The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-12

wilfulness exposed her.
81 hope" said the traveller, more gravely thar
he had yet spoken, =" that the young lady has done
nothing - that her masquerade had no origin
| M
60 How true you are to your SEX" interrupted the
| lady, smiling; Z" have scarcely seen gentleman
| in my life who Would not almost as soon commit a
crime as a mistake, and be shot at rather than be
laughed at. But make yourself easy on that point
! your kindness and your gallantry have not been
abused, assure you. My niece has been guilty OF
| nothing but rashness and thoughtfulness Her IA
mily is one of the first in Y. Her father, Mr..
| Nixon -
| Mr.. who interrupted Mason, hastily
beg your pardon, Madam, did you say Nixon-Pen-
| dleton Nixon! -
THAT is his name, sir; are you acquainted with
! him."
| "I-I-yes, madam; that is, have known him
for many years and with long breath, the ira
weller relapsed into silence.
1t is necessary to tell you, resumed the hostess
that her father has been long anxious-in fact has
promised her to gentleman whom she has never
seen, and to whom she has conceived most I'M
conquerable aversion. 1t seems the match has
lately been urged upon her more strongly than she
could bear, and this masquerade and flight are the
consequence. Lucy is one of the noblest girls in
the world-her only faults too much romance of
disposition, and little natural wifuness, that has
scarcely been much essened by her fathers indul-
gent fondness.''
. Is it possible asked the stranger, with some
embarrassment, and after long pause, Z" thatany
gentleman would persist in forcing himself thus
upon lady TO whom he was disagreeable 20
As to that" replied Mrs Estill, the gentle
man in question does not reside in x, and so
far as know, is entirely unaware of Lucy's dis
like to him. The proposed husband is her fathers
cousin, gentleman of the same family name, and
living at N, and the match originated wholly
in the fathers anxiety to keep up the family line
and name.''
Our traveller, who had appeared somewhat
relieved by the first words of the lady's reply be-
came manifestly embarrassed at the close, that
the hostess, installing the source of it, said:
8 Excuse me, sir, for boring you thus with these
minute and undressing details. Lucy has always
been a great favorite with me, and forget that
everything relating to her cannot be much matter
of interest to others as to myself
:" hope, Madam, you will do me the justice to
believe that nothing concerning her can be lnin-
teresting to me. On the contrary, her face and
manner have made an impression upon me that
ask your pardon, Madam, stranger, for taking,
the liberty to say so-but really your niece has
made most extraordinary impression upon me,
and | deeply regret that have involuntariIy-I
mean that anything should have obliged her to
leave her home, though could almost rejoice at it
too, since it may perhaps lead to my enjoying the
honor of her acquaintance.
There was barely perceptible tinge of mis- |
chievous humor in the slight smile that crossed the |
old lady's features, while she replied
The obligation you have conferred, sir, gives |
you the privilege of old mountaineering, and nv
niece will feel but too highly fattered by the favor
able opinion you express of her, in spite of the |
inauspicious circumstances under which you met" |
few more minutes and few more remarks |
passed, and then the visiter shown to his room.
LEAF w.. FIRST IMPRESSIONS CONFIRMED.
If our traveller thought his young protege beau
tlfu under the disadvantages of male attire, face
swollen with weeping, frame exhausted by ia |
tlgue, the dim light OF evening, and the suspicious
connected with all, how must she |
have appeared to him next morning when in proper
dress she appeared at breakfast, her face covered
with blushes-for the boldness of excitement had |
passed away, and her native timidity and delicacy
had returned-as, introduced by her aunt, she |
came forward to thank the embarrassed bachelor
for his protection and kindness of the previous
evening.
During breakfast (which was passed pleasantly |
enough, though little attention was paid TO the cof
fee except by the hosess,) and the hour that fol-
lowed it, Mason talked fuently and particularly to
his last evenings companion, with two motives
one, to draw her out, and the other to have an
excuse, while talking to her, to look at her. And,
from the blush with which her eyes retreated
whenever they met his, he fancied-he would
willingly have given his buggy and horses to have
been sure of it-that she appeared to feel in him
little of that unusual interest which he confessed
himself to feel in her. b
Propriety, however, seemed to require that after
spending half the morning thus he should at last
discover the necessity of prosecuting his journey.
As he reluctantly rose to announce this necessity,
and request his buggy brought out, he could not
but notice-and it sent thrill of pleasure 10 his
heart.the quick, earnest glance that Lucy gave
him, followed by change of color that left her
face almost of ashy paleness. The next moment
he turned to the hostess, and desired to know
whether he could be favored with few moments
private conversation with her.
Without evincihg either surprise or hesitation,
Mrs. Estlll led the way to parlor, where closing
Inc door, her vlslter said:
Madam, | am about to confess deceit, though
,ne In which am not wholly culPable, and to
throw myself upon your mercy. l am George
Nixon, OF n, your fair nlece's cousin, and the
very man to avoid the sight OF whom she fled from
home: My cousin never intimated that his daugh-
er felt any unwlllngness to see me, Or believe me-
his journey would not have been undertaken: He
equested me, merely, as he said, to give her a