The Cavaliers of Virginia, vol. 2 of 2: or, The Recluse of Jamestown; An historical romance of the Old DominionCaruthers, William Alexander
History
The Cavaliers of Virginia, vol. 2 of 2: or, The Recluse of Jamestown; An historical romance of the Old Dominion
Caruthers, William Alexander
Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Fiction
What a flood of tender recollections rushed upon his memory as he stood
thus solitary in the flower garden of her who was the sole object of his
youthful and romantic dreams, and gazed upon the well known
objects,--each one the memento of some childish sport or pleasure. There
too stood the shaded seats and bowers of more mature adventures,
redolent of the richest fruits and flowers, and teeming with the
hallowed recollection of love's young dream. Nor were tears wanting to
the memory of that early friend and patron who had given him shelter in
his helpless days, from the cold neglect and inhospitality of the world,
and thus, perhaps, saved him the degradation of a support at the public
expense. These softened and subdued emotions humanized the savage mood
which sprung up from similar reminiscences on a previous occasion. The
current of his feelings had been changed by a single ray of hope. The
fountain was not now wholly poisoned, and the sweet water turned to gall
and bitterness. The scene therefore, painful and melancholy as it was,
produced beneficial results. But he marvelled that the house should be
so totally deserted. He supposed that the lady and her daughter might be
sojourning for a time with the Governor, but what had become of their
numerous domestics? They too could not be quartered at the gubernatorial
mansion. And above all, what had become of his own Hibernian follower?
Certainly, he was not thus provided for. He knew his privileged
servant's warm partialities and hatreds too well to believe that he had
accepted any hospitality from his master's bitterest enemy. At that
moment a servant of the Berkley Arms was passing, and having called him
into the garden, Bacon raised a window leading to his own apartments,
procured such of his garments as he most needed, and despatched them to
the hotel. When he had encased himself in these, somewhat to his own
satisfaction (and most young Cavaliers in those days wore their garments
after a rakish fashion) he sallied out to perform the duty which he felt
to be most incumbent on him. He knocked at the door of Sir William
Berkley's mansion, with very different feelings from any he had before
experienced on a similar occasion. The relations so lately discovered to
exist between himself and those for whom his visit was intended, as well
as his feelings toward those who had the right of controlling in some
measure the persons admitted to visit at the mansion, awakened anxious
thoughts not little heightened by the anticipation of meeting Beverly,
with whom an unexpected interview promised few agreeable emotions. The
family seemed determined too that he should have the benefit of all
these reflections, from the length of time they kept him standing in the
street. At length the porter opened the door with many profound
inclinations of the head, still standing however full within the
entrance, and continuing his over wrought politeness. "Is Mrs. Fairfax
within?" was the inquiry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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