For whose sake?: A sequel to "Why did he wed her?"Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
For whose sake?: A sequel to "Why did he wed her?"
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
Bigamy -- Fiction; England -- Fiction; Impostors and imposture -- Fiction
“I thank you, sir. I am sure that is the highest praise you could give
me. I hope it is true,” gallantly replied Ran.
Servants were at hand to show the guests to their apartments.
Mike did the honors to his father, and accompanied him to the apartments
prepared for him.
Judy attended Palma to the beautiful suit of rooms that had been fitted
up for Mr. and Mrs. Stuart and their children.
There Judy for the first time made acquaintance with Palma’s lovely
children, whom she found already on the nursery cot, asleep and attended
by the faithful Hatty.
“Why, when did these beauties come? Why have I not seen them before?”
demanded Judy.
“They came in the second carriage with Hatty and Josias. I would trust
them with those two as confidently as with myself and their father,”
replied Palma.
“And I was so taken by surprise at the sudden meeting with my father
that I forgot even to inquire after the darlings! I beg your little
pardons!” said Judy, kneeling by the side of the children’s cot and
kissing their sleeping faces.
At dinner the newly arrived visitors met the Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell,
who had been invited to meet them. Jennie—the Countess Dowager of
Engelmeed—being in deep mourning for her husband, did not go out or
receive visitors.
A week of idleness on the part of all the family followed at Haymore
Hall.
After that questions of importance were taken up.
It was decided that The O’Melaghlin, with Mr. and Mrs. Hay and Mr. and
Mrs. Stuart and Mike, should set out on an excursion to Arghalee Castle
and find lodging at Arghalee Arms, and from that vantage point
investigate the ancient ruins and see what could be done toward the
successful restoration of the castle, also open negotiations with the
duke’s legal steward if possible to repurchase all the land that had
once constituted the Arghalee estate.
All this was happily effected in the course of a few months—for The
O’Melaghlin stopped at nothing in his eager desire to restore the
ancient magnificence and splendor of his house; and so he paid twice the
worth of the land to get it back, and fabulous sums to the antiquaries
and architects to restore the castle and the chapel in all their
pristine strength and glory.
The Stuarts remained at Haymore until the last of the summer and then
bade affectionate adieus to the Hays and returned to Virginia.
This was the first of many visits, which the Hays often returned.
That autumn Mike was entered as Michael O’Melaghlin, master of Arghalee,
in one of the best preparatory colleges in Glasgow.
That winter, when “Burke’s Landed Gentry” appeared, under the name of
Hay it contained this item:
Hay, Randolph, born January 1, 185—, succeeded his father March 1,
187—, married December 2, 187—, Judith, only daughter of Michael, The
O’Melaghlin, Chief of Arghalee, Antrim.
And the anxious soul of Will Walling, when he received a copy of the
book with the marked passage, was entirely satisfied.
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