The Lost Lady of LoneSouthworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
General
The Lost Lady of Lone
Southworth, Emma Dorothy Eliza Nevitte
Fiction
"The coroner's inquest that has been sitting at Lone, returned last night
a verdict of murder against Peters, the valet of the late Sir Lemuel
Levison, and against some person or persons unknown. The valet has been
arrested and committed to gaol to await the action of the grand jury. It
is said that he is very much depressed in spirits, and it is supposed
that he will make a full confession, and save himself from the extreme
penalty of the law by giving up the names of his confederates in the
crime, and turning Queen's evidence against them."
Rose did not read the papers at all. They did not interest that fine
animal.
She went shopping that day, and bought a blazing scarlet cashmere shawl.
Mr. Scott did not return in the evening, but she was not troubled. She
had a roast pheasant, champagne, and candied fruits for supper, and
she was happy.
She went shopping the next day, and bought a flashing set of jewels.
Mr. Scott did not return in the evening, but she had another luxurious
supper, and was still happy. In this way a week passed, and still Mr.
Scott did not come back. But Rose shopped and gormandized and enjoyed
her healthy animal life.
Then she felt tempted to wear her gold watch and chain when she dressed
to go abroad. So one morning she put it on, and went out. She had not the
slightest suspicion of the danger to which she exposed herself by wearing
it. She was not afraid of any one finding it in her possession, except
her husband. So she wore it proudly day after day.
One morning, about ten days after the departure of "Mr. Scott," the
postman left a letter for her. It was a drop-letter. She opened it and
read.
It was without date or signature, and merely contained these lines:
"Business detains me from you longer than I had expected to stay. Do not
be anxious. I will return or send very soon."
Rose was not anxious. She was enjoying herself. Now after shopping and
eating and drinking all day, she went to the theatre at night. The
theatre--one of the humblest in the city--was a new sensation to her,
and her first visit to one was so delightful that she resolved to repeat
it every evening.
"I shanna fash mysel' anent Johnnie ony mair. He'll come hame when he
gets ready," she said in her heart.
But weeks grew into months, and "Johnnie" did not come home.
Rose's five hundred pounds had sunk down to fifty pounds, and then indeed
she did begin to grow impatient for the return of her husband. Suppose
the money should give out before he came back?
One day, while she was disturbing herself by these questions, she went
out shopping as usual. When she had made her purchases she looked at her
watch, and found that it had stopped. She was too ignorant to know what
was the matter with it. She only knew that when she wound it up it would
not go.
So she asked the dealer from whom she had bought her goods to direct her
to a watchmaker.
The dealer gave her the address of a jeweller not far off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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