The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-07-02
THE DOUBLE LIFE;
OR.
THE HAMPTON MYSTERY.
ny MRS. HARRIET LEWIS.
CHAPTER I. :
THE TAnY REAFRJCE
ny MRS. HARRIET LEWIS.

child of the Earl of Hampton, had
passed her youth and early woman
hood, and was still unmarried. She
had had no lack of suitors, for she had
inherited from her mother an i'm
mens9 fortune, and was beautiful, wit
| ty, accomplished, reignfng belle, and
leader in society. Her friends were
puzzled at her adherence to celibacy,
and no one was more puzzled than her
| father, whose greatest desire was to see
| her happily married. 1t was an uu-
/ soIvable problem to the Earl, that his
/ daughter should persist in refusing
the most eligible offers, and she was
| looked upon, even by her admirers, as
/ a beautiful mystery, a delightful puz-
! zle, marble-hearted and incompre-
hensible Sphynx.
One March evening, in the drawing
room of his town-house, Lord Hamp-
| ton sat thinking of his daughter. The
night was wild and stormy. The
| pleasant room presented a strong con-
| trast to the gloom without. A sea-
/ coal fire famed in the polished CRATE.
/ The great chandelier flooded the room
/ with light. Flowers, fresh from the
/ greenhouse, with moisture yet upon
| their petals, were crowded with pro-
/ fusion into vases, whose delicate sculp-
/ ture would have fired an artists heart.
! The heavy, Warm-hued curtains fell in
! folds to the floor, shutting out the
| darkness, and shutting in the light and
warmth and fragrance.
! The Earl was tall and stately, with
becoming portliness of figure, and eyes
as keen as in his early youth, a COM
/ plexion of unusual ruddiness, hair and
Whiskers of iron-gray, and manly fea-
! lures, whose expression inclined to
| sternness. He had almost reached
| threescore years and ten. but he exhibit
| ted none of the feebleness of age. His
mind retained its vigor, and his man
ners were those of the courtly old
/ school gentleman.
| His thoughts were eveidently anx-
! ious and troubled. He reused himself
! from them at last, and stretched out
/ his hand towards the bell-pull. AT
that moment the curtains dividing the
apartment from second draw
ing-room were lifted, and the Lady
! Beatrice entered,
| ''You sent for me, father ?" she in
quired, approaching him. 'You de
| sired to see me?"
81 did, Beatrice" responded his
lordship. ''Ihave something ofimpor-
! tance TO say TO you
The Lady Beatrice stood leaning a.
| gainst the marble mantel-piece in an
expectant attitude.
She was a superbly beautiful wo-
/ man. At least four and thirty years
! of age, she looked scarcely five and
| twenty.
Lord Hampton looked at her with a
fathers pride, yet with a strange ex-
! - cold TO ut h
| ers, was equally cold to him. He Won
dered if She ever experienced any
| Womanly emotions, and, while he
wondered, the Lady Beatrice broke
the silence
"Y0u have news from your friend
Lord Adlowe, have you not" she
asked.
s'Yes; his lordship has returned to
| England" !" replied the Earl. 81 re-
ceived line from him this morning,
informing me that he arrived in town
last evening. I called upon him, and
invited him to dine with us to-day.
He is all impatience to see you. it is
of Lord Adlowe that | am about to
speak to you"
The Lady Beatrice bowed her head
without speaking. Encouraged by
her attentiveness, the Earl resumed:
Lord Adlowe comes back to Us, af-
ter his five years journeying, more
than ever your slave. He has been for
eight years your faithful lover. 1t
was you who made him an exile and a
wanderer. He has kept himself single,
waiting patiently, never reproaching
you for your coldness, never forcing
his attentions upon you"
because he never dared to-" inter-
posed the Lady Beatrice, with an icy
smile. 81 do not like Ormond Adj
lowe, father He is false and bad at
heart, his years of devotion to me not
Withstanding. He has returned to
renew his prosecutions of me. He is
tired of rowing, | suppose, and his cof-
fers need replenishing. OF all my
suitors l like him least. / must repeat
what | have said so many times to you
and to him / shall never marry"
"And why not?' demanded the
Earl. Have you realized that time
is slipping away, and that you are ad-
vancing in years How long will it be
before you will be pushed aside in So
ciety by younger rivals. ! shall soon
die, and you will be left alone. | long
to see you mistress of your own house
hold, happy wife. Can it be that
you are still mourning for that mis-
guided Godfrey Trayelyan-the un-
worthy scion of a noble house, the
midnight robber Of his uncle"
stop! !" said the Lady Beatrice, q
swift flush overspreaGing her features.
81 do not care to hear Geoffrey Treve-
lyan's name. They say he is dead"
"Yes, he is dead,n said the Earl,
thoughrfully. "He died many years
ago, in a foreign land-poor fellow
After all he was but boy, and his un-
timely fate always saddens me. de
had in him the stuff for noble man,
but was warped by harshness and evil
associates. Had Lord Tervelyan, his
uncle, whose heir he was, pursued him
less vindictively for his crime, Geof-
frey might have been living, and hon.
ored to-day. don't blame you for
grieving for him, for you were his be-
trothed wife. But he was unworthy
and is dead. You were but a mere
child when he disappeared. Surely
you do not cherish love for his memo
ry still"
81 am not romantic, father, !" said the
Lady Beatrice, dryly. "Gou say that
all men are not like him, meaning that
Lord AdIoWe is without GeOtfrey's
weaknesses and faults. Lord AdloWe
is not weak, but his is not the strength
like. The truth is, | cling to my
freedom, father. / like to rule in socie-
ty. / like to be admired and wor-
shipped, but have no heart for my
| admirers to win. / have no heart.
| "Why must you disappoint the hopes
| have so long cherished, Beatrice ?''
questioned her father, bitterly. "Have
you no love for me, no respect for my
wishes? What would your loved so
ciety' say if it knew you We're a mys-
terry to your own father? When Lord
AdloWe was here five years since, he