Year: 1864

CHAPTER ".


Then with the autumn came letter
from Miss Beauchamp, containing the as
founding intelligence that the general and
his nephew bad quarreled.


Il don't know whether you have heard
it, Miss Beauchamp wrote; but if not,
you must sooner or later, so have no
scruple in speaking Of it. heard it from
Jack himself, but he does not tell me, in
fact does not seem very clear about what
was the actual cause OF quarrel. The gen
eral has been testy and unlike himself for
some time past, when they met in town,
almost as if, Jack says, he fancied that he
must have been to blame in his conduct
toward you, to cause you to break with
him, How unfounded such q suspicion
is, YOU must know well, Rosamond. But,
as poor Jack says, nothing seems to have
gone well with him since you cast him Oh;
and now this quarrel with bis uncle, whom
he dearly loves and reverences, has COM
pleted his discontinue. You are aware
that Jack has no claims on his uncle's
property beyond his uncle's good will, and
he inherited but little from his father,
poor fellow. He talks of leaving England,
therefore, where indeed he has little now
to keep him, and trying one Of the colo
nies. | think it, for my part, the wisest
thing be could do


'The wisest thing he could dol To 60
to the antipodes Jack Walsingham J.
her Jack-to 60 to the ends Of the earth
where she could never see him againl o
Harriet, Harriet! could you indeed have
a womans heart in your breast and write
such horrible things with such detestable
GOODNESS y


Thus cried out poor Rosamond, appall-
ed at the magnitude Of the calamity that
had come upon her. But he should not
go; she would fall down on her knees to
the general, and beseech him to be recon
cilcd to the best Of nephews, who, so far
from ever having been wanting toward
her, was all too good for one so unworthy.
But, alas the general was away from
home, and had afforded no intelligence OF
his probable return. Miss Adamina, poor
soul. was powerless. Well, then, she
would write to Jack himself, since she
could do nothing else, and pray ut least
that she might see him once again, If he
really intended to leave his native land
forever. Yes, she would humble herself
to do that, Ah, how gladly f'LoVe between
them was over forever, but at least she
might be pardoned for praying to bid her
cid playfellow God speed. ere they parted
to meet no more And the letter was
written before -sAe had time 10 tremble
and draw back; and all the foolish, erring
but most loving little heart Of the writer
was in the brief unsteady lines.


Then came the difficulty Of not know :
ing where Jack resided in London but
after a while she addressed it to his club,
and could only pray, trembling, that it
might reach him-which it did, though
with some delay; and ah who shall tell
of what cruel hopes and fears that delay
was made up to poor RoSamond. But one
morning, beside her plate at breakfast,
there lay letter addressed IN the well
known writing; Rosamond had 10 put it
quietly aside, knowing she could not read
it with becoming ccInpoSurc, whatever it
contained; aud when pray yers and breakfast
were over, and opportunity served, and
the letter was opened, fast flowed Rosa
mond's tears over Jack's simple, affection
ate epistle.


1t was true he wrote, that his uncle
had parted unkindly with him on their
last meeting; true also that he was weary
of England, and thought of trying his for
tune somewhere abroad. twas true, too.
ah, how true that he should like to bid
his dear little playfellow (whom he must
remember to his dying day with the ten.
derest aTect;on} good by; but in the pres
ent state of affairs between him and his
uncle, he did not see how he could come
to Mauncrdailc. And yet, Jack went on
to say, now the chance OF seeing Rosa
mond once more had been presented to
him, he could not bear TO give it up, So
we'll. if she did not mind-would she take
her old walk tomorrow evening by the
Dropping Well? Butt she saw the slight
est objection tothis plan-if it gave her
the slightest uneasiness-then she was
not to do it; no. she was not to think Of
his disappointment, or let that weigh in
her decision. He would blitheIy take a
longer ride than from London to Manner
dale only for the chance of seeing her.
And so, with few words Of affection, the
letter ended. 1t contained no complaint,
no reproach, no lament over what might
have been; did not referto 'blightcd hopes
and 'thwarted happiness : did not, more
over, even make any profession of the love
Rosie had doubted; and yet, in every gen.
tie, generous word, In all his simple for
getfulness Of self, and tender remembrance
of her. Rosie saw how Jack Walsingh,a
had loved her. Yes, now when ali was
over, and it was too late; ROsSmond knew
she had been loved-no., pcrhaps, With
the eager, exacting, angrossing passion
her foolish little heart had exalted into the
place Of Love, but with oil the tender,
unsel6sh, oeautiful truth Of nature 80
manly aud generous as John Walsing-
hams. .t... o..
If she dit not mind taking her old walk
by the Dropping WellI' Asif she would
not, like the pilgrims Of old, have filled
her shoes with peas and have gone bravely
forth over the StOuisst and most rugged
OF ways, if thereby Jack Walsingham
would have been found at the end Of it,
The autumn had set in chill and wet, Il
was extremely damo and sloppy, and the
neat little BalmorAl boots, with their high