The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-10-31


Remembering, as she did, the excesses into
which her father had plunged when first
ruin stared him in the face, and familiar
lied with the effects of intoxication, by so
frequently Witnessing them, she decided
that her beloved Douglas must have been
drunk when he made that treasured speech
of consolation. The Conviction struck n
cold chill To her heart aud gave sense of
INJURY to her manner, which it was evident
Douglas felt. His sadness deepened. and,
as he rose To go, he wrung his cousins
!, hand, and murmured, Think the best you
can oi me, Jeanne" Even this was some
'nihg he ods conscious that he had dis
pleased her; that he owed her an apolo-
gy; he did dread the loss of her good opi-
mon; but oh it was n bitter thing to bc
r made suddenly aware how arden,lv she
! had hoped he loved her, by the extinction
oil that hope itself. She grew thin and
: sorrowful: and the ligh, step that had
; bounded to meet Douglas Creme in form
cr days, crept sieaIihily and slowly to the
: little parlour, nike desolaie in her ewes
whether she was TO see him or not. She
, had little comfort in the eager kindness
with which poor nunt Nanny sought amuse-
!, ment for her, and less in The sullcn displea-
sure Of her father, who, more disappointed
than perhaps, he chose to avow at the de-
cline Of preference so apparent rs young
Cranes for his cousin, took continual OPP
poruntins for sarcastic and bitter speech
es against him and Jeanie wep,. " hen
was there ever womnn so angry with her
lover MS TO bear that another should blame
himl
Sull hope, which never forsukes the
young, whispered to Aberfoy's daughter
that if Douglas remained at Bath 10 which
place he Ind avowedly come ouly to see
her, if he still fingered, when he himself
} told her his father was i'll, and his mother
anxious for his return, he must have a mo
7 tive and what could that motive be but
, love for herr lie still continued To visit
D her, to watch her, TO listen to her songs, 10
D speak affec,onately of al! that belonged Ia
!, her. Poor Jeanne was puzzled; and she
, started, rs it shot, when one dny, ms she
y withdrew at length her wistful gaze from
c the door through which Douglas had disap
y penred, her father observed, butterfly" Ay
c he's foud enough, but he'll no marry ,b'
d daughter Of n ruined laird"
!, A new light was, however, soon throw
! on the subject. 1t was rumourcd lhn
= Douglas was not alone in Bath tint he
n had been seen at various times with q
0 strange lady, who was unnvited to the Bath
r coterics unknown to its inhabitants and
, indeed, one old spiDsler affirmed that they
, inhabited the same house, and that, Imp
, pening one evening to look out of her win
dow ian accident which occurred every
, sunsct,) she perceived the maid of MIR.
; Greme's lodgings drawing the curtains of
, theirs, and that the casual glimpse thus nf-
, forded her gave to view lady playing ON
} n guitar, which was suspended round her
neck by cherry -colored ribbnnd, aud
Mr.. Douglas GrGmc stretched full length
on the sofa, apparently listening 10 her per-
formance Poor Jennie not only he did
not love her, and had deceived her by his
protestntions, bu, le was bad, weak, vicious,
theme for the scuT of idle tongues. Ia
vain did aunt Nanny drug her here nnd
there in search Of her lost checrfulncss; in
vain did Douglas, when he did come, ex-
; eu himself to entertain her; the ruined
} laird's daughter felt convinced that no one
but aunt Nanny ever had loved her, and ma
one ever would. How she longcd, yei
dreaded, to see the happy, the blessed crea
ture, who hnd obtained the affections and
shared the home Of her cousin How
many scenes did she imagine Of pleasant
converse aud tender attachment how ma
ny rambes in the calm twilight how
many welcomes on his return to her nher
} n shor, -perhnps-perhopS after an
hour spent with the ruined lairG's daughter !!
T Every form that was unfamiliar to her eyes
seemed us if it should present the features
Of the unknown; every eveniug that closed
, in on their little family circle reminded her
I Of the spinster's story Of what she saw when
4 she had happened to look out Of her win
I dow. At length an opportunity was afford
5 ed Of inspecting these superior charms.
D Jeanie was taken to the Bath theatre by
the despniring aunt Nancy, to laugh ot one
, Of the bes. Of comic actors /; and no sooner
had she taken her seat, than ohnchcterie
among her party caused her TO look round,
guided by the direction Of their disnpprov-
ing eyes, and there, within two of her, sat
the faiihIcss Douglas, and lady, whose
white aud beautiful arm leaned on the front
of the box, but whose featuree were con-
ceaed by hat and long pteueuse, the
back Of which hat was nll that the most
anxious could see Of her hend. The. figure
was much draperied she seemed to have
inherited a passion for sbawk MS great as
tha, entertained by Mrs. Grwme Of Aberfoy,
and to have more need Of them, for every
now and then short and hollow cough /
made Douglas turn with a counteuance full
of anxiety nnd affection, md fold her
shaws more carefully round her. Jeanie
remained with her eyes fixed, fascinated,
and her heart beating till it panied her to
feel it. At last Douglas glance met hers,
and she smiled bitterly. Mr.. Creme avert
ed his glances instantly from ber, and bent
forward, rs IL to speak to his companion.
Jeanie saw no more; the lights danced
~. ,koa,,, r.,L al tho actoYu seemed To 4