were the indulgence of a less commendable spirit, it was an indulgence
chastened by a taste and judgment that lessened the danger, if it did
not entirely remove it.
The room was filled with gentlemen and ladies; and while John was
exchanging his greetings with several of the neighboring gentry of his
acquaintance, his sisters were running hastily over a catalogue of the
books kept for circulation, as an elderly lady, of foreign accent and
dress, entered; and depositing a couple of religious works on the
counter, she inquired for the remainder of the set. The peculiarity of
her idiom and her proximity to the sisters caused them both to look up
at the moment, and, to the surprise of Jane, her sister uttered a slight
exclamation of pleasure. The foreigner was attracted by the sound, and
after a moment's hesitation, she respectfully curtsied. Emily,
advancing, kindly offered her hand, and the usual inquiries after each
other's welfare succeeded. To the questions asked after the friend of
the matron Emily learnt, with some surprise, and no less satisfaction,
that she resided in a retired cottage, about five miles from L----,
where they had been for the last six months, and where they expected to
remain for some time, "until she could prevail on Mrs. Fitzgerald to
return to Spain; a thing, now there was peace, of which she did not
despair." After asking leave to call on them in their retreat, and
exchanging good wishes, the Spanish lady withdrew, and, as Jane had made
her selection, was followed immediately by John Moseley and his sisters.
Emily, in their walk home, acquainted her brother that the companion of
their Bath incognita had been at the library, and that for the first
time she had learnt that their young acquaintance was, or had been,
married, and her name. John listened to his sister with the interest
which the beautiful Spaniard had excited at the time they first met, and
laughingly told her he could not believe their unknown friend had ever
been a wife. To satisfy this doubt, and to gratify a wish they both had
to renew their acquaintance with the foreigner, they agreed to drive to
the cottage the following morning, accompanied by Mrs. Wilson and Jane,
if she would go; but the next day was the one appointed by Egerton for
his arrival at L----, and Jane, under a pretence of writing letters,
declined the excursion. She had carefully examined the papers since his
departure; had seen his name included in the arrivals at London; and at
a later day, had read an account of the review by the commander-in-chief
of the regiment to which he belonged. He had never written to any of her
friends; but, judging from her own feelings, she did not in the least
doubt he would be as punctual as love could make him. Mrs. Wilson
listened to her niece's account of the unexpected interview in the
library with pleasure, and cheerfully promised to accompany them in
their morning's excursion, as she had both a wish to alleviate sorrow,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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