The Duchess of Rosemary Lane: A NovelFarjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
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The Duchess of Rosemary Lane: A Novel
Farjeon, B. L. (Benjamin Leopold)
English fiction -- 19th century
"And the wagoner said it was called Springfield."
"That's right, Sally; go on. What a memory you've got."
"Getting down at The World's End, and of its being quite early. Then
you took us for a walk, and on the way we met a gipsy woman----"
Sally paused. She remembered perfectly well that the gipsy had
predicted that a great trouble would fall upon her through her love
for a woman younger than herself, more beautiful than herself, that
she loved, and loved dearly; and that then the gipsy had said to the
Duchess, "Show yourself, my beauty." Sally did not wish--for the
reason that it might be of disadvantage to the Duchess--to recall
these details to Seth, who might have forgotten them; as indeed he
had, his mind being fixed on a particular point which Sally's memory
had not yet reached; but not the less startling to her was the
conviction that the gipsy's words were coming true. _Coming_ true! Had
they not been already verified by the altered relations between
herself and the Duchess? It smote her keenly to reflect that for a
long, long time past the Duchess had hidden from her knowledge the
secret of a love which might tear them asunder for ever. But Sally was
not prone to selfish musings; her generous nature was always ready to
find excuses for the girl-friend to whom she had been sister and
mother; and although her heart was aching sorely, and yearning for
confidence and sympathy, she laid no blame on the cause of her sorrow.
What more could she desire than that the Duchess should become a lady,
and enjoy the life she sighed for? "I dare say," thought Sally, "that
she will let me see her now and again, when no one is near to make her
ashamed of me." To her own future Sally gave no thought; love of
another kind had not yet stirred her soul with its enthralling
influence.
"And while we were talking to the gipsy," said Seth, "a lady and
gentleman came up to us."
"Yes, yes; I remember."
"Do you remember what kind of a gentleman?"
"I didn't like him, Daddy."
"Nor I. Now as to his name."
Sally pondered, but could not call it to mind.
"If I mention it, you will know, perhaps. Was it Temple?"
"Yes, oh, yes; I remember now."
"Sally, would you like to know who has written all those letters to
our girl, and who is her gentleman lover?"
"Of course I should, Daddy."
"His name is Arthur Temple."
"Not the Mr. Temple we met in the country!" exclaimed Sally, clasping
her hands in a kind of despair. "He must be an old man by this time."
Seth could not help smiling sympathetically. This dismay at the
thought of an old lover for their Duchess was very intelligible to
him.
"No, it cannot certainly be that Mr. Temple. But it would be a strange
thing if Arthur Temple should turn out to be his son. However, that
has to be discovered. Sally, I have made up my mind what to do; and
you may depend that it will be for the good of the Duchess."
"You mustn't interfere with her, Daddy. She won't put up with it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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