeavour to engage the affections of this lovely girl , only to leave her a prey to a thousand inquietudes , of which at present she has no idea ?
I will return to Portsmouth and think no more about her . ”
The evening now was closed ; a serene stillness reigned ; and the chaste Queen of Night with her silver crescent faintly illuminated the hemisphere .
The mind of Montraville was hushed into composure by the serenity of the surrounding objects .
“ I will think on her no more , ” said he , and turned with an intention to leave the place ; but as he turned , he saw the gate which led to the pleasure grounds open , and two women come out , who walked arm-in-arm across the field .
“ I will at least see who these are , ” said he .
He overtook them , and giving them the compliments of the evening , begged leave to see them into the more frequented parts of the town : but how was he delighted , when , waiting for an answer , he discovered , under the concealment of a large bonnet , the face of Charlotte Temple .
He soon found means to ingratiate himself with her companion , who was a French teacher at the school , and , at parting , slipped a letter he had purposely written , into Charlotte ’s hand , and five guineas into that of Mademoiselle , who promised she would endeavour to bring her young charge into the field again the next evening .
CHAPTER II .
DOMESTIC CONCERNS .
MR. Temple was the youngest son of a nobleman whose fortune was by no means adequate to the antiquity , grandeur , and I may add , pride of the family .
He saw his elder brother made completely wretched by marrying a disagreeable woman , whose fortune helped to prop the sinking dignity of the house ; and he beheld his sisters legally prostituted to old , decrepid men , whose titles gave them consequence in the eyes of the world , and whose affluence rendered them splendidly miserable .
“ I will not sacrifice internal happiness for outward shew , ” said he : “ I will seek Content ; and , if I find her in a cottage , will embrace her with as much cordiality as I should if seated on a throne . ”
Mr. Temple possessed a small estate of about five hundred pounds a year ; and with that he resolved to preserve independence , to marry where the feelings of his heart should direct him , and to confine his expenses within the limits of his income .
He had a heart open to every generous feeling of humanity , and a hand ready to dispense to those who wanted part of the blessings he enjoyed himself .
As he was universally known to be the friend of the unfortunate , his advice and bounty was frequently solicited ; nor was it seldom that he sought out indigent merit , and raised it from obscurity , confining his own expenses within a very narrow compass .
“ You are a benevolent fellow , ” said a young officer to him one day ; “ and I have a great mind to give you a fine subject to exercise the goodness of your heart upon . ”
“ You can not oblige me more , ” said Temple , “ than to point out any way by which I can be serviceable to my fellow creatures . ”
“ Come along then , ” said the young man , “ we will go and visit a man who is not in so good a lodging as he deserves ; and , were it not that he has an angel with him , who comforts and supports him , he must long since have sunk under his misfortunes . ”
The young man ’s heart was too full to proceed ; and Temple , unwilling to irritate his feelings by making further enquiries , followed him in silence , til they arrived at the Fleet prison .
The officer enquired for Captain Eldridge : a person led them up several pair of dirty stairs , and pointing to a door which led to a miserable , small apartment , said that was the Captain ’s room , and retired .
The officer , whose name was Blakeney , tapped at the door , and was bid to enter by a voice melodiously soft .
He opened the door , and discovered to Temple a scene which rivetted him to the spot with astonishment .
The apartment , though small , and bearing strong marks of poverty , was neat in the extreme .
In an arm-chair , his head reclined upon his hand , his eyes fixed on a book which lay open before him , sat an aged man in a Lieutenant ’s uniform , which , though threadbare , would sooner call a blush of shame into the face of those who could neglect real merit , than cause the hectic of confusion to glow on the cheeks of him who wore it .
Beside him sat a lovely creature busied in painting a fan mount .
She was fair as the lily , but sorrow had nipped the rose in her cheek before it was half blown .
Her eyes were blue ; and her hair , which was light brown , was slightly confined under a plain muslin cap , tied round with a black ribbon ; a white linen gown and plain lawn handkerchief composed the remainder of her dress ; and in this simple attire , she was more irresistibly charming to such a heart as Temple ’s , than she would have been , if adorned with all the splendor of a courtly belle .
When they entered , the old man arose from his seat , and shaking Blakeney by the hand with great cordiality , offered Temple his chair ; and there being but three in the room , seated himself on the side of his little bed with evident composure .
“ This is a strange place , ” said he to Temple , “ to receive visitors of distinction in ; but we must fit our feelings to our station .
While I am not ashamed to own the cause which brought me here , why should I blush at my situation ?
Our misfortunes are not our faults ; and were it not for that poor girl -- ” Here the philosopher was lost in the father .
He rose hastily from his seat , and walking toward the window , wiped off a tear which he was afraid would tarnish the cheek of a sailor .
Temple cast his eye on Miss Eldridge : a pellucid drop had stolen from her eyes , and fallen upon a rose she was painting .
It blotted and discoloured the flower .
“‘ Tis emblematic , ” said he mentally : “ the rose of youth and health soon fades when watered by the tear of affliction . ”
“ My friend Blakeney , ” said he , addressing the old man , “ told me I could be of service to you : be so kind then , dear Sir , as to point out some way in which I can relieve the anxiety of your heart and increase the pleasures of my own . ”