"My Lady Pendennyss," cried Mr. Haughton, in the course of the
afternoon, "I have news from the earl, which I know it will do your
heart good to hear."
Emily smiled at the prospect of hearing in any manner of her husband,
although she internally questioned the probability of Mr. Haughton's
knowing anything of his movements, of which her daily letters did not
apprise her.
"Will you favor me with the particulars of your intelligence, sir?" said
the countess.
"He has arrived safe with his regiment near Brussels; heard it from a
neighbor's son who saw him enter the house occupied by Wellington, while
he was standing in the crowd without, waiting to get a peep at the
duke."
"Oh!" said Mrs. Wilson with a laugh, "Emily knew that ten days ago.
Could your friend tell us anything of Bonaparte? We are much interested
in his movements just now."
Mr. Haughton, a good deal mortified to find his news stale, mused a
moment, as if in doubt to proceed or not; but liking of all things to
act the part of a newspaper, he continued--
"Nothing more than you see in the prints; but I suppose your ladyship
has heard about Captain Jarvis too?"
"Why, no," said Emily, laughing; "the movements of Captain Jarvis are
not quite as interesting to me as those of Lord Pendennyss--has the duke
made him an aide-de-camp?"
"Oh! no," cried the other, exulting at his having something new: "as
soon as he heard of the return of Boney, he threw up his commission and
got married."
"Married!" cried John; "not to Miss Harris, surely."
"No; to a silly girl he met in Cornwall, who was fool enough to be
caught with his gold lace. He married one day, and the next told his
disconsolate wife and panic-stricken mother that the honor of the
Jarvises must sleep until the supporters of the name became sufficiently
numerous to risk them in the field of battle."
"And how did Mrs. Jarvis and Sir Timo's lady relish the news?" inquired
John, expecting something ridiculous.
"Not at all," rejoined Mr. Haughton; "the former sobbed, and said she
had only married him for his bravery and red coat, and the lady
exclaimed against the destruction of his budding honors."
"How did it terminate?" asked Mrs. Wilson.
"Why, it seems while they were quarrelling about it, the War-Office cut
the matter short by accepting his resignation, I suppose the commander-
in-chief had learned his character; but the matter was warmly contested:
they even drove the captain to a declaration of his principles."
"And what kind of ones might they have been, Haughton?" said Sir Edward,
drily.
"Republican."
"Republican!" exclaimed two or three in surprise.
"Yes, liberty and equality, he contended, were his idols, and he could
not find it in his heart to fight against Bonaparte."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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