, 1859-05-20
THE AVENGER,

ksEle by express
THE AVEN&ER.
a THRILLING NARRATIVE !!
By Thomas DeQuincey.
Author Of Confessions Of an Opium Eaier~ &C., dc-
lContioutd.l
Two months had nov passed away since the
the arrival Of Iii. Wyudhaln- lie had been
universally introduced to the superior society
Of the place; and, Us need hardly say, uni
rcrsally received with favor and distinction. In
reality, his wealth and importance, his military
honors, and the dignity Of his character, as ex-
pressed in his manners aud department., were
too eminent to allow Of bis being treated with
less .han the highest attention in any society
whatever. But the effect Of these various ad-
vantages, en- orced aud recommended US they
we're By personal beauty SO rare, was some
What too potent for the comfort md self
possession Of ordinary people; and really
exceeded in painful degree the standard Of
pretensions under which such people could feel
themselves ut their ease. He was not naturally
had been open, frank, and contding, originally !;
and his rowing, adventurous life, Of which con
siderably more than one half had been passed
in camps, had communicated to his manners q
more than military frankncss> But the pro-
found melancholy which possessed him, from
whatever cause it arose, necessarily chilled the
natire freedom Of his demcanor, unless when it
was received by strong Of friendship or OF lore.
The effect was awkward and embarrassing to
all parties. Every voice paused or faltered
when he entered room-dead silence ensued
hot IN eye but VAS directed upon him, Or
else, sunk in timidity, settled upon the floor !;
and young ladies seriously lost The power, for
tine, Of doing more than m1u,rmuring few
confused, ha!f-inarticuatc syllables, or halfin-
aEticulote syllables, ct haHinazticulatc sounds.
The socmnity, in fact, If u first presentation,
and the utter impossibi1ity Of soon recovering u
free. uncmbarrassed movement Of conversation,
made such scenes really distressing to all who
participated in them, either US actors Or spec
tators. Certainly this result was not pure cf
feet Of manly beauty, however heroic, and in
whatever excess; it rose in part from the many
and extraordinary endowments which had cen-
tired in his person, not less from fortune than
from nature; in part also, as hare said, from
the profound sadness and freezing gravity Of
Mr.. Wyndhams manner; but still more from
the Pcrpcxlng mystery Which surrounded that
| sadness.
We're there, then, no exceptions to this con-
dition otawe.struck admiration: Yes; one at
least there was in whose bosom the spell Of all
conqucrlng passion Soon thAwed every trace Of
icy reserve. Whilst the rest Of the world re-
tained dim sentiment Of awe towards Mr..
Wyndham, Margaret 1icbcnheim only heard OF
sucl 4 feeling to wonder that it could exist to-
wards him. Never was there so victorious q
conquest interchanyed between two youthful
| heartk-neyer befurc such rapture of instan.
meeting Of this mysterious Maxiu,ilian and this
| magnificent Margaret, and do not know whether
Margaret manifested that tycpidation aud en-
/ barrassnleut which distressed SO many Of hel
youthful co-riruls; but if SHE did, it must bav.
He'd before the first glance Of the young mans
eye, which would interpret, past all msunLer
standing, the homage Of bis soul uud the sur
render Of his heart. Their third meeting dis
sec; and there all shadow Of embarrassment
had runished, except, indeed, Of that deIicatt
| embarrassment which c}inys to impassiuncd nd
uiratiou. Uu the part Of Margaret, it seenleC
rs if a new world had dawned upon her that she
had not so much as suspected amongst the Gu
pacitics Of human experience. Like some birt
! sue seemed, With powers unexerc1Sed for soar
ing aud tring. not understood eren as vet, ant
that never until now had found au element o
mir capable Of sustaining her wings, or tempting
her to put forth her buoyaut Instincts. liz
| on tue other hand, now first found the reaiza
| tlon Of his dreams, and fur q mere posi-
bility which he had long too deeply con
yon Harrelstein: lie was the son Of 1 Gernla,
baron; man Of good family, but Of small est ate
who had been pretty nearly soldier Of fortun
| in the prnS$llu service, and had, late il life
| won sufficient favor with the king and othc
| military superiorS, to haye IN early pros
pect Of obtaining Il commission, under Httter
! ing auspices, for this only son-a son endearet
ttfnp}atcd, fearing, however, that in bis OF,
| case it might prove cslimera, or that he mial.
never meet Il woman answering the demands q
! hts heart he now found CORRESPONDING realit
that left nothing to seek.
Here, then. and thns far, nothing but hau
piness Ind resulted from the new arrange
incnt but, if this had been little autic
| mated by ua,ly. far less had /. for nv mari
anticipated the unhappy revolution whic
was wrought in the whole nature of Fcrdinan
to him as tue companion of unprosperous year:
and US duiifully af1rctionare child. Ferdinan
had yet another hold upon his fathers affection.
his features preserved to the baron ) uncloudr
remembrance Il most faithful and living memo
rial Of that angelic wife who lad died in riyin
birth to tlis third ctld-thc only one who hi
long survived her Anxious TINT his sun s!,o,1l
| ca through regular course Of mathematical IL
struct,on. now becoming annually more impo
tunt in all the artillery services throughout F.,
rope, and thut be should receive tincture {
other liberal studies which he had painfully mi
srd in his own military career, the baron cilos
| to keep his Snn for the last scycn wears at Of
COLLEGE, mill lie was now entering upon Ii
1wentv-third year For the four last he had liz
| cd will NE as tIn. sale nupil whom had. ,
meant to have, had not tic brilliant proposals
| thp youn, Ruxsinn yuordsn,4n nars,taI.i mo I
| bresk ,oy rrxo}p,;nn
Ferdinand yun Iiarr,'str;n Ind cood 4a1ent
NM da7,iin,, hut r,.snecta},Ir. mi - nn,;al,
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