A Righted Wrong: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3)Yates, Edmund
General
A Righted Wrong: A Novel. Volume 2 (of 3)
Yates, Edmund
Fiction
"No one that I know anything about; there is a cousin of papa's--much
younger than papa, he is--who got into trouble, and they sent him out
there; but none of us ever saw him, and I don't know what has become
of him. I don't even know his name rightly; it is something like
Oldham, or Otway, or Oakley."
"How do you feel, Madge? are you sure you are equal to this business?"
said Lady Davyntry to Margaret, as she came into her sister-in-law's
room on the morning of Haldane's marriage. "Haldane is walking about
the hall in the most horrid temper, your father is lingering over the
last importation of bats, as if he were bidding them an eternal
farewell, and the carriage is just coming round, so I thought I would
come and look after you two. I felt sure you would be with the child.
What a shame not to bring her to the wedding!--Isn't it, Gerty?" and
Lady Davyntry, looking very handsome and stately in her brave attire,
took the little girl out of her mother's arms, and paused for a reply.
Margaret was quite ready. She was very well, she said, and felt quite
equal to the wedding festivities.
"That's right; I like weddings, when one isn't a principal; they are
very pleasant. How pale you are, Margaret! Are you really quite well?"
"She is really quite well," said Mr. Baldwin; "don't worry her,
Eleanor."
The slightest look of surprise came into Eleanor's sweet-tempered
face, but it passed away in a moment, and they all went down to the
hall, where Margaret received many compliments from her father on her
dress and appearance, and where Haldane on seeing them first assumed a
foolish expression of countenance, which he wore permanently for the
rest of the day.
The carriages were announced. Margaret and her husband, Lady Davyntry
and Mr. Carteret, were to occupy one; the other was to convey Haldane,
Hayes Meredith and his son, and James Dugdale.
"Where is James?" asked Mr. Carteret. "I have not seen him this
morning."
Nobody had seen him but Haldane, who explained that he had preferred
walking on to the church.
"Just like him," said Haldane, "he is such an odd fellow; only fancy
his asking me to get him off appearing at breakfast. Could not stand
it, he said, and was sure he would never be missed. Of course I said
he must have his own way, though I couldn't make him out. He could
stand Margaret's wedding well enough."
The last day of Margaret's stay at Chayleigh had arrived. All
arrangements had been made for the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin
and Mr. Carteret. An extraordinary event was about to take place in
the life of the tranquil old gentleman. He was about to be separated
from the collection for an indefinite period, and taken to the Deane,
a place whose much-talked-of splendours he had never even experienced
a desire to behold, having been perfectly comfortable in the knowledge
that they existed and were enjoyed by his daughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account