The Convict: A TaleJames, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
The Convict: A Tale
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Prisoners -- Fiction
At the name of Mr. Dudley, too, an alteration of aspect took place in
her uncle, but it was momentary; his brow contracted, his face turned
pale, but immediately a placable look returned, and with a courteous
smile he advanced to meet the two gentlemen who entered. They were the
same whom we have seen upon the road, and in the house of Mr. Clive.
The second of the two, also, I must remark, not to give the reader the
trouble of turning back, was the student to whose room at Cambridge I
first introduced him.
Lord Hadley, a young, slight, fashionable man, with a good deal of
light hair always in high gloss and beautiful order, and a profusion
of whisker nicely curled, advanced at once towards the elder
gentleman, and shook him heartily by the hand, calling him Sir Arthur
Adelon. He then extended his hand to the young gentleman, whom he
seemed to know well also, giving as he did so, a glance, but not one
of recognition, towards the face of the lady. Sir Arthur instantly
touched his arm gently, and led him up to her, saying, "Eda, my dear,
let me introduce to you my friend, Lord Hadley--Lord Hadley, my niece,
Miss Brandon."
Lord Hadley bowed, and the lady curtsied gravely; but there was
evidently no emotion upon her part, at the introduction. In the mean
time, Mr. Dudley had remained in the most unpleasant occupation in the
world, that of doing nothing while other people are taken notice of. A
moment after, however, Sir Arthur Adelon turned towards him, and with
a courteous though somewhat formal how, said, "I am very happy to see
you, Mr. Dudley; allow me to introduce you to my son and my niece."
"I have already the pleasure of Miss Brandon's acquaintance," said the
tutor; and advancing towards her, he shook hands with her warmly. If
she really felt any strong emotions at that moment, she concealed them
well; and Mr. Dudley, turning again towards the baronet, finished with
graceful ease what he had been saying. "I was not at all aware, Sir
Arthur, that Miss Brandon was your niece, or it would have added
greatly to the pleasure I had in accompanying Lord Hadley, which
pleasure is more than perhaps you know, for it affords me the
opportunity of expressing my gratitude to an old friend and benefactor
of my poor father."
The gentleman to whom he spoke was evidently embarrassed from some
cause, though what that was did not fully appear. His face again
turned somewhat pale, and he hesitated in his reply. "Oh! really!" he
said; "then you are the son of Mr. Dudley of St. Austin's? Well, I am
very happy, indeed, to see you;" and he shook hands with him, but it
was not warmly, adding, as he did so, "but you are late, gentlemen. We
waited dinner for you an hour, and had even given up the hope of
seeing you to-night."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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