Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-06-03

/ Il
you as a friend, but have not forgotten that
| an also your guardian, and that my au-
thoiity as such gives mo right to control
your conduct. ! shall put question to you,
and expect and will demand plain, direct
answer. Have | rightly been informed tn at
you have contempluously rejected the suit
and hand of my son Edwardf'
stammered forth with good deal of
trepidation:
81 believe, that's, have, sir rejected my
cousins proposals; and my GOODNESS and dis
couragoment might have convinced him that
| had determined to do so.''
"Madam,' replied he, with suppressed.
bet, as il appeared to me, intense anger, II
have lived long enoughto to know that cotdness
and encouragement, and such terms, from
the common cant of worthless coquette
You know to the full, as well as |. that cold
ness and discouragement may be so exhb
ted as TO convince their object that he is nei-
ther distasteful nor Indifferent 10 the person
who wears that manner. You know, too.
none better, that an affected. neglect, when
skiliully managed, is among the most form
idable Of the allurements which artful beau
~ can employ. tell you, madam, that
having, without one word spoken in discour
agement, permitted my son's most marked
attention for twelvemonth or more, you
have no right 10 dismiss him with no further
explanation than demurely telling him that
you have always looked coldly upon him,
and neither your wealth nor your iddyship
(theie was an emphasis of scorn on the word
which would have become Sir Giles Over
reach himsel0 can warrant you 10 treating
u,tib he I'd ofa m
honest heart"
was too much shocked at this undls-
guised attempt to pull me into an acques
cence in the interested and unprnciple plan
for their own aggrandsement which | now
perceived my uncle and his son had delb-
erately formed, at once to find strength or
colleciedness 10 frame an answer to what he
had said. AT length replied, with firm
ness that surprised myself
sin all that you have just now said. sir.
you have grossly misstaed my conduct and
motives. Your Information must have been
most incorrect, as far as it regards my con-
duct towards my cousin; my manner towards
him could have conveyed nothing but dislike;
and If anything could have added TO the strong
aversion which have long felt towards him.
il would be his thus attempting to frighten
me int a marriage which he knows to be re-
voting TO me, and which is sought by him
only as a means for occurring TO himself
whatever property is mine"
AS | said this, fixed my eyes upon those
of my uncle, but he was 100 old in the
worlds ways to idlter beneath the gaze of
more eaching eyes than more; he simply
said
"Are you acquainted with the provisions
of your fathers willl'
answer n the afiirmtive; and he continues:
Then you must be aware that If my son
Edward were, which God forbid, the unprin-
cipled, reckless man, the ruffian you pretend
to think him''-(h here he spoke very slowly,
as il he intended that every word which ca
capped him should be registered in my men,
ory. while at the same time the expression
of his countenaDce underwent gradual but
horrible change, and the eyes which he fixed
upon me became so darkly vivid, that | al
most lost sight Of every thing else)-"if he
were what you have described him, DO you
think, child, he would have found no shorter
way than marriage to gain his ends! A sim
gle blow, an outrage not degree worse than
you insinuGte, would transfer your property
To u.s.,
stood staring at him for many minutes
after he had ceased to speak, iacnated by
the terrible, serpent-like gaze. until he con-
tinued with a welcome change OF counte-
nance:
III vii, not speak again TO you, upon the
topic, until one month has passed. You
shall have time TO consider the relative adj
vantages of the two courses which are open
to you. should be sorry TO hurry you to a
decision. am satisfied with having stated
my feelings upon the subject, and pointed
out to you the path of duty. Remember
this day month; not one word sooner"
He then rose. and left the room, much
agitated and exhausted.
This interview, all the circumstances at
tending it, hut most particularly the formd-
able expression OF my uncle's cOuntenance
while he talked. though alphabetically, of
murder, combined To arouse all my worst
suspicious of him. dreaded TO look upon
the face that had so recently worn the APP
palling livery of guilt and malignty. | re-
garded il with the mingled fear a nd loathing
with which one looks upon an object which
has tortured them in a nightmare.
la few days after the interview, the par
ticulars OF which had just detailed. | found
note upon my tolIet-tadle, and upon open
ing il | read as follows:
"MY DEAR LADY MARGRET:-You will
be, perhaps, surprised to see strange face
in your room to-day. | have dismissed
your Irish maid, and secured French one
to wait upon you; step rendered necessary
by my proposing shortly to visit the Cont
nent with all my family. Your faithful guar
dian. ARTHUR TYRRELL."
On inquiry, found that my faithful attcn-
dant was act ually gone, and far on he way
to the town Of Galway; and in her stead
there appeared a tall, raw boned, ll-looking,
elderly Frenchwoman. whose sullen aud pre-
suming manners seemed to imply that her
vocation had never before been that OF
lady ys-maid. | could not help regarding
her as creature of nay uncle's, and there
fore TO be dreaded, even had she been in no
other way suspicious.
Days and weeks passed away without any,
even momentay doub, upon my part, as to
tho course to be pursued by me. The allot-