Emmeline, the Orphan of the CastleSmith, Charlotte
General
Emmeline, the Orphan of the Castle
Smith, Charlotte
Gothic fiction; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction; Marriage -- Fiction; Single women -- Fiction
Emmeline, whose command of herself was exerted with too much violence
not to shake her whole frame with it's effects, no sooner reached her
own chamber than she found all her courage gone, and a violent passion
of tears succeeded.
Her deep convulsive sighs reached the ears of Miss Galton; who entered
the room, and began, in the common mode of consolation, first to enquire
why she wept?
Emmeline answered only by weeping the more.
Miss Galton enquired if that gentleman was Lord Montreville.
Emmeline was unable to reply; and Miss Galton finding no gratification
to her curiosity, which, mingled with envious malignity, had long been
her ruling passion, was obliged to quit the unhappy Emmeline; which was
indeed the only favour she could do her.
The whole morning had passed before Miss Mowbray was able to come down
stairs, and when she did, her languor and dejection were excessive. Miss
Galton only dined with her; if it might be called dining, for she eat
nothing; but just as the cloth was removed, a coach stopped, and Mrs.
Ashwood appeared, led by her brother, Mr. Stafford.
Emmeline, who had not very lately heard from her beloved friend, now
eagerly enquired after her, and learned that the illness of one of her
children had, together with her being far advanced in her pregnancy,
prevented her coming to London with Mr. Stafford; who, tho' summoned
thither immediately on his father's death, had only arrived the evening
before; the messenger that went having missed him at his own house, and
having been obliged to follow him into another county.
He delivered to Miss Mowbray a letter from Mrs. Stafford, with which
Emmeline, eager to read it, retired--
'Trust me, Emmeline, no abatement in my tender regard, has
occasioned my omitting to write to you: but anxiety of mind so
great, as to deprive me of all power to attend to any thing but
it's immediate object.--Your poor little friend Harry, who looked
so much recovered, and so full of health and spirits, when you left
him at Swansea, was three weeks ago seized again with one of those
fevers to which he has so repeatedly been liable, and for many days
his life appeared to be in the most immediate danger. You know how
far we are from a physician; and you know my anxiety for this first
darling of my heart; judge then, my Emmeline, of the miserable
hours I have known, between hope and fear, and the sleepless nights
I have passed at the bed side of my suffering cherub; and in my
present state I doubly feel all this anxiety and fatigue, and am
very much otherwise than well. Of myself, however, I think not,
since Harry is out of danger, and Dr. Farnaby thinks will soon be
entirely restored; but he is still so very weak, that I never quit
him even a moment. The rest of my children are well; and all who
are capable of recollection, remember and love you.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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