Jane Lomax; or, A mother's crime
Smith, Horace, 1779-1849
•,- .}4 yf • ,^r';^' ■ ^- •'■''>: - ■: - >"XU fi^^^<fi7^ gwyp^^j^b-t^- H^iiHift ^^^^p. ^ a7lBR_AR.Y "■ OF THE UNIVERSITY or ILLINOIS _82B. SmSSi V.3 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://www.archive.org/details/janelomaxormothe03smit JANE LOMAX; A MOTHER'S CRIME. BY THE AUTHOR OF " BRAMBLETYE HOUSE. " REUBEN APSLEY," &C. " Was 't not to make thee great, That I have run, and still pursue, these ways, That hale down curses on me? " Massinger. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. in. LONDON : HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREXt MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1838. LONDON : V. SHiiilEUi , JITN., I.EICKSTER STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE. ?A3 V.3 S rvu -5" S" J JANE LOMAX. CHAPTER I. " Surely we must be Most strong in virtue, if we can give up, After a life of dreary desolation, All that we pined for in our earlier days — A kindred spirit mingling with our own — To fill the happiness of others' hearts." Helen, not wishing to disturb Rose Ma}^- hew by communicating the recent conversation between her uncle and aunt, and their indig- nation at her intended marriage with Alfred Hunter, had been lost for some time in a pro- found reverie ; when her cogitations were suddenly interrupted by the unceremonious entrance of Captain Bryant. VOL. III. B 2 JANE LOMAX. Vexed at this intrusion^ and the more so as she immediately concluded that he came to pester her with unwelcome advice, or still less acceptable addresses, she was preparing to give him a somewhat uncourteous dismissal, when her anticipations and her anger were both dis- persed by his exclaiming, with a cordial smile and a familiar nod, " What, Helen ! and so you have had a regular set-to, yard arm and yard arm, with the governor and the old lady, and forced them to sheer off, have ye ? I must n't mutiny, you know, must n't plot or cabal against my commanding officers ; but hang me if I am not heartily glad you have made so good a choice of a husband, and have stuck to it like a brave girl ; and if I can lend a hand in bringing you both into port, without flying in the face of the old folks, say but the word, tell me how I can serve you, and I 'm your man." " Ten thousand thanks for your good wishes. JANE LOMAX. 6 exclaimed Helen ; ^' and, should I have occasion for your assistance, I will embrace your offer as frankly as it is made/' "You're a noble-hearted, generous lass," resumed the captain, " for taking up poor Hunter, now that he is down in the world, and every body turning their backs upon him. I know him well, and though he is not fit for a wharf clerk — no more was I, for that matter — and carries his nose a little too high, I can vouch for his being as good and ho- nourable a fellow as ever lived. He 's a gentleman, every inch of him ; I always had a real regard for the chap ; and he shan't be turned adrift, though it be by my own father, without my throwing him out a rope." While Helen had been waging battle in de- fence of her lover, she had kept every feeling, except that of a momentary resentment, in perfect subjection ; but this cordial and unex- pected testimony to his good qualities com- b2 4 JANE LOMAX. pletely melted her heart, and deprived her of her self-possession. The tears glistened in her eyes^ and her voice trembled with emotion, as she faltered, " Words cannot tell you, Captain Bryant, how gratified I am by your favourable opinion of Mr. Hunter, how grateful I feel for your friendly offers. Your kindness is the more ac- ceptable, because I had reason to believe that you came upon a much less agreeable er- rand." " What ! — you thought I was coming to make love to you myself, I suppose. Ay, that 's what you girls are always expecting, just as if there was nothing else for a fellow to do. Well, so I should if I had followed mother's advice, but I'm not such a fool. Too fond of the Charming Kitty to think of a wife just now ; and if I did, shouldn't choose you, spite of your fortune. Beg pardon, always say what I think, but you are not one of my JANE LOMAX. 5 sort. There 's no accounting for tastes, you know." "You need not apologise/' said Helen; " and to prove to you that I am not offended at your frankness, I will ask one little favour, which has this moment occurred to me. If I am not mistaken, Mr. Hunter has, upon several occa- sions, been under obligation to you for pecu- niary assistance ? " " Has he ? well, perhaps he may. I had almost forgotten it ; but I have no doubt he always repaid me punctually and honour- ably." *^In his present situation," resumed Helen, " his finance may need a little replenishment ; and as there would be an indelicacy, perhaps an impropriety, in my offering to become his banker, you would much oblige me by convey- ing to him this hundred pound note, as if it were a temporary loan from yourself. It may spare some pains, both to Mr. Hunter's feelings O JANE LOMAX. and my own, if you will lend yourself to this friendly deception." '^ Bless your generous heart ! Let me shake hands with you. I would go through tire and water to serve you, and hang me, if I do n't almost begin to envy Hunter his good luck. Give me the note — I will take it to him in- stantly, for I am anxious to shake hands with him, too, and congratulate him on his making so rich a prize." Off went the good-natured captain, not, how- ever, to execute his commission in strict ac- cordance with his instructions, for, as he saw no reason whatever for concealing the source of the gift, and disdained to assume the smallest merit that did not belong to him, he resolved that Helen should have all the credit of her munificence. The struggle of emotions by which Hunter had been overcome when he rushed from the presence of his mistress yielded to calmer and JANE LOMAX. 7 more complacent feelings as he returned home- wards. "Thank Heaven! it is over/' he mentally ejaculated. " I have done my duty — painful as it was ; the effort has been made, and my mind feels relieved. Rose, I am sure, will pe- netrate and approve my motives — will appre- ciate the sacrifice I have made. It is better, infinitely better, for both of us. We shall now be separated for life — gradually we shall forget one another. Forget ! — forget Rose Mayhew ! Yes, I ought — I must — I will ! Henceforward all my thoughts shall be devoted to the happi- ness of the generous Helen. What a noble frankness in the confession of her regard for me^ what winning condescension in giving me her hand ! Were I ever to forget her, I should be the most culpable as well as the most un- grateful of mortals.'' These reflections assumed a still more soothing tone as he drew near home, and 8 JANE LOMAX. reflected on the present delight which his tidings would dififuse, as well as the long prospect of future tranquillity and enjoyment which would be opened to his family by his contemplated union. Light was his step as he entered the parlour, and his heart yearned within him as^ drawing them to his bosom, and tenderly embracing them, he exclaimed, ^' Mother ! Harriet ! this is the first happy moment I have experienced since our reverses. Never, no not for a single instant, have I been able to banish the tormenting thought that I was the author of all your sore trials, and of the deep sorrows which you in vain endeavoured to conceal from me. It is now in my power to make some atonement for the wrongs, the cruel, though unintentional, wrongs that I have done you. Our humiliating struggles with poverty and disappointment are about to cease. Helen Owen accepts me for her hus- band. This, my dearest Harriet, secures your JANE LOMAX. 9 happiness, for HoUoway's parents will now gladly consent to his marriage ; and indeed I am inclined to think, from Helen's minute inquiries on the subject, and my knowledge of her character, that the generous girl, as soon as she possesses the power, will replace the portion of which you were so unfortunately deprived, and thus enable Holloway to become an immediate partner in the house of busi- ness." Poor Harriet could only press her brother's hand to her heart, and weep her gratitude 3 while the mother, in a transport of tenderness and joy, laughed and cried by turns, utterly unable to decide upon what point she should begin her congratulations, or how give vent to the thoughts which crowded upon her in that ludicrous jumble of the trivial and the serious, the pertinent and the inapposite, which so often gave to her rambling discourse the semblance of a cross-reading. b5 10 JANE LOMAX. " Dear Helen, dear Alfred ! " she exclaimed, " you always were the best of sons — and such a great heiress, too ! Only to think ! — gene- rous girl ! — I congratulate you, my dear boy ! Providence is very good to us, and I'm sure we ought to be grateful. May Heaven shower down its choicest — La ! how that tiresome donkey keeps braying at the Linseed Mills ! They say it 's a sign of rain, and I do think we shall have a shower soon, for my corns have been shooting all the morning." " If my hopes be not disappointed,'' said Hunter, " and I am sure Helen will do her best to realize them, your future days, my dear mother, will be as happy and tranquil as your earlier life ; and henceforth we shall only look back upon our troubles and trials to be thankful that we have passed them." " And perhaps, Alfred, we may find reason to be thankful that we have had them; we shall all be the better for them, [ dare say. And JANE LOMAX. 11 shall we go back to live and die at dear Monk- well? The old house remains just as we left it, furniture and all, and it 's to be let for half its value. Dear, dear ! I do believe I should kiss the very doorposts, and weep for joy if I could again call it our's, for I love every chair and table it contains, and often think of the garden and the sundial, and the seat under the walnut-tree, till my very heart aches. It was your poor father's wish that we should never leave it. Heigho ! well do 1 remember when he was lying on his death- bed, and Pug was standing on a chair beside him, looking wist- fully in his face ; he whined and stretched out his paw — that is, the dog did — and he turned to me and said in a faint voice, (your father, 1 mean) I 'm sure I think 1 hear him now as he exclaimed — Pug ! Pug ! you mustn't pick that greasy bone on the carpet; what will Mrs. Tibbs say? take it from him, Harriet — Yes, your father, as 1 was telling you, said, ' I wish 12 JANE LOMAX. you to remain as long as you can at Monkwell, and to keep on the same servants ; and as to the dumb beasts — ' here his pains came on, and he never spoke distinctly again ; but I knew what he meant : he wished me to keep the dog and cat, as an emblem and memorial, like, of our long and happj^ union ; and so I will, please God ; and these plants, too, that were in his bed-room when he died. Welladay ! nobody knows how many tears I have shed upon their leaves, while trimming them of a morning, and thinking of the dear hand which used to do the same, and which is now — " The involuntary twitching of her compressed lips prevented the completion of the sentence, and the poor widow sate with her eyes fixed upon the carpet, lost in the recollection of her past happiness, mitil the tears trickled uncon- sciously down her cheeks. '* Every arrangement as to our future mode of life," said the son, ^^must, of course, depend JANE LOMAX. 13 on Helen; I know her to be fond of the country^ and I see no reason to suppose that she would object to Monkwellas our permanent residence. How much / should be gratified by such a selection, it is needless for me to state, especially as we should then be within an easy distance of my friend HoUoway and our dear Harriet — " "La! so we should!" cried the mother, " and we could drive over to see her as often as we liked, in — the sugar- basin, Harriet ! move it from the shelf — quick — quick ! do n't you see Tabby is clawing at it ? — Dear, dear ! how glad I shall be to sit once more in the curtained pew of a Sunday, and to think that I shall be buried at last under the great yew tree, and lay my bones beside those of — Punch and Judy in the street again ! why they passed only an hour ago. Well, it is comical now, is n't it, to see how cleverly they catch the cudgel when they toss it to one another ? " 14 JANE LOMAX. A new turn being given to her variable mind, the good lady, elated by the gladsome prospects now opening upon herself and her children, laughed and chirped without ceasing, during the remainder of the evening. Harriet, whose immediate union with Hol- loway seemed to be now placed beyond the reach of accident, discarded for once her habitual pensiveness, and rivalled the exhilara- tion of her mother ; while Hunter, sympa- thising in the cheerfulness of those who were so justly dear to him, congratulated himself on the sacrifice he had made, and enjoyed a com- placency of mind to which he had long been a stranger. JANE LOMAX. 15 CHAPTER II. " What find I here? What demi-god Hath come so near creation ? Move these eyes ? Or whether, riding on the balls of mine, Seem they in motion ?" Merchant of Vknice. Mary Lomax did not limit her sympathy to mere expressions of good will, cordial and sincere as they were, but took instant and active steps for overcoming all the difficulties that still stood in the way of her friend, and which Helen, consistently with a due regard to her own dignity, could not well have attempted to remove. There would have been an indelicac}', under present circumstances, in her visiting Mrs. 16 JANE LOMAX. Hunter, whose son, on the other hand, could not be received at Eagle Wharf. In this dilemma, Mary essentially befriended both par- ties. Mr. and Mrs. Lomax, willingly acceding to her request, frequently invited Helen and Hunter to dine and pass the day with them. Evelyn Barlow, as already stated, had become almost an inmate at Cypress House, and thus, during several weeks, the two lovers and their mistresses, enjoying long and frequent inter- views, and daily more and more delighted with each other's society, gave themselves up to that entrancing interval of courtship, which a distinguished writer, himself a married man, has pronounced to be the best honeymoon. In the brief snatches of friendly intercourse allowed by this seclusion, Helen marked with deep regret a distressing change in the de- portment and character of Rose, who now con- fined herself to her own room with a rigour that almost amounted to imprisonment. She JANE LOMAX. IJ was often abstracted and in tears ; and, when tenderly questioned as to the cause of her sorrow, would take offence, and reply with a petulant captiousness quite at variance with her usual demeanour. Such was her irritability that the smallest contradiction or disappoint- ment excited her temper to vehemence and weeping. Unsettled both in body and mind, she could neither remain long in one place, nor pursue her customary occupations, except at short and broken intervals. Fretful, impa- tient, and unhappy, she shunned even the so- ciety of Helen, betaking herself to solitude, and exhibiting an air of mysteriousness and reserve in all her movements. And yet so changeful were her moods, that she w^ould sometimes throw herself into the arms of her friend, embrace her with a passionate fond- ness, supplicate pardon for her peevishness and estrangement, and chat with her in all the 18 JANE LOMAX. endearing frankness of their former confi- dence. Respecting while she regretted this capri- cious turn in her friend, Helen seldom intruded into her room, especially when she found that she had begun to secure its inviolability by locking herself in. On one occasion, however, having some communication to make relative to her approaching marriage, she proceeded to her apartment, and, finding the door ajar, passed into it. Rose was not there, but her drawing mate- rials, not yet put away, showed that she had just been pursuing her favourite amusement. What was the astonishment of Helen, as she approached the table, to see lying on it a miniature of Hunter, the likeness perfect, and the painting of the most finished and exquisite description ! Thrilling with surprise and plea- sure, for she instantly concluded that it was intended as a marriage present for herself, she JANE LOMAX. 19 was hanging over and admiring the picture, when Rose re-entered the apartment^ and had no sooner caught sight of Helen, than with flashing eyes and kindling cheeks she ran up to her, snatched the miniature rudely from her hand, and exclaimed in an angry and almost menacing voice ; — " How dare you pry into my secrets ? How dare you intrude into my room ?" •^ Dare !" repeated Helen, not less amazed than hurt at the agitation and vehemence of her friend. "If I am an unwelcome visitant, I will immediately withdraw ; but,before I do so, allow me to assure you that I had not the re- motest intention of prying into your secrets, or intruding upon your privacy." At this remark, uttered in a tone of calm displeasure, Rose, recollecting as quickly as she had forgotten herself, sank upon a chair, shook her locks over her downcast eyes, clasped her hands imploringly together, and stammered 20 JANE LOMAX. out : — "^ Pardon^ pardon — dear^ dearest Helen, forgive me ! I had intended^ I had thought — but, overcome at seeing you here — the sur- prise ." " Enough, enough/' interposed Helen, affec- tionately pressing her uplifted hands : — "I now see and understand it all. You had in- tended this beautiful miniature as a little sur- prise for me, a wedding present, perchance ; and the disappointment of having your secret prematurely detected put you for the moment into a pet. Am I right in my conjecture?" Incapable of asserting an untruth, the con- fused girl evaded a direct reply by exclaim- ing ; — '' Bear with me, I beseech you ; pity and forgive me. In sooth, I cannot account for my own unbridled petulance. Would you be- lieve that at the instant I could scarcely refrain from striking you ? I fear you will no longer love me 5 and I almost begin to hate myself, for I am become ever peevish and irritable, and JANE LOMAX. 21 occasionally, as you have just witnessed, almost ungovernable. I sometimes fear I shall go mad." *' My own, my darling Rose !" cried Helen, repeating her embrace ^ " do you imagine that you can be less dear to m.e in sickness than in health ? This irritability, and the unusual and exquisite keenness of your senses, which others, as well as myself, have lately noticed, are but so many evidences of disease. Your mind sympathizes with the morbid state of your health, and I look forward with pleasure to a change of air and of scene as the best remedies for your complaint." "I had just finished — I hope you will accept it,"^ said the still agitated Rose, who seemed not to have listened to what her friend had been remarking. " Are you speaking of the miniature ? I ac- cept it with delight^ and shall ever value it as a memorial of your friendship. But, in the 22 JANE LOMAX. name of wonder, my dear little enchantress, how did you manage to paint it ? and without my knowledge, too ! When and where did he sit to you ? Did j^ou smuggle him into the house ? did you render him invisible to all eyes but your own bright orbs, or did you summon one of the Genii, and bid him whisk you through the air to the abode of Mrs. Hunter ? There must have been sorcery or magic of some sort." "I have never seen him since he left the Wharf," hesitated Rose, hiding her blushes beneath her pendent tresses. " I painted it entirely from memory." '^ What ! this vivid likeness, this most speaking and animated portraiture, not onlj^ of his features, but of the mind and character stamped upon his intelligent countenance, have you delineated all these from memory alone ? Astonishing ! and almost as fearful as it is amazing, for I see in this preternatural acute- JANE LOMAX. 23 iiess of your faculties, a new proof of a dis- ordered system. Why, why will you thus obstinately refuse to see a physician ?" ^^ I need no better physician than yourself. You have just been prescribing change of air and of scene, and I shall very shortly follow your advice." This was said in an emphatic tone, and with a significant air, Avhich her friend did not im- mediately notice, for her eye had again fallen upon the painting, over which she hung, scrutinizing its minutest touches with an in- creasing wonderment and delight. '^ So, then, it was for this," she exclaimed, ^' that you immured yourself so often and so long in your ov/n room ; it was for my grati- fication that you forsook all your ordinary pur- suits, and ran the risk of still further injuring your health, already so delicate and precarious. Dear girl ! how shall I ever repay you for a kindness so considerate and devoted !" 24 JANE LOMAX. Poor Rose, who had, in truth, painted the miniature for herself, and who felt, therefore, that she neither deserved the gratitude nor the caresses lavished upon her, shrunk from them without daring to confess the reason of her re- pugnance, further than by pleading a bad head- ache. " It has, doubtless, been occasioned by your stooping so long over your painting," said Helen ; " and, since you say it is now quite finished, I will secure you against any increase of your malady, by bearing off its cause.'* So saying, she kissed and again repeatedly thanked her for her most acceptable present, and left the apartment^ carrying the miniature with her. Hunter, whose pride disinclined him to ask a favour of any sort, and who felt that, in the pending marriage, he had nothing whatever to offer in return for all the manifold advantages he would derive from it, shrank with a sen si- JANE LOMAX. 25 live delicacy from any attempt to influence the decisions of Helen as to their future mode of life. In one of their confidential colloquies, how- ever, it seemed as if she had penetrated the wishes of himself and his mother; for she turned the conversation to the subject of Monk- well, their former residence ; and gracefully appearing to ask, while she was conferring a favour, inquired whether he would object, since she herself had a decided repugnance to a London life, to take up his abode once more in the ancient dwelling-place of his family. " Nothing could be more delightful to me," eagerly exclaimed Hunter ; ^' and, if I have hitherto refrained from alluding to this subject, it was solely in the fear that I might l)e put- ting a constraint upon inclinations which 1 wish in every respect to study and to follow." " To succeed in that object, you must be frank in every thing, and state your desires as VOL. III. C 26 JANE LOMAX. unreservedly as I do mine. At this very mo- ment I come to you as a petitioner, and I shall prefer my suit like a bold and sturdy beggar. You do not pique yourself, I believe, upon your skill as a frugal manager ; I myself am utterly unversed in all the mysteries of housekeeping ; under such auspices our fortune, competent as it is, might prove insufficient to secure us against embarrassment. An utter stranger, besides, at Monkvrell, I shall feel as if I had dropped from the clouds, and shall sigh for some elderly chaperone to introduce me to the many families in the neighbourhood with whom you are acquainted. Now, what a comfort it would be to me, what an advantage to both of us, if dear Mrs. Hunter would come and live with us, and not only undertake those domestic duties, which I am so little qualified to per- form, but enact the friendly part of my guide, companion, and monitress, in the manner I have pointed out.*' JANE LOMAX. 27 " A thousand thanks^ my generous Helen ! " cried Hunter, snatching her hand and pressing it to his lips : — " You have anticipated the wish that was of all others the dearest to my heart. Most deeply do I feel your delicate kindness ! I only fear that, if you thus heap favours upon me, I shall become as bankrupt in gratitude as I am in fortune." " Then, let it not be considered as a favour at all ; it was not so intended ; and, since we are both of us too proud to be under obligation to one another, our domestic arrangements shall assume the more independent form of compromise and exchange. Thus Alfred Hun- ter, on the one part, nominates his mother as a perpetual resident and inmate at Monkwell ; and Helen Owen, on the other hand, claims the same privilege for her friend. Rose Mayhew." " Rose Mayhew ! " ejaculated Hunter, co- louring deeply, and starting with surprise. , " Yes, Rose Mayhew. It is an old agree- c2 28 JANE LOMAX. ment between us that whichever married first should receive the other as a companion in her house.'* "Rose Mayhew! " reiterated Hunter, scarcely conscious of what he was uttering. "Ay; is there any thing so Gorgon-like in the image conjured up to you by the mention of her name, that you should look thus con- founded and amazed? '* " Oh no, no, no ! " cried Hunter, endea- vouring to collect himself; " quite the con- trary; she is every thing that is — an inmate — a resident, did you say ?" " Yes ; I would wish her to be considered as belonging to our family, not less than your mother," " Your wishes, dear Helen, must, of course, be mine; but this arrangement is so strange, so unexpected, so , does it not strike you that there will be something very awkward, very objectionable, in having /' JANE LOMAX. 29 His embarrassment prevented the comple- tion of the sentence^ to which, however, Helen promptly answered by exclaiming : — " Awk- ward ! objectionable ! what, in having as a dweller among us the bewitching Rose May- hew? You amaze me. I really do not under- stand you. 1 should have thought that you would have been delighted at the proposition, instead of conjuring up difficulties where none whatever exist.'* ^^ I have no right to object to any thing ; I merely ventured to suggest — I was only appre- hensive that ." " Fiddle-faddle ! I will not have j^ou appre- hend any thing but pleasure and gratification from the society of so charming, so gifted, a creature. She is utterly without fortune, or pro- tectors ; so that, on her account, not less than on my own, I must faithfully adhere to ouragree- ment. Allow me to add that it would be ingra- titude on your part, were you, upon this occasion. 30 JANE LOMAX. to entertain a thought that would interfere with it, for you possess not in the whole world a friend more true, more cordial, more zealous, and more persevering, than Rose Mayhew." " I believe it, I believe it," cried Hunter, deeply affected ; '' but I know not how I have merited her regard." " Oh, with what energy has she fought your battles ! " continued Helen, kindling into fer- vour, as she sang the praises of her friend : — " With what an impassioned eloquence did she extenuate your frailties, and vindicate you ao'ainst every evil report 1 I know not whether my declaration will give her any additional title to your gratitude ; but I can truly declare that I should never have consented to bestow myself upon you, but for the active interference and the almost incessant persuasions of Rose May- hew." Hiding his face in his hands, in order to conceal as much as possible the vehement JANE LOMAX. 31 struggle of his feelings^ Hunter could only ejaculate, ^^ Noble — generous — magnanimous girl ! God bless her \" Helen fortunately commenced a new eulogy of her proUg^e^ which, affording him time to recover himself, he exclaimed, when she was again silent, " I have but one question to ask. Is Miss May- hew a party to this arrangement? " ^^ I have never formally mentioned the sub- ject to her, because I have always taken it for granted that she would adhere to our contract. Upon this point we will have an immediate explanation, though I cannot for a moment doubt that she will gladly perform her share of our engagement.** " If it be your wish and her*s, I repeat that it must, of course, be mine also,'* said Hunter, who, in order to break off a conversation which was becoming every moment more painful and agitating to his feelings, pleaded an engage- ment, and hurried from the room. 32 JANE LOMAX. '^This is marvellous/' thought Helen to herself, when he had left her, " and not less disagreeable than strange. It is manifest, pal- pable, glaring, that he has some objection to Rose, which he hesitates to state ; that he totally disapproves of my plan for domesticating her at Monkwell; and, though he has con- sented to it, has yielded with a woful bad grace. For some time past, indeed, I have no- ticed that he has cautiously shunned her society, and that she has equally avoided, unless when called upon to defend him, all mention of his name. Can he have quarrelled with her, can he have any personal objection ? Impos- sible ! one might as well object to an angel. I have heard of men who could not bear a rival, even of her own sex, in the affections of their wife. This must be the secret reason of the difficulties which he could not distinctly define, or which, as is more likely, he was ashamed to state. Hunter, I fear, has a spice of jealousy JANE LOMAX. 33 in his disposition, and, as this failing is the result of a too sensitive and engrossing love, I ought not to judge it harshly. Neither ought I to yield to it too submissively. My compact with Rose shall be faithfully executed, and Hunter shall find that my attachment to my friend, fervent as it is, will never interfere with the more sacred and tender claims of the husband. The same sense of duty that makes me firm upon this point, will render me obedient to him upon every other. ^' As this subject was now paramount in her mind, Helen took the first opportunity of sounding the intentions of her friend, by stating the arrangement she had made relative to her future residence at Monkwell, and ex- pressing a hope that it would prove agreeable to the wishes, and beneficial to the health, of Rose. " My best, my dearest, my only friend !'* exclaimed the latter, pressing Helen's hand to c5 34 JANE LOMAX. her heart, and endeavouring to smile through her tears : — *' I told you in a late conversation that I would take your advice, that I would seek a change of air and of scene, for the benefit of my declining health. 1 have done so, but it is not to Monkwell that 1 am about to remove. No, Helen, I feel that I have a grave, a sacred duty, to perform to you, to myself, to to — to another. The day of your marriage must be the day of our separation : we must part — the very word almost chokes me, but no- thing ." "Separate — part!" ejaculated Helen in a tone of profound amazement ; " I do not un- derstand you. Are you serious ?*' " Do not interrupt me, I beseech you," re- sumed Rose ; " and, when you have heard my statement, spare me, for pity's sake, spare me all appeal against a resolution which has been deliberately formed, and in which I shall in- flexibly persevere, because it has been dictated JANE LOMAX. 35 by my conscience and a solemn sense of duty. You will remind me, I know, of what you have termed the compact between us. It was no agreement upon my part. Often as it was urged by you, I never gave assent to it, except by my silence. For the generosity, the kind- ness, the forethought, that suggested it, I was duly grateful ; but I would never bind myself to an engagement, of which it was easy to anticipate that many circumstances might prevent the performance. This contingency has arisen. Ask not my reasons, question not my motives 3 I must not, cannot, will not, be interrogated. Suffice it to state, once for all, that they are imperative and insupera- ble." Not less hurt than surprised, Helen gazed inquiringly upon the countenance of her friend. Its expression of deep distress, mixed with an inexorable pertinacity of purpose, deterred her from disobeying her injunctions, especially 36 JANE LOMAX, when she recalled the irritability to which her frieud had latterly been subject. She contented herself, therefore, with say- ing : — " I was not prepared for this, dear Rose, and I need not declare what a heart- shock it has occasioned me. Whatever most conduces to your own happiness and comfort must be most desired by me ; but, that I may be the better reconciled to your decision, that I may be the better assured of its tending towards your future respectability and welfare, may I be allowed to ask what future plan of life you have chalked out for yourself?" "Upon this subject 1 have no reserves what- ever. Discard all doubts, all apprehensions, dear Helen, upon my account. Already have I taken the preliminary measures that are to secure my future maintenance, by advertising for a situation in the country, as companion to an elderly lady, and already have I several ap- plications, upon the respective eligibility of JANE LOMAX. 37 which I shall gladly consult you, now that you are aware of my intentions." *^ Companion ! '' exclaimed Helen. " My poor dear Rose ! this will never, never, never do. Your delicate health, your exquisitely sensitive mind, utterly disqualify you for such an employment. Have you considered what it is to be the nurse rather than the companion of a sickly peevish old lady, whose inferiority to yourself, in every thing but fortune, will make you the more bitterly feel the sense of your dependence : who will render you the confident of her revolting maladies, and the recipient of all her whims and ill- humours ; who, because you are not a servant, will expect you to discharge those functions that a menial would refuse ; to be answerable for the health of her cat, to wash her lap-dog, to minister to the wants of a screaming perroqueet, and to clean out the cages of half-a-dozen canary- birds?" 38 JANE LOMAX. '^But every lady in want of a domestic in- mate does not necessarily keep such a mena- gerie as you have been describing, nor is it indispensable that she herself should be a testy, capricious, and querulous invalid.'* " In that case, she will need no other com- panion than her own healthy mood and happy thoughts. As none but the halt and the infirm require a crutch, so you may depend upon it, dear Rose, that none but the mental cripple will advertise for a human walking-stick." " You are supposing an extreme and impro- bable case, and one to which, even were I doomed to experience it, I should be under no necessity of submitting longer than it suited my convenience. In fact, Helen, you are proving too much ; you object to every thing that I propose. My mind, I tell you, is made up — firmly, definitively, irrevocably. I must not, cannot, will not, be thwarted." The mood of the speaker became changed, JANE LOMAX. 39 her wan cheek reddened^ her eye sparkled, she began to talk with an energy that almost amounted to exasperation, and rapidly paced the room in a state of excitement, which her friend, knowing its morbid source, could only pity and lament. *' Well, my sweet Rose !" she exclaimed in a soothing tone ; ^' you shall try this plan, since you have made up your mind to it, but only as an experiment, and upon the condition that, when you are tired of it, which, if I am any thing of a prophetess, will soon occur, you shall return to one whose house, whose arms, whose heart, will ever be open to receive you. Even now my very soul is sick at the thought of our separation." " And do you think that I am at this moment lying upon roses ? " asked her friend in a mournful accent. " I say nothing of my own sufferings, for 1 would not needlessly distress you, and 1 am silent about the long debt of 40 JANE LOMAX. gratitude I owe you^ not only because words would be utterly unavailing to express it, but because I am endeavouring to evince it in the most effectual manner, by tearing myself away from you."' '^ This I cannot pretend to decipher, dear Rose, nor do I understand you better when you talk of gratitude, since I feel, by the very fear of losing it, how much my happiness has depended on your society. Our pursuits, our pleasures, our little sorrows and disappoint- ments, have for some years been almost iden- tical. We have been more than sisters ; never, never, as 1 fervently hope, shall we be less than friends, for, however the tide of life may sepa- rate us for the moment, I feel persuaded that the yearnings of our hearts will soon bring us together again. During the progress of your experiment, for I consider it as nothing else, I shall be cheered by this hope, as well as by the trust that your health will be benefited by JANE LOMAX. 41 a change of air and scene. In this I shall have the greater confidence, if you will faithfully promise me, during your short exile, to consult some eminent physician." " Yes, yes," cried Rose, with a sudden air of significant animation, " this 1 can, I do promise you. I hope soon to see one who is the most eminent of his tribe, one who has never failed to effect a cure, however inveterate the disease — one who has no sooner placed his finger on your pulse, than his friendly magic not only heals all the maladies that flesh is heir to, but all the sickness of the soul — one who needs not to be consulted a second time, for his patients suffer no relapse, and, being once cured, are cured for ever." " Indeed !" exclaimed Helen, incredulously. " And who may he be, this marvellous practi- tioner ? I should like to consult him myself." *' O no — no — no. I hope not — I hope not," cried Rose ; " for his name is Death!" 42 JANE LOMAX. And so saying, she glided out of the room, her eyes flaring, and her pale features lighted up with a look of wild exultation, that shot a pang of sudden anguish and alarm to the heart of her friend. JANE LOMAX. 43 CHAPTER III. " Full oft we see Cold wisdom waiting on superfluous folly." All's Well that Ends Well. Helen, who had determined to remain under the protection of Mr. Bryant until she came of age, was by no means sorry to receive the congratulations of her friends on the arrival of that important period ; for many circumstances had latterly combined to render her abode at Eagle Wharf more than usually disagreeable. Although both her uncle and her aunt had given over all attempts to dissuade her from her ob- stinate and wilful self-sacrifice, as they termed her approaching marriage, they carried on a 44 JANE LOMAX. covert attack against it by a succession of sneers and inuendoes, in which none but coarse and vulgar minds, irritated by disappointment, would have indulged. Their conversation, rarely directed to Helen, but generally levelled at her, was " full of wise saws and modern instances," touching the unhappy fate of such indiscreet young heiresses as had spurned the admoni- tions of their friends, and thrown themselves away upon profligate fortune-hunters. 