Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

and possessing a sprightliness of spirit, he felt, ere twenty-four hours had elapsed, as much at home and as happy as if the roottree of Griffstaye had covered his own house. Soon was it apparent that he was becoming a general favourite.

The delightful scenery around Griffstaye was not unheeded on the part of the visitor. On each successive day the ladies planned some fresh walk, and recollected some new object of interest worthy of the major's inspection, nor was any scheme left undevised by which the time might pass most agreeably.

Being an admirer of nature, and feeling a pleasure in the contemplation of the sublime and beautiful, the Welsh scenery presented no common attractions; and his rambles with the young ladies, if only enlivened and rendered pleasurable by their conversation, would indeed have been desirable, independent of all the romantic associations by which every step was surrounded. With Katherine he discoursed much, and by some chance or the other, it continually happened that he was most conveniently ready to assist her over any

obstruction in the path, or to offer his arm whenever the road was rough and unsuited to a lady's footsteps. So happy did he appear, that he seemed to unbend from all the stiffness of ceremonious reserve, and he frolicked and scampered about over the uneven wilds, like a roebuck in the forest of Athol. He plucked the fresh spring flowers, industriously sought the sweet violets on some sun-lit bank, told merry tales, and was the soul, the everything of agreeableness and good humour. When they returned home, conversation and games, reading and music, filled up the quick-flying hours, and no one felt Griffstaye so dull as heretofore. Godfrey found in the major an agreeable companion, and they fully and freely discussed not only all the particulars of the recent campaign, but also the present aspect of European affairs, and the phase of the political world at home. All this was too acceptable to be of long continuance, and the day of departure waxed near, it

came.

It would be superfluous to observe how one and all lamented the loss of such an

VOL. II.

L

amiable visitor,

Mrs. De Bohun

how

cordially grasped his hand, and poured upon his head all the pious benedictions of a mother's blessing-how Godfrey again and again invited him to repeat his visit—how the young ladies crowded round him, and with what fervour he bade adieu to them, and to Kate more emphatically (of course to her, because she was the eldest). Old Simon had punctually to the minute brought the Corporal and the phaeton to the wicket gate, the major sprang into his seat, and amidst a volley of farewells effected his retreat.

CHAPTER VIII.

"By Heaven I'll tell her boldly that 'tis she!
Why should she be asham'd, or angry be,

To be belov'd by me?"

[ocr errors]

COWLEY.

PERCHANCE some of our courteous readers may remember that there once was in Gracechurch Street such a place as the Spread Eagle, but whether it exist now or no, few, doubtless, ever have reason to ask themselves or anybody else, and it is to be feared that the wings of the bird have collapsed-that it is moulting-so degenerate have become the days of that once renowned coaching establishment. Well! one dark rainy night, just as the legion of metropolitan clocks were in the simultaneous act of striking twelve (in the

spring of 1816, be it remembered), a coach and four, all dripping with wet and heartily bespattered with mud, drove into the hotelyard. Then there was such a clatter of hoofs —such a running to and fro on the part of porters, horse-keepers, waiters, and like bipeds constituting the domestic orders of these large places of public entertainment! One held in his hand a lighted candle, another dexterously caught coachey's whip, and, in fine, each was eager for employment-then the slowly ascending columns of steam, which rose in mimic clouds from the reeking flanks of the jaded brutes, which had been urged on at a merry pace from Barnet-then the umbrellas still pertinaciously held up by miserable, half-drowned way-farers, who, notwithstanding having reached their destination, really seemed loath to move their stiff limbs from the damp seat, for the better exchange of bright fires and coffee, or whatever their gustatory faculties pleased—then the lamp-light and candle-light, which threw out into dim visibleness from midnight obscurity, those quaint, hostelry-formed

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »