John Inglesant: A Romance (Volume 1 of 2)Shorthouse, J. H. (Joseph Henry)
History
John Inglesant: A Romance (Volume 1 of 2)
Shorthouse, J. H. (Joseph Henry)
Great Britain -- History -- Charles I, 1625-1649 -- Fiction; Religious fiction
She did not reply, and Inglesant, who found his situation far more
awkward than before, said, "Shall I seek for Lady Cardiff, madam, and
bring her to you?"
"No, don’t leave me, Mr. Inglesant," she said, springing up and coming
to him; "I shall bless your name for ever for what you have done for me
this day."
Inglesant stayed with the lady until it was plain Lord H—— had left the
house with his servants, and he then left her and went into the garden
to endeavour to find his brother and Lady Cardiff; but in this he was
not successful, and returned to the house, where he ordered some
dinner—for he had eaten nothing since the morning—and seated himself at
the window to wait for Sir Richard. He had sat there about an hour when
the latter arrived, and drew his rein before the house before
dismounting. Inglesant greeted him and went out to him in the porch.
Fentham returned his greeting warmly.
"Your wife is upstairs, Sir Richard," Inglesant said; "she came down
with Lady Isabella Thynne, and is waiting for her to take her back."
Fentham left his horse with the servant and ran upstairs straight to his
wife, and as Inglesant followed him into the house he met Lady Cardiff
and his brother, who came in from the garden. Eustace Inglesant was
radiant, and introduced Lady Cardiff to his brother as his future wife.
He took them into a private room, and called for wine and cakes. Johnny
thought it best not to tell them what had occurred, but merely said that
Sir Richard and his wife were upstairs; upon which Eustace sent a
servant up with his compliments, asking them to come and join them.
Both Lady Cardiff and Eustace appeared conscious, however, that some
blame attached to them, for they expressed great surprise at the absence
of Lady Isabella, and took pains to inform Johnny that they had left
Lady Fentham with her, and had no idea she was going away. Sir Richard
and Lady Fentham joined the party, and appeared composed and happy, and
they had not sat long before Lady Isabella’s coach appeared before the
door, and her ladyship came in. The ladies returned to Oxford in the
coach, and the gentlemen on horseback. Nothing was said by the latter
as to what had occurred until after they had left Eustace at his
lodgings, and Johnny was parting with Fentham at the door of Lord
Falkland, to whom he was going. Then Sir Richard said,—
"Mr. Inglesant, my wife has told me all, and has told me that she owes
everything to you, even to this last blessing, that there is no secret
between us. I beg you to believe two things,—first, that nothing I can
do or say can ever repay the obligation that I owe to you; secondly,
that the blame of this matter rests mostly with me, in that I have left
my wife too much."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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