第 5 节
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consider on this offer; and pray remember; that your union with Miss
Weatherby will put it in your power to be more liberally the friend of Lucy
Eldridge。 〃
The old gentleman walked in a stately manner out of the room; and
Temple stood almost petrified with astonishment; contempt; and rage。
CHAPTER V。
SUCH THINGS ARE。
MISS Weatherby was the only child of a wealthy man; almost idolized
by her parents; flattered by her dependants; and never contradicted even
by those who called themselves her friends: I cannot give a better
description than by the following lines。
The lovely maid whose form and face Nature has deck'd with ev'ry
grace; But in whose breast no virtues glow; Whose heart ne'er felt
another's woe; Whose hand ne'er smooth'd the bed of pain; Or eas'd the
captive's galling chain; But like the tulip caught the eye; Born just to be
admir'd and die; When gone; no one regrets its loss; Or scarce remembers
that it was。
Such was Miss Weatherby: her form lovely as nature could make it;
but her mind uncultivated; her heart unfeeling; her passions impetuous;
and her brain almost turned with flattery; dissipation; and pleasure; and
such was the girl; whom a partial grandfather left independent mistress of
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the fortune before mentioned。
She had seen Temple frequently; and fancying she could never be
happy without him; nor once imagining he could refuse a girl of her
beauty and fortune; she prevailed on her fond father to offer the alliance to
the old Earl of D; Mr。 Temple's father。
The Earl had received the offer courteously: he thought it a great
match for Henry; and was too fashionable a man to suppose a wife could
be any impediment to the friendship he professed for Eldridge and his
daughter。
Unfortunately for Temple; he thought quite otherwise: the
conversation he had just had with his father; discovered to him the
situation of his heart; and he found that the most affluent fortune would
bring no increase of happiness unless Lucy Eldridge shared it with him;
and the knowledge of the purity of her sentiments; and the integrity of his
own heart; made him shudder at the idea his father had started; of
marrying a woman for no other reason than because the affluence of her
fortune would enable him to injure her by maintaining in splendor the
woman to whom his heart was devoted: he therefore resolved to refuse
Miss Weatherby; and be the event what it might; offer his heart and hand
to Lucy Eldridge。
Full of this determination; he fought his father; declared his resolution;
and was commanded never more to appear in his presence。 Temple bowed;
his heart was too full to permit him to speak; he left the house precipitately;
and hastened to relate the cause of his sorrows to his good old friend and
his amiable daughter。
In the mean time; the Earl; vexed to the soul that such a fortune should
be lost; determined to offer himself a candidate for Miss Weatherby's
favour。
What wonderful changes are wrought by that reigning power; ambition!
the love…sick girl; when first she heard of Temple's refusal; wept; raved;
tore her hair; and vowed to found a protestant nunnery with her fortune;
and by commencing abbess; shut herself up from the sight of cruel
ungrateful man for ever。
Her father was a man of the world: he suffered this first transport to
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subside; and then very deliberately unfolded to her the offers of the old
Earl; expatiated on the many benefits arising from an elevated title;
painted in glowing colours the surprise and vexation of Temple when he
should see her figuring as a Countess and his mother…in…law; and begged
her to consider well before she made any rash vows。
The DISTRESSED fair one dried her tears; listened patiently; and at
length declared she believed the surest method to revenge the slight put on
her by the son; would be to accept the father: so said so done; and in a few
days she became the Countess D。
Temple heard the news with emotion: he had lost his father's favour by
avowing his passion for Lucy; and he saw now there was no hope of
regaining it: 〃but he shall not make me miserable;〃 said he。 〃Lucy and I
have no ambitious notions: we can live on three hundred a year for some
little time; till the mortgage is paid off; and then we shall have sufficient
not only for the comforts but many of the little elegancies of life。 We will
purchase a little cottage; my Lucy;〃 said he; 〃and thither with your
reverend father we will retire; we will forget there are such things as
splendor; profusion; and dissipation: we will have some cows; and you
shall be queen of the dairy; in a morning; while I look after my garden;
you shall take a basket on your arm; and sally forth to feed your poultry;
and as they flutter round you in token of humble gratitude; your father
shall smoke his pipe in a woodbine alcove; and viewing the serenity of
your countenance; feel such real pleasure dilate his own heart; as shall
make him forget he had ever been unhappy。〃
Lucy smiled; and Temple saw it was a smile of approbation。 He sought
and found a cottage suited to his taste; thither; attended by Love and
Hymen; the happy trio retired; where; during many years of uninterrupted
felicity; they cast not a wish beyond the little boundaries of their own
tenement。 Plenty; and her handmaid; Prudence; presided at their board;
Hospitality stood at their gate; Peace smiled on each face; Content reigned
in each heart; and Love and Health strewed roses on their pillows。
Such were the parents of Charlotte Temple; who was the only pledge
of their mutual love; and who; at the earnest entreaty of a particular friend;
was permitted to finish the education her mother had begun; at Madame
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Du Pont's school; where we first introduced her to the acquaintance of the
reader。
CHAPTER VI。
AN INTRIGUING TEACHER。
MADAME Du Pont was a woman every way calculated to take the
care of young ladies; had that care entirely devolved on herself; but it was
impossible to attend the education of a numerous school without proper
assistants; and those assistants were not always the kind of people whose
conversation and morals were exactly such as parents of delicacy and
refinement would wish a daughter to copy。 Among the teachers at Madame
Du Pont's school; was Mademoiselle La Rue; who added to a pleasing
person and insinuating address; a liberal education and the manners of a
gentlewoman。 She was recommended to the school by a lady whose
humanity overstepped the bounds of discretion: for though she knew Miss
La Rue had eloped from a convent with a young officer; and; on coming to
England; had lived with several different men in open defiance of all
moral and religious duties; yet; finding her reduced to the most abject
want; and believing the penitence which she professed to be sincere; she
took her into her own family; and from thence recommended her to
Madame Du Pont; as thinking the situation more suitable for a woman of
her abilities。 But Mademoiselle possessed too much of the spirit of
intrigue to remain long without adventures。 At church; where she
constantly appeared; her person attracted the attention of a young man
who was upon a visit at a gentleman's seat in the neighbourhood: she had
met him several times clandestinely; and being invited to