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 Of ILLINOIS 
 
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 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 " u'^sfcyz/ 
 
 ARUNDEL, 
 
 A TALE OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 
 
 BY 
 
 SIR FRANCIS VINCENT, BART. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON 
 
 SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET. 
 1840.
 
 LONDON : 
 
 BLATCH AND LANPERT, PRINTERS, GROVE PLACE, BHOMPTON.
 
 8£^ 
 v.i 
 
 •" 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 "Come now, Arundel, I wish you would be 
 a good fellow for once, and accompany me to 
 Havant's ; you know I must go, and I should be 
 sorry not to see as much of you as I can, on the 
 last night of my stay here." 
 
 It was early in the month of June, in the year 
 1789, that the speaker, Charles Hammond, and 
 his friend Henry Arundel, were sitting together 
 
 in the rooms of the latter, at College, 
 
 Cambridge, of which they were both members. 
 Hammond had just taken his degree, and was to 
 leave college the next day ; while Arundel had 
 to remain another six months before he couP 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 ARUNDEL. 
 
 obtain the same distinction. Living in the same 
 part of England, Northumberland, beingnearly of 
 the same age, and having entered the University 
 at a short distance of time one from the other, 
 an acquaintance, formed in boyhood, had speedily 
 ripened into warm friendship, although nothing 
 could be more dissimilar than their dispositions 
 or prospects. 
 
 Hammond, the son of one of the wealthiest 
 Baronets in England, had been brought up in 
 the midst of every luxury, and was accustomed 
 to see every wish gratified as soon as formed; 
 while his cheerful humour, and general desire to 
 oblige, made him a favourite with every one who 
 knew him. It is true that this last quality 
 might seem, to a close observer, to proceed from 
 an easiness of character, which made it almost 
 impossible for him to say no to any application 
 made to his benevolence, or to refuse a promise 
 of assistance to any one who asked it of him; 
 and he had more than once found himself placed 
 in the awkward dilemma of being accused of 
 deception, by persons to whom he had promised 
 more than he could perform, but whom he had 
 felt unwilling, in the first instance, to mortify 
 by a positive refusal. But such accidents were 
 rare ; and when they did occur, he was sure
 
 ARUNDEL. 3 
 
 to find no lack of defenders, who only looked 
 to his motives, and professed to feel no doubt 
 that he would grow wiser as he grew older. 
 In point of fact, he was not a person any 
 one could be long angry with ; and the conse- 
 quence was, that with abilities of no common 
 order, the best dispositions, and every worldly 
 advantage, he stood a fair chance of making a 
 very useless member of society. 
 
 Arundel was the representative of one of the 
 most ancient and distinguished families in the 
 North of England, but the fortunes of bis house had 
 not kept pace with their deserts. The vast estates 
 they had once possessed, had been gradually 
 diminishing through many generations, till at 
 length the enormous accumulation of debt which 
 weighed upon what still remained of the property, 
 had induced the father of Henry Arundel to sell 
 it, with the exception of one detached farm, 
 worth about £300 a year, to which he retired 
 with his wife and two children — Henry Arundel, 
 and a daughter. Here he endeavoured to for- 
 get the ancient fortunes of his family, in agri- 
 cultural pursuits and the education of his son; 
 whom he intended to bring up as the son of a 
 wealthy yeoman, and in complete disregard of 
 the pristine celebrity of his ancestors, being con- 
 
 B*2
 
 4 ARUNDEL. 
 
 vinced that the greatest bar to our happiness is 
 the wish to appear superior to that rank in life 
 in which circumstances of birth or fortune have 
 placed us. Mr. Arundel felt that he had still 
 enough left to live happily, if contentedly ; and 
 he was determined that, for many years at 
 least, his son should remain in ignorance of 
 those circumstances which might produce regret 
 and discontent with his present lot. His wife 
 did not submit to this decision, without many 
 attempts to shake it. She felt confident that 
 Henry was destined to be the restorer of the 
 family; and she argued that it would be depriving 
 him of all incentive, it would not be giving him 
 a fair chance, unless he was early made acquaint- 
 ed with the glories and splendour of the house of 
 which she had settled in her own mind he was to 
 be the second founder. It seemed therefore 
 rather doubtful whether Mr. Arandel would 
 have been able to carry his wishes into effect ; 
 but a violent cold, of which he died after an ill- 
 ness of three days, speedily resolved the ques- 
 tion, and left Mrs. Arundel at full liberty to 
 follow her own views on the subject. At first, 
 she seemed inclined to respect the known wishes 
 of her husband ; but when she looked on the fine 
 intelligent countenance of her boy, who was now
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 ten years old, or turned her complacent looks 
 on the infantine beauty and silken locks of his 
 sister, who was three years younger, she felt all 
 her resolutions of moderation die away and 
 give place to those ambitious prospects of future 
 honours and wealth, in which mothers are so 
 wont to indulge. Still, she determined, for the 
 present at least, to preserve silence on the sub- 
 ject ; and it was only when a sum of £S000 
 was left her unexpectedly by a distant relation, 
 that she made up her mind to inform her son of 
 his family history, and devote the proceeds of the 
 recent legacy to giving him the best education 
 the kingdom could afford, by way of facilitating 
 his entrance into some honourable profession. Ac^ 
 cordingly, on the day he completed his thirteenth 
 year, his mother, in a long conversation, gave 
 him a concise history of his family, beginning a 
 few years previous to the conquest, and detail- 
 ing its rise, decline, and fall, with the great- 
 est accuracy, through each succeeding reign, to 
 the present period ; she then expatiated upon 
 the various obligations which devolved upon the 
 descendant of such a long line of heroes, and 
 concluded by saying, 
 
 "Upon you, my dear Henry, and your future 
 conduct it depends whether the Arundels are to
 
 b ARUNDEL. 
 
 be restored to their place amongst the nobles of 
 the land, or to be consigned to oblivion for ever." 
 There were few boys upon whom such an 
 appeal was likely to produce so much effect as 
 upon Henry Arundel. His ardent and proud mind 
 was well aided by an active, vigorous frame, 
 and a strong constitution. The early education 
 he had received from his father, was such as 
 became one whose existence was to depend as 
 much upon physical qualities as moral endow- 
 ments ; and accustomed to do everything for 
 himself, he felt, even at his early age, entirely 
 independent of others, and confident in his own 
 resources. As he grew up, this confidence in 
 himself degenerated into something like contempt 
 for the rest of the world, and a dogged adhe- 
 rence to his own opinions. Fortunately, his 
 natural good sense in a great measure averted 
 the dangers to which otherwise an inexperienced 
 young man of this character would have been 
 exposed at his first entrance into life ; and as he 
 considered himself consecrated to one special 
 purpose, the restoration of his family, he early 
 laid it down as a rule, to take no important step, 
 without in the first instance considering whether 
 it would be detrimental to that sole object of his 
 ambition.
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 In consequence of the resolution taken by 
 Mrs. Arundel to give her son an education be- 
 fitting his birth, he was, soon after the disclo- 
 sure she had made him, sent through the various 
 gradations of a private school and Eton, to 
 Cambridge, where, as has been already stated, 
 he was entered at college. In the prose- 
 cution of her darling project, his mother had 
 stopped at no personal sacrifices, and furnished 
 him with a liberal allowance, that he might be 
 enabled to keep the same society that his fore- 
 fathers had done; but Arundel soon found out, 
 that it was not necessary to run into extrava- 
 gance in order to secure friendship — at least 
 that of those with whom he wished to be inti- 
 mate, and they were very few. He was aware 
 that his mother and sister were deprived of many 
 little luxuries of life to furnish forth his appoint- 
 ments ; and he at once determined to live upon 
 half his allowance, and devote the remainder of 
 it to the education of his sister, of whom he was 
 passionately fond. This he carried into effect; 
 and soon found that the grateful affection of his 
 family, and the esteem of his friends, amply in- 
 demnified him for any sacrifices he might have 
 made in so doing. He continued his studies at 
 Cambridge with credit to himself; and although
 
 8 ARUNDEL. 
 
 he bad not a large personal acquaintance amongst 
 his fellow students, he was tolerably popular 
 with those whose society he frequented, though 
 occasionally voted very odd. His most intimate 
 friend was Hammond, with whom he had been 
 in the same house at Eton, and who was his 
 nearest neighbour in the country. 
 
 Since Mr. Arundel's death, his widow had endea- 
 voured to emerge from the complete solitude in 
 which they had till then lived; and no sooner was 
 this desire publicly known, than all those with 
 whom the Arundels had formerly lived on terms of 
 friendship and equality, evinced an anxious wish to 
 renew their connexion with them, and shew them 
 every attention in their power. In this way had 
 Arundel very often passed weeks together, during 
 the holidays, at Sir John Hammond's, who ap- 
 peared desirous of cementing the friendship 
 which existed between the two young men, and 
 who probably felt that a friend of Arundel's stea- 
 diness of character would be invaluable to one 
 so liable to be blown about by every breath of 
 fancy as his son. With this view it was, that 
 he allowed Charles to be nearly as much at 
 Rosedale, the name of Mrs. Arundel's cottage, 
 as at his own house. 
 
 I have thus endeavoured to give an insight into 
 the characters of the two young men who have
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 been introduced to the reader, and will now pro- 
 ceed with the conversation with which the chapter 
 opened. 
 
 "Come now, Arundel," said his friend; "I 
 wish you would be a good fellow for once, and 
 accompany me to Havant's; you know I must 
 go, and I should be sorry not to see as much of 
 you as I can on the last night of my stay here." 
 "You know why 1 will not go," replied 
 Arundel; "Havant is probably by this time 
 half drunk, and as I neither wish to imitate him, 
 nor to quarrel with him, one of which is inevi- 
 table, I shall stay at home; and I recommend 
 you to do the same, seeing that you must be on 
 the coach at five o'clock to-morrow morning ; 
 and there is no necessity, that I am aware of, 
 for your taking leave of a man you know little 
 of and care for still less." 
 
 " Why, as to that, I promised to look in for a 
 minute; and there is always something going on 
 at his rooms — singing and so forth, and I should 
 like to see the old set once more; so if you po- 
 sitively will not come, I will just go for a short 
 time, and be back here to have an hour or two's 
 talk with you, before we go to bed; so sans 
 adieu ;" and so saying, Hammond took his cap 
 and gown, and sallied forth to Lord Havant's, 
 
 b5
 
 10 ARUNDEL. 
 
 with the intention of a speedy return. Arundel 
 continued reading till past twelve o'clock, and 
 then went to bed, feeling sorry that he should 
 not have an opportunity of seeing his friend 
 again for some months; and perhaps a little 
 picqued that a drinking party had sufficient 
 charms to make him forget an old friend ; how- 
 ever, be that as it may, he went to sleep without 
 troubling his head more on the subject, and was 
 not a little surprised, at ten o'clock the next day, 
 to see Hammond make his appearance, and ask 
 him for some breakfast. Arundel expressed his 
 astonishment at his being still in Cambridge, 
 and immediately gave orders for preparing what 
 he required ; but seeing that his friend, instead 
 of answering him, preserved a moody silence, he 
 quietly went on with what he was about, till the 
 fit should leave him. At last he began. 
 
 " I wish to God I had not left you last night 
 for Havant's, where I got drunk, and made a 
 fool of myself." 
 
 il Nothing more probable;" was Arundel's 
 quaint observation upon this promising exordium. 
 
 " Yes; but this is serious, and I am come to 
 you to ask your advice, or rather assistance. 
 When I got there, I found them, as you said 
 they would be, half drunk ; and as nothing is so
 
 ARUNDEL. 1 1 
 
 disagreeable as to be the only sober man in com- 
 pany, I made all the play I could to come up 
 with them, and at last succeeded. Price, who 
 had come over from Newmarket, was there, as 
 the devil would have it, and not the most sober 
 of the set. He began attacking me in his usual 
 bullying way ; and at last, being quite out of 
 patience, I told him to keep his insolence for 
 those who would put up with it, for that I would 
 stand it no longer. To this he only replied that 
 schoolboys were very apt to make use of expres- 
 sions they did not know the value of, and ad- 
 vised me to study Johnson's dictionary before I 
 mixed with society, if I valued my safety. At 
 this sneer I grew quite outrageous, and calling 
 him an insolent puppy, asked him if he knew 
 the value of that. He then changed his man- 
 ner, and saying I should find whether he un^ 
 derstood it or not in the morning, left the room, 
 notwithstanding all the endeavours of Havant 
 and the others to prevent it. You see my in- 
 tended departure this morning was quite put a 
 stop to; and half-an-hour ago, Havant called on 
 me, with a message from Mr. Price, requiring 
 an apology or satisfaction. The first you must 
 acknowledge is quite out of the question ; and to 
 tell you the truth, I shall not be sorry to shew
 
 12 ARUNDEL. 
 
 the gentleman that we are not the schoolboys he 
 takes us for. Now what I want you to do, is to 
 see Havant, and make the necessary arrange- 
 ments." 
 
 Arundel remained silent for some minutes, so 
 much was he astonished at the statement he had 
 just heard, and terrified at the possible conse- 
 quences of this unfortunate dispute. Mr. Price 
 was a gentleman of considerable property, near 
 Newmarket, well known in the world, and con- 
 sidered a remarkably good shot. It was impos- 
 sible, under these circumstances, for a person 
 in Hammond's situation, just about to be 
 launched into society, to make an apology for 
 the insult he had offered him, provoked as it 
 had been by Mr. Price's impertinence. A duel 
 therefore was unavoidable ; but if any thing 
 should happen to his friend, or indeed to his 
 antagonist — he to whom Sir John had in a 
 manner trusted for his son's welfare, to be his 
 second in a duel, perhaps a party to his death, 
 or his accomplice in a homicide ; for though 
 fully aware that the meeting now was inevitable, 
 he knew equally well that in case of a fatal 
 result, the blame would probably fall on him 
 alone. On the other side, he saw the possibility 
 of his own hopes in life being at once destroyed.
 
 ARUNDEL. 13 
 
 Duelling was the most grievous offence a student 
 at the university could be guilty of; and were it 
 known, immediate expulsion would be the inevi- 
 table consequence. However, he did not hesi- 
 tate a moment; he felt that if he refused to be 
 Hammond's second, he would be compelled to 
 put the business into the hands of some one 
 who might be less anxious to bring matters to 
 a peaceful termination : for he was not without 
 a faint hope that Mr. Price might be induced to 
 make some concession, which might pave the way 
 for an apology on Hammond's part. 
 
 When at length he broke silence, he said, 
 " This is indeed a bad business ; but there is no 
 help for it now, and I will therefore call at once 
 on Havant, and make arrangements for your 
 meeting as soon as possible, for these matters 
 cannot be too quickly settled." 
 
 " Certainly," replied his friend ; " and I must 
 go home as soon as possible , for my father ex- 
 pects me to-morrow night, and will be uneasy 
 at my delay : so pray lose no time. Havant 
 said he would stay at home till the afternoon ; 
 you are sure, therefore, to find him, and I will 
 remain here till you come back." 
 
 Arundel found Lord Havant at his lodgings, 
 and Mr. Price with him. (i Ah, Arundel ! "
 
 14 ARUNDEL. 
 
 cried his lordship ; " I see Hammond has lost 
 no time, and I hope you have persuaded him to 
 apologize for his ill temper." 
 
 " That you must be aware is quite impossible/' 
 replied Arundel ; " I am only come to settle the 
 place and hour of meeting ; unless, indeed, Mr. 
 Price will — " 
 
 " Me ! " exclaimed Price; " why, did you ever 
 hear of a man apologizing for being called an 
 impertinent puppy? — that would be rather too 
 good a joke." 
 
 (l Why, certainly," said Arundel, half smiling; 
 "the expression was not a very courteous one; 
 but you should also recollect the provocation you 
 gave." 
 
 (i Not more than I have given fifty times be- 
 fore, and no notice ever taken of it," replied 
 Price. 
 
 i( Hammond says he warned you to desist — " 
 
 " I beg pardon for interrupting you," said 
 Price ; " but if we talk for two hours the matter 
 will only stand thus — Mr. Hammond has insulted 
 me, I ask him to apologise or fight ; he refuses 
 to do the first, so he must do the second. The best 
 thing we can do, therefore, is to settle the pre- 
 liminaries." 
 
 This was soon done, and Arundel, with a
 
 ARUNDEL. 15 
 
 heavy heart, took his way homewards, not a 
 little discomposed at the temper with which Mr. 
 Price seemed animated. 
 
 i( Well ! " cried Hammond, as the door 
 opened, " when is it to be ? " 
 
 r< Tomorrow morning, at five o'clock ; we are 
 to meet at the second mile-stone on the London 
 road, and take the first convenient spot we find." 
 
 " Very well ; I shall now go home and make 
 some little arrangements, and you must give me 
 a sober quiet dinner at six." 
 
 After their dinner was despatched, which was 
 as silent and gloomy a one as can be well ima- 
 gined, Hammond, who was by far the most 
 cheerful of the two, endeavoured to open a 
 conversation by some well founded and judicious 
 remarks on the weather. Finding that this 
 elicited no answer, he said, after a few minutes' 
 silence, " Arundel, I have written two letters, 
 which I must beg you to take charge of; one is 
 to my father, and I have endeavoured to shield 
 you from the possibility of misconstruction on 
 account of my folly. I have detailed to him the 
 whole affair, and am sure he will feel as I do, 
 nothing but gratitude for the part you have 
 borne in it. Believe me, I never felt the full 
 value of your friendship till now, and what has
 
 16 ARUNDEL. 
 
 most weighed upon me lias been the chance of 
 your suffering in consequence of my folly. The 
 other letter you will deliver in person; in fact, I 
 should not, under other circumstances, have 
 mentioned it to you, but now you must know 
 all. Do you not guess to whom the other letter 
 is addressed ?" 
 
 "No, indeed; some woman, I suppose; but I 
 am in no humour to guess ; so if you mean me 
 to know, you must speak out." 
 
 i( Try — you will not ? — well, did it never occur 
 to you, we might some day or other be con- 
 nected by sqme yet nearer tie than that of friend- 
 ship?" 
 
 tf Good God ! Hammond ; what do you mean 
 — my sister ? " 
 
 « Even so." 
 
 Arundel's blood flew to his very temples, while 
 he endeavoured to say, as calmly as possible, — 
 
 " May I ask why I was not judged worthy of 
 this confidence before? — but no, you did me jus- 
 tice ; you knew I should instantly have stopped 
 an intercourse, which can only end in misery to 
 one of the parties at least, and that, the one I 
 am bound to protect. Hammond, you have 
 deceived me — cruelly deceived me ; little did I 
 think it would be through you I should see my
 
 ARUNDEL. 17 
 
 poor Ellen's happiness and peace of mind de- 
 stroyed. However, it is now at an end : to- 
 morrow I shall take care — oh, God ! Hammond, 
 you have acted cruelly; — poor, poor Ellen!" 
 and he dropped his head upon his hand, and 
 sobbed violently; for his feelings, which had 
 been over-excited all day, could no longer be 
 restrained. 
 
 There was something almost ludicrous in the 
 amazement with which Hammond witnessed 
 this burst of passion; he had anticipated some- 
 thing so different ; and now to be accused of 
 deceit and cruelty, where he had expected 
 nothing but joyful congratulation, took him 
 quite aback. At length he recovered the use of 
 his speech, and in a trembling tone of voice, he 
 asked what was the matter. 
 
 " Answer me one question," said Arundel, 
 who had recovered his composure in a great 
 measure; " are you engaged?" 
 
 " Why, no — yes ; — that is, I have engaged to 
 ask my father's consent, as soon as I leave 
 college." 
 
 "Well," said Arundel ; "you have not acted 
 candidly by me, and I think I may claim of you 
 this much, that you will not mention it to your 
 father till I have seen Ellen ; and farther, that
 
 18 ARUNDEL. 
 
 you will not seek to see her or to correspond 
 with her, till my return to the north. Do you 
 promise me this ? " 
 
 iC Yes, I do," replied Hammond ; Ci with the 
 exception of this letter, if it should be neces- 
 sary ; or, if not, you will undertake to tell 
 her, why I do not go to see her on my arrival, 
 as she will expect.'' This Arundel agreed to; 
 " And now," said Hammond, i( have the good- 
 ness to tell me why you say I have deceived you, 
 and acted cruelly. I am sure I did not say any- 
 thing half so bad to Price." 
 
 " I was wrong," replied Arundel, in a more 
 friendly tone ; (i l should have said thoughtlessly. 
 Do you think your father will ever consent to 
 your marrying a girl without a farthing ? " 
 
 " To be sure he will ; an Arundel too, one of 
 the best families in England. Besides, you 
 know I get my grandfather's property when I 
 come of age, which is next year ; and the family 
 estate is entailed on me." 
 
 t; Stop," cried Arundel ; " recollect, that with- 
 out your father's consent, you will never have 
 mine, nor my mother's — that I can answer for ; 
 and vrithout it Ellen, I am sure, will never marry 
 you." 
 
 " Are you in earnest ? "
 
 ARUNDEL. 19 
 
 " Quite so; — and now you had better go to 
 bed. I will take care to call you in time." 
 
 " Well, say you are not angry or annoyed." 
 
 " I am not angry, certainly, and hope for the 
 best ; so good night, and sleep well." 
 
 Hammond went to bed, and was soon asleep. 
 Not so Arundel ; the conversation he had just 
 had, was not of a nature to sooth the agitation 
 of his mind; even if the events of the next day 
 were to end favourably, he foresaw an endless 
 source of anxiety in Sir John Hammond's opposi- 
 tion to his son's wishes; and should the result of 
 the duel be fatal, which might very easily happen, 
 he could look forward to nothing but ruin to him- 
 self, and misery to all those connected with him. 
 
 In such reflections as these the night passed 
 away, and the day began to break before he had 
 thought of taking any repose. An involuntary 
 shudder came across him as he perceived the 
 first rays of light breaking through his shutters. 
 He proceeded to change his dress, and then went 
 to awaken Hammond. He was soon ready. In 
 a few minutes they had left the college, and 
 were on their way to the appointed spot. 
 
 No man, I believe, ever went for the first time 
 to a meeting of this nature without some inward 
 tremors; but whatever his feelings might be,
 
 20 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Hammond preserved a cheerful and steady coun- 
 tenance, and endeavoured, but in vain, to raise 
 the spirits of his friend. They soon came up 
 to the place appointed for the rendezvous ; 
 where in a few minutes they were joined by Lord 
 Havant, who had come by another path. He 
 informed them that Mr. Price was waiting with 
 the pistols in a field, about two hundred paces 
 distant, which seemed every way suited to their 
 purpose. Thither they went together, and 
 after an ineffectual attempt on the part of the 
 seconds to arrange matters amicably, they pro- 
 ceeded to measure the ground. In one corner 
 of the field they perceived, to their annoyance, a 
 labourer just beginning to plough ; but as they 
 had no time to lose, for fear of interruption, 
 Arundel went up to him, and begged him to keep 
 out of the way. This he at first refused, with that 
 surliness which appears to characterise the lower 
 classes near Cambridge in their intercourse with 
 the gownsmen ; but when he understood the ob- 
 ject of the meeting, and the possibility of his 
 falling a victim to the awkwardness of the com- 
 batants, he exhibited considerable alacrity in 
 removing himself to a place of safety. 
 
 The two antagonists now took their ground ; and 
 at a signal given by Lord Havant, they fired to-
 
 ARUNDEL. 21 
 
 gether, and both without effect. To Arundel's 
 very agreeable surprise, Mr. Price came for- 
 ward, and offering his hand to Hammond, said, 
 " I have no hesitation now in saying that I am 
 sorry that any remark of mine should have oc- 
 casioned you any annoyance ; and I hope you 
 will admit that I do not deserve the terms you 
 applied to me." To this Hammond replied that 
 they were used in the irritation of the moment, 
 and after Mr. Price's handsome explanation, he 
 could feel no hesitation in withdrawing them, 
 and expressing his regret at having made use of 
 them. " And now, then," said Price, " I hope 
 we are all friends, and shall remain so. I saw 
 you thought me very dry in my remarks yester- 
 day, Mr. Arundel, and little disposed to be con- 
 ciliatory ; but I could never have shown in Cam- 
 bridge again, if I had let you have your own 
 way ; though God knows no one would have 
 regretted it more than myself had any accident 
 happened to your friend. But all's well that 
 ends well — so good bye ; " and so saying, he 
 jumped into his gig, which was waiting for him, 
 and was out of sight in a moment. The other 
 young men returned together, and Hammond 
 made instant preparations for his departure,
 
 22 ARUNDEL. 
 
 which took place that evening, after having re- 
 iterated his promise to Arundel not to see his 
 sister till they should meet again in the north. 
 
 The next day Arundel, mindful of his promise, 
 wrote the following letter to his sister : — 
 
 i( My dearest Ellen. 
 
 " It is needless to relate by what circum- 
 stances Hammond was induced to inform me of 
 your mutual attachment, and the engagement 
 which has followed it. I confess it hurt me not a 
 little to find that you should have had so little 
 confidence in a brother, who, I had hoped, deserved 
 nothing at your hands but affection ; one thing, 
 however, is quite clear — you felt that this con- 
 nection could never meet with my approbation, 
 unless sanctioned by Sir John Hammond's 
 knowledge and approval, and in that you judged 
 rightly. However, I will not now enter further 
 upon a subject which is of too great importance, 
 and would demand too much time, to be consi- 
 dered in a letter. That must be deferred till 
 my return home ; but I write now, at Hammond's 
 request, to inform you, that he has promised 
 me not to see you or communicate with you,
 
 ARUNDEL. 23 
 
 directly or indirectly, till my return. Give my 
 affectionate love to my mother, and believe me 
 "Ever your affectionate, 
 
 «H. A. 
 
 "Cambridge, May 30, 1789." 
 
 "P.S. If you think anything I have said in this 
 letter too harsh, forgive me. I have had much 
 to excite me lately, and hardly know what I 
 write. At all events do me the justice to believe 
 that my only anxiety is to secure your permanent 
 happiness." 
 
 This postscript Arundel broke open his etter 
 to add, fearful of wounding the feelings of his 
 sister by assuming too harsh and dictatorial a 
 tone; but the more he considered the business, 
 the less he liked it. In the first place, he anti- 
 cipated the strongest opposition on the part of 
 Hammond's father, and nothing would have in • 
 duced him to consent to his Ellen's entering any 
 family without the approbation of its head. In 
 the next place, much as he liked Hammond, he 
 was not blind to his defects ; and he was by no 
 means sure that he was a person to whom he 
 should wish to confide the happiness of one he 
 loved. He felt that unless Ellen acquired a 
 strong influence over him, and exerted it with
 
 24 ARUNDEL. 
 
 good sense and judgment, she would run the 
 risk of being a very miserable woman, united to 
 a man liable to be run away with by every im- 
 pulse, and following every inclination which 
 caprice might suggest to him. He had seen too 
 little of his sister since she was quite a girl, to 
 be able to form any correct opinion of her cha- 
 racter; and it was, therefore, in his opinion, 
 quite a toss up, whether this unfortunate engage- 
 ment could, under any circumstances, turn out 
 to her advantage. In addition to all this, there 
 was yet another motive which was not the less 
 strong that he did not avow it to himself — per- 
 haps indeed, was not even aware of its nature. 
 This was a feeling of morbid sensibility, or, to 
 give it its right name, of jealousy, which is per- 
 haps always inseparable from strong affection, 
 and which made him ill brook any rival in the 
 hearts of those he loved. The love he felt for 
 his sister, was of that engrossing nature, which 
 is not to be satisfied with any half return. Like 
 most persons of deep feeling and powerful 
 minds, he had thought it a duty he owed to him- 
 self, to suppress any strong outward expressions 
 of sensibility; but the current that runs smooth- 
 est, is sometimes the deepest ; and so it was with 
 Arundel. His bosom was a volcano that the
 
 ARUNDEL. 25 
 
 slightest accident might inflame. Hitherto he 
 had not conceived the possibility of Ellen's divid- 
 ing her affection with any one ; and when he was 
 aware of the truth, it gave him a shock, as if 
 he had been bereft of everything that made life 
 dear to him. He loved and respected his mother, 
 but she was not a person to excite any violent 
 feeling of affection. Caring for little, if she 
 had the latest novel and a comfortable fire, she 
 was satisfied to know that her children were 
 happy and in good health, and trusted to Pro- 
 vidence to keep them so. The decision and 
 powerful mind of her son had long since subju- 
 gated her completely; and she found herself 
 happy to have some one, to whom she could 
 confide all her domestic grievances and leave 
 the trouble of setting them to rights. Owing 
 to these circumstances, Arundel had become a 
 man before he ceased to be a boy ; and he found 
 himself, while yet at school, the master of a 
 family, who were accustomed to look up to him 
 for advice and abide by his decisions on all oc- 
 casions. It was therefore a mixture of wounded 
 pride and chilled affection, added to the most 
 melancholy forebodings of the fate of those he 
 best loved, that took possession of his mind, when 
 he found himself left alone after Hammond's 
 vol. i. c
 
 26 ARUNDEL. 
 
 departure. However, he was not a person to 
 give way long to vain repinings over what could 
 not be helped ; and having made up his mind as 
 to the course to be pursued on his return home, 
 he endeavoured to banish the subject altogether 
 from his thoughts. A few days brought him 
 the following letter from his sister : 
 
 " I cannot tell you, my dearest brother, how 
 relieved I feel, at no longer having a secret from 
 you ; believe me, it was no want of confidence in 
 you, that induced either Charles or myself to 
 conceal from you that which must necessarily in- 
 terest you so deepl}\ It was his anxious wish to 
 have his father's approbation, before he took 
 any further step ; and seeing this, I could not do 
 otherwise than comply with his request, not to 
 mention it to you or my mother, till he had 
 spoken to Sir John, which he was to do as soon 
 as he had taken his degree. Indeed, the whole 
 thing was so unexpected, that we were engaged 
 almost without being aware of it. Dear Charles 
 assured me, he never intended mentioning it, 
 even to me, till he had his father's permission ; 
 but I don't know how it happened — one evening 
 when he was last here, it came from him by sur- 
 prise, and I was too happy to be angry with
 
 ARUNDEL. 27 
 
 him, as I now see I ought to have been. But 
 dear brother, do not be annoyed; and above all, 
 do not be angry with him, for I assure you, it 
 was his love for you that first made me like 
 him. I wish you were once more at home — my 
 mother's health is not what it was — she had a 
 fit last Tuesday, and though Dr. Powis says it 
 was merely weakness, and that no danger is to 
 be apprehended, I feel very unhappy, and pass 
 half my time in crying. She sends her best 
 love, and desires me not to mention her illness, 
 of which she makes light, for fear it should 
 alarm you ; but I think you ought to know it, 
 and have therefore ventured to disobey her. 
 Even your own affectionate 
 
 " Ellen." 
 
 There was much in this letter to restore 
 Arundel's peace of mind ; but the account of his 
 mother's health alarmed and grieved him. He 
 had seen, when he was last at home, that she 
 was no longer as strong as she had been ; yet he 
 was by no means prepared for any thing like se- 
 rious illness; and he had hoped, that the return 
 of spring and fine weather would have dissi- 
 pated any slight indisposition. These hopes 
 had now vanished; and he felt that at no distant 
 
 c 2
 
 28 ARUNDEL. 
 
 period, he should probably have to mourn the 
 loss of his sole remaining parent, and be his 
 sister's only support and protection till she 
 married. He was therefore most anxious to 
 return home, in case of any sudden and fatal 
 change in his mother's health ; but by so doing, 
 he would be obliged to prolong his stay at the 
 university for another six months, and that too, 
 perhaps at the very time when he would be 
 most wanted elsewhere. It did not appear 
 either that there was any immediate cause for 
 apprehension ; and all things considered, he 
 thought he had better remain at Cambridge 
 till he had taken his degree, when he would be 
 completely his own master. This determination 
 he communicated to his sister, begging her to 
 inform him immediately, should any thing occur 
 to make his immediate presence at home de- 
 sirable. 
 
 An accident, in itself apparently unimport- 
 ant, destroyed all these plans, and completely 
 changed Arundel's destiny. He was one day 
 walking out with a small terrier he was very 
 fond of, when a large mastiff, apparently belong- 
 ing to a labouring man who was passing by in 
 a cart, flew at the dog, and seemed determined 
 to demolish him without ceremony. Arundel
 
 ARUNDEL. 29 
 
 called to the man, and desired him to take 
 his dog off. To this request, the man not 
 only paid no attention, but encouraged his 
 dog to the attack. Arundel seeing there was 
 no time to be lost, rushed to the rescue, 
 and by a liberal use of a stick he held in 
 his hand, compelled the aggressor to re- 
 tire. His master, however, no sooner saw the 
 defeat of his favourite, than he jumped out of 
 his cart, and running to the spot, before Arundel 
 was aware of his intention, hit him a severe 
 blow on the head with the butt-end of his car- 
 ter's whip. The first blow, we are told, is half 
 the battle ; but in this case, the proverb failed, 
 for Arundel, who was no mean proficient in the 
 noble science of single stick, administered such 
 severe chastisement to the ruffian, that in five 
 minutes he was fain to cry out for mercy, which 
 was immediately granted, with the advice to be 
 more civil for the future. As Arundel was 
 walking away, the fellow called out after him, 
 " You have had the best of it to-day, but I will 
 be even with you before long, master." To this 
 threat Arundel paid no attention, and only re- 
 solved never to leave his stick at home, in case 
 of any future attack. But this man had a much 
 safer, and more effectual method of obtaining
 
 30 ARUNDEL. 
 
 revenge ; lie was the very man who had wit- 
 nessed the duel between Hammond and Price, 
 and whom Arundel had desired to get out of the 
 way on that occasion, although the latter had 
 not recognised him again. He was fully aware 
 of the light in which duelling was considered by 
 the authorities of the University; and he now 
 determined to denounce Arundel, as having 
 been a party to so heinous an offence. Giving 
 therefore his cart to some one to take home for 
 him, he followed his unconscious enemy at a 
 
 distance, and seeing him enter College, soon 
 
 found out his name from the porter; he then 
 made the best of his way to the Vice- Chan- 
 cellor's, and having obtained an audience of 
 him, told him all he knew concerning the duel, 
 adding, that the only one of the parties he had 
 recognised, was Mr. Arundel. 
 
 The gentleman who held the situation of Vice- 
 Chancellor that year, had arrived at the respon- 
 sible situation of head of a college, merely by his 
 family connexions ; and being aware of his total 
 want of every other qualification, had determined 
 to shine by the rigour of his administration. So 
 flagrant a breach of college discipline, therefore, 
 had but little chance of being leniently treated, 
 and the great man forthwith resolved to make
 
 ARUNDEL. 31 
 
 such an example of the offender or offenders, if 
 he could succeed in discovering the others, as 
 should strike terror into the hearts of all his 
 subjects. The regularity of Arundel's conduct 
 and his assiduity in his studies during his re- 
 sidence at the University, which had won for 
 him the friendship of some of his superiors and 
 the esteem of all, weighed little on the pre- 
 sent occasion ; but there was but one circum- 
 stance, which, fortunately for him, was not with- 
 out its due weight on the mind of his judge. 
 Arundel was a man of good family ; could trace 
 his ancestors for several hundred years, and had 
 more quarterings in his coat of arms than half 
 the peerage put together. These considerations 
 effected what nothing else probably could have 
 done; and Dr. H. accordingly determined to see 
 
 Dr. Owen, the head of college, and beg 
 
 him to mention the affair to Arundel, that he 
 might be prepared with his defence, if he had 
 any to make. 
 
 Early the next morning, our hero received a 
 message from Dr. Owen, intimating that he 
 wished to see him as soon as possible. Accord- 
 ingly, he hurried through his breakfast, and 
 took his way to the Doctor's apartments, won- 
 dering not a little as to what could have caused
 
 32 ARUNDEL. 
 
 such an untimely summons. He found Dr. 
 Owen walking up and down the library, in 
 great perplexity. The Doctor was a good- 
 natured, portly old gentleman, a little pompous, 
 as what head of a college is not? — particularly if 
 unmarried ; but possessed of as kind a heart as 
 ever beat in a human bosom : he was an excel- 
 lent scholar, and had earned no little renown in 
 his younger days, by a very erudite dissertation 
 on the real birth-place of Homer; but of the 
 affairs of real life, he was as ignorant as the un- 
 born babe. He ruled his college with the mild 
 authority of a patriarch of old ; and if any of 
 those confided to his care distinguished them- 
 selves in after life, he felt as much gratification 
 as if they had been his own children ; while a 
 legitimate vanity whispered to him, that perhaps 
 it was to his tuition that their budding talents 
 owed their full development, Arundel had ever 
 been a special favourite with him; and he had 
 frequently prophesied that he would add another 
 brilliant star to the constellation of talents, 
 
 w hi cn College had ushered into the 
 
 world. The shock, therefore, that he had re- 
 ceived, when informed of Arundel's delinquency, 
 had quite unsettled his ideas. Duelling, he 
 considered as little, if at all, better than delibe-
 
 ARUNDEL. 33 
 
 rate murder ; and when he found that the Vice- 
 Chancellor was determined to expel the culprit 
 from the University, — a decision he could not in 
 his conscience blame, his kind heart made him 
 mourn over the total ruin of the prospects of 
 his favourite pupil, while he shuddered at the 
 enormity of his guilt. It was therefore with 
 feelings of sorrow and grief, not perhaps un- 
 mixed with a slight feeling of fear, at putting 
 himself so completely in the power of a person 
 who had given proof of such blood-thirstiness, 
 that he saw Arundel enter the room, saying, 
 "that he had come in obedience to his summons, 
 and waited to know the cause of it." The easy 
 and unembarrassed manner in which he said 
 this, evinced, in Dr. Owen's opinion, a cool in- 
 difference, that could only belong to a being 
 grown callous to all good feeling, and capable of 
 any desperate attempt. Having, therefore, care- 
 fully entrenched himself behind a large writing- 
 table, he first shut a penknife which lay open on 
 it, and put it in his pocket ; and having ascer- 
 tained that the bell rope was within reach, he 
 proceeded to address his astonished auditor, with 
 a frown on his brows, which might have struck 
 terror into the breast of the most hardened cri- 
 minal, c 5
 
 34 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 "Good God! young man/' said he; (i are 
 you so totally lost to every sense of virtue, that 
 your conscience has not told you the occasion of 
 my sending for you?" At this exordium, Arun- 
 del stared, and began to think the worthy Doc- 
 tor had lost his senses; he however answered 
 quietly, that certainly his conscience reproached 
 him with nothing. The air of candour and in- 
 nocence with which he said this, was so convin- 
 cing, that the Doctor's mind instantly caught 
 hold of another idea; and he began to think 
 that the whole story was an invention, and that 
 the Vice-Chancellor had been imposed upon. 
 Delighted with this view of the subject, he came 
 forth from his fortress, and taking Arundel by 
 the hand, exclaimed, 
 
 " My dear boy, I am delighted to hear you 
 say so; what an old fool I was; and I must say, 
 the Vice-Chancellor is not much better, to be- 
 lieve such a terrible story, and make me believe 
 it too." 
 
 "Well, but my dear sir," said Arundel, iC what 
 is this terrible accusation ?" 
 
 (i Why, Dr. H. called upon me yesterday 
 evening, just when I was in the middle of my 
 after- dinner's nap— a habit I indulge in, inas- 
 much as we have every reason to believe it to
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 have been practised by the ancients, who cer- 
 tainly understood whatever conduces to health 
 much better than we do — and he told me, hor- 
 resco referens, that he had received information, 
 from what he considered to be good authority, 
 that you had been lifting your hand against your 
 fellow-creature ; in short, that you had been 
 fighting a duel : but I might have known at the 
 time that it was a pure calumny, and I will not 
 lose a moment in writing him a note to say so." 
 
 Arundel's surprise at this piece of intelligence, 
 for a moment prevented his answering; but 
 when he saw the Doctor turn to his desk, he 
 cried out, 
 
 " Hold, Dr. Owen ; it is not true that I have 
 fought a duel ; but it is unfortunately too true, 
 that I was a second in a duel a few days ago." 
 
 This confirmation of the charge was too much 
 for the poor man; and sinking into his chair, he 
 said, " Oh, Mr. Arundel ! how I have been 
 mistaken in you." 
 
 i( I trust not, sir," replied Arundel; " at least 
 if you will allow me to relate to you the circum- 
 stances, I hope to convince you I am not so 
 much to blame." Receiving no answer, he in- 
 terpreted this silence into a permission to pro- 
 ceed with his narrative, and he gave a full and
 
 3G ARUNDEL. 
 
 fair account of all the circumstances with which 
 the reader is already acquainted, taking care 
 however to mention no names, nor to give the 
 slightest indication by which they might be 
 guessed. 
 
 M You see therefore, sir." said he, in conclu- 
 sion, " I was no party to the quarrel, in which 
 this unfortunate business originated; and I trust 
 you will do me the justice to believe, that if I 
 consented to be my friend's second, it was with 
 the hope of preventing actual hostilities by my 
 mediation." 
 
 " Well," said Dr. Owen, « I am glad to find 
 it is not quite so bad a business as it was repre- 
 sented to be ; but you have grievously offended 
 the laws of God, of your country, and what is of 
 at least equal consequence, those of this Univer- 
 sity. Oh ! Mr. Arundel, I am deeply grieved ; 
 you, whom I always cited as a model for the 
 young men of this age — you, for whom I felt the 
 affection of a father, to have acted thus! How, 
 sir, can I ever hold up my head again? My 
 college will become a byeword, and a stumbling- 
 block to this generation. And I grieve too for 
 you, young man : are you aware of the conse- 
 quences of your crime ? You will be expelled ; 
 you will be expelled from the University, and
 
 ARUNDEL. 37 
 
 rendered incapable of entering the learned pro- 
 fessions— so young, so much talent, and I must 
 add, with this exception, so virtuous, and all 
 lost — all thrown away." And the good old man 
 covered his face and wept. 
 
 Arundel was sensibly affected by this un- 
 expected mark of interest. He drew near to 
 him, and taking his hand, said, after a short 
 silence : " I was fully aware of the risk I ran, 
 and of the punishment to which I was liable; 
 and now that it has overtaken me, I shall bear it 
 with patience, and without repining ; but I con- 
 fess, it would be a grievous addition to my 
 punishment, if I was obliged to think that I had 
 forfeited your esteem and good opinion. I hope 
 that, even if you think me to blame in this in- 
 stance, you will not allow one error to efface 
 entirely the friendly feelings you once enter- 
 tained for me." 
 
 < ; No, my boy," replied the Doctor ; " I feel 
 that is impossible. I even feel as if I loved you 
 better at this moment than I ever did before, 
 now that I know you will be thrown upon the 
 world to struggle by yourself. You have been 
 guilty of a great fault — may it be a lesson to you 
 in after life ; — but who is perfect ? Nemo mor- 
 talium omnibus horis sapit. I myself once gave
 
 38 ARUNDEL. 
 
 way to anger, so far as to give a severe beating 
 to a hackney-coachman, who had purposely 
 splashed my black silk stockings; but I was 
 young, very young at that time, and since then, 
 I have ever kept a strict guard over my passions. 
 But this is talking idly ; we must consider what 
 it is best for you to do. The Vice- Chancellor 
 will expel you, to a certainty, and indeed I must 
 confess with grief, that he cannot do otherwise. 
 There would be an end to all subordination, 
 were he to overlook such an offence against our 
 laws. There is .but one course open for you, and 
 that is, at once to take your name off the books, 
 and leave Cambridge ; you will thus be spared 
 the pain and disgrace of a public exposure. 
 Doctor H. will take no further steps till to- 
 morrow, in order to give you time to make the 
 necessary arrangements. He also desires me to 
 say, that as you must be aware of the enormity 
 of the offence you have committed, he hopes you 
 will make the only atonement in your power, 
 and declare who were your accomplices." 
 
 " My dear sir," said Arundel, " I am quite 
 sure you have made the last proposal only in 
 compliance with the wishes of Dr. H; as you 
 must know, I cannot listen to it for a moment ; 
 nor indeed would you advise me to do so. With
 
 ARUNDEL. 39 
 
 regard to the first, while I feel grateful for the 
 motives that dictated it, I must also decline pro- 
 fitting by it. Were I to leave Cambridge so 
 near the period at which I had hoped to have 
 taken my degree, every body would be aware 
 that I could only have done so by compulsion, 
 and malice would have full scope for its con- 
 jectures and insinuations as to the cause. If I 
 am publicly expelled, at all events, the reason 
 will be made public ; and, thank God, it is not 
 one which can affect my character as a man of 
 honour, or as a gentleman." 
 
 " Well," said the Doctor, " perhaps you are 
 right ; at all events, the reasons you give are 
 honourable to you ; but as nothing will be done 
 to-day, think it over carefully, and let me know 
 your determination this evening. I can see you 
 no more — it would not become a person in my 
 situation, to appear to take an interest in so 
 heinous an offender ; but I will give you a letter 
 of introduction to my brother, Serjeant Owen, in 
 London, who is quite a man of the world, and 
 may be of use to you — and if the best wishes of 
 an old man can be of service to you, you have 
 them. So now adieu ; God bless you ; and do 
 not forget, you have a steady and affectionate 
 friend in your old master."
 
 40 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Arundel squeezed the profferred hand, his 
 heart too full for utterance, and was about to 
 depart, when the Doctor stopped him, and said, 
 iS By-the-bye, your departure is so very sudden 
 that perhaps you may find yourself short of cash; 
 if so, or if you have any little debts to settle, 
 say so at once, and I shall be most happy to be 
 your banker." Arundel assured him he was not 
 likely to be under any embarrassment of that 
 nature ; and having thanked him for all his past 
 and present kindness, left the apartment. 
 
 He soon had completed all his arrangements 
 for a speedy departure, and waited with feverish 
 anxiety for the morrow. Late in the evening, 
 he sent a note to Dr. Owen, again thanking him, 
 in the warmest and most grateful manner, for 
 the interest he had shown him, and telling him 
 that his determination to abide the Vice- Chan- 
 cellor's sentence was unchanged. To this he 
 received no answer; but shortly afterwards a 
 servant brought him the promised letter of 
 recommendation to Serjeant Owen. Next day 
 the sentence of expulsion was pronounced 
 against him ; and he endeavoured to leave Cam- 
 bridge immediately, without taking leave of any 
 of his friends ; but the news had no sooner got 
 abroad than his rooms were crowded with young
 
 ARUNDEL. 41 
 
 men, who came to express their sympathy for 
 his hard fate. Amongst the first of these was 
 Lord Havant, who abused in no measured terms 
 what he was pleased to call the injustice and 
 tyranny of the Dons ; and it was with great 
 difficulty that Arundel could prevent his rushing 
 to the Vice- Chancellor's, acknowledging that 
 he had also been an accomplice, and insisting 
 upon sharing the same fate. 
 
 At length he got away from all these warm- 
 hearted, though not very judicious friends; and 
 before six o'clock that evening was some miles on 
 his way to London, which he determined to visit 
 previous to his return home; as he felt the urgent 
 necessity for his immediately adopting some line 
 of life by which he might earn an honourable 
 existence, without being a further burden to his 
 mother and sister. How he was to break the mat- 
 ter to them, was exceedingly embarrassing ; but 
 after considerable deliberation, he contented him- 
 self with writing to say that he was coming home 
 in the course of the week for a few days; judging 
 that the blow would be less severely felt if told 
 by his own lips, and when he was himself pre- 
 sent to suggest topics of consolation. He further 
 took the precaution of giving the name of the 
 hotel where he intended to lodge whilst in
 
 42 ARUNDEL. 
 
 London, that in case of necessity his sister 
 might know where to write to him. The situ- 
 ation in which he now found himself was suffi- 
 cient to damp the spirits of any one ; but he had 
 a strong confidence in himself, which nothing 
 was capable of daunting; and he was, perhaps, 
 not without a feeling of inward satisfaction when 
 he reflected, that his fate in life now depended 
 entirely upon himself; that if he was, indeed, 
 destined to rescue his name from obscurity, the 
 task must be accomplished by his own unaided 
 energies, and in spite of the unfavourable 
 auspices under which he was about to enter life. 
 His first step, he determined, should be to call 
 on Serjeant Owen ; though from anecdotes he 
 had occasionally heard of him from his brother, 
 he did not anticipate much assistance or advice 
 in that quarter ; but being a perfect stranger in 
 London, where he was literally without an ac- 
 quaintance, he hoped at all events that the 
 Serjeant might be the means of making him 
 known to those who would be able and willing 
 to forward his views. With this resolution he 
 arrived in London late at night, and having 
 taken up his quarters in the neighbourhood of 
 Covent Garden, he soon forgot in sleep his 
 misfortunes and his hopes.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 At an early hour next morning, having care- 
 fully inquired his way, Arundel started, with his 
 letter of introduction in his pocket, for the 
 Temple, which he reached without losing his 
 way above five times ; and after a minute search 
 he discovered Serjeant Owen's name painted 
 on one of the doorposts in that ancient and 
 celebrated seat of conviviality and learning. 
 Having arrived at the chambers indicated by 
 the aforesaid doorpost, and knocked at the door, 
 he gained admittance after a considerable delay, 
 occasioned apparently by the clerk who opened 
 it having been occupied with his toilet. After 
 surveying Arundel from head to foot, he asked 
 him, in no civil tone of voice, what his business 
 was at that hour of the morning? Arundel
 
 44 ARUNDEL. 
 
 gave hirn his card, which he desired him to 
 deliver to his master, and to say that he had a 
 letter for him from his brother, Dr. Owen. 
 The man grumbled out that he was quite sure 
 his master could see nobody then, but retired to 
 deliver the message; and in a minute after, 
 Arundel heard a loud voice calling him by 
 name, and telling him to come in. This man- 
 date he obeyed; and found himself in a square 
 room, the furniture of which consisted in two or 
 three chairs, and a large writing table covered 
 with papers. Before the window, peering into a 
 small piece of broken looking-glass, stood a 
 short elderly man with a very red nose, with one 
 side of his face well lathered, and his whole 
 features twisted into one of those indescribable 
 contortions which generally accompany the 
 attempt to get rid of a very stubborn beard by 
 means of a very blunt razor. The room itself 
 was surrounded by bookcases, filled with vene- 
 rable looking folios and quartos; the glass in 
 the windows was of a light brown colour, so 
 thoroughly was the dirt of years incorporated 
 with it; while a coating of dust gave some- 
 what of the same hue to every object in the 
 room. The short gentleman with a red nose 
 and lathered face, whom he rightly conjee-
 
 ARUNDEL. 45 
 
 tured to be Richard Owen, Esq., one of his 
 Majesty's Serjeants, learned in the law, was 
 too busily engaged to take any notice of his 
 approach ; and he had, therefore, time to look 
 around him, and marvel in silence at the dirt 
 and disorder with which he was surrounded. 
 The attire of the worthy proprietor himself was 
 not the last thing that engaged his attention : — a 
 dingy cotton nightcap, a shirt bearing evident 
 marks of the snuff-taking propensities of the 
 wearer, a pair of very shabby trowsers, which 
 had once been black, a slipper on one foot, and 
 a silk stocking on the other. At length, Mr. 
 Serjeant Owen, having succeeded in stopping 
 the hemorrhage of a pimple he had just be- 
 headed, by means of some cobweb he had col- 
 lected from the window, thought proper to break 
 silence. 
 
 " So you have brought me a letter from my 
 brother. I think he need not have put me to 
 the expense of eighteenpence for a double letter 
 I received by the post half an hour ago; but 
 that is just like him. I should not be surprised 
 if he wrote to me again to-morrow to know if I 
 had received the other two. So you have been 
 frightening them all out of their wits at Cam- 
 bridge ; thought they had got another Guy
 
 46 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Faux, I suppose. But what am I to do ? My 
 brother wants me to turn bear-leader, but that 
 won't suit me; I was never well licked into 
 shape myself. Oh, yes, I see that is my brother's 
 letter," as Arundel produced it from his pocket. 
 " Well, I suppose I know as much from his first, 
 as I shall from the second ; so just throw it into 
 the fire-place, for I have no time to read two 
 editions of the same work. However, I am glad 
 to see you ; I see you think I ought to have said 
 that long ago ; but never mind, better late than 
 never; so just sit down while I finish dressing; 
 you will find plenty here to amuse you in the 
 mean time ;" and so saying, he pushed Arundel 
 into a chair, stuffed a newspaper into his hands, 
 and vanished into his bed-room ; where he was 
 soon heard snorting and blowing like a grampus, 
 as he repeatedly plunged his face into a basin of 
 water. By the time Arundel had waded through 
 the newspaper, he again made his appearance, 
 looking rather more like a civilized being ; and 
 coming up to his visiter, he shook him cordially 
 by the hand, and said he was glad to see him. 
 " And now," said he, " we must have some 
 breakfast ; if you have not had one, you must be 
 ready for it; and if you have had one, you must 
 be ready for another — so pull the bell." And in
 
 ARUNDEL. 47 
 
 a few minutes they were both hard at work, 
 discussing the merits of devilled kidney, cold 
 ham, boiled eggs, &c. &c. 
 
 When the Serjeant had taken off what he 
 called the edge of his appetite, he turned to 
 Arundel, and said, " Well, now I think it is time 
 to tell me all about this Cambridge business; 
 my brother has written to me in so pressing a 
 manner, that, under any circumstances, my best 
 advice and assistance should be at your service : 
 but I tell you at once, T am something of a 
 physiognomist, and like your looks, and any- 
 thing I can do for you I will." To this Arundel 
 made a suitable acknowledgment, and then gave 
 a full account of all that had happened, and the 
 complete annihilation of all his hopes and pros- 
 pects which was the consequence of it. 
 
 "Well, I must say," said the Serjeant, "I 
 
 always thought them a pack of d d fools, 
 
 but I never was more convinced of it than at 
 this moment. However, there is no help for it 
 now. I wish, by-the-bye, you had been the 
 principal instead of the second ; it does a young 
 man good to stand a shot or two. I dare say, 
 however, that will come in good time ; but now, 
 what are we to do for you ? You would want 
 better interest than mine to get a commission in
 
 48 ARUNDEL. 
 
 the array, after what has passed ; the church is 
 out of the question; the law is not to your 
 liking; and you cannot engage in commerce 
 without a capital. If I were in your place, I 
 would go over to Paris ; the Revolution has 
 made a glorious opening for young men of talent 
 and education ; and there I can give you letters 
 which may be of use to you ; that is, supposing 
 you speak French, and are not opposed to the 
 principles of the French Reformers; with these 
 two requisites you will find every career open to 
 you." 
 
 Arundel assured him, with truth, that he was 
 a tolerably good French scholar ; and added, 
 that he had not had much opportunity of study- 
 ing the details of the Revolution, but that it 
 was impossible not to feel the deepest interest 
 and sympathy for a nation struggling to recover 
 their birthright and take their place amongst 
 freemen. In fact, Arundel, like many other 
 ardent spirits, had hailed with joy the meet- 
 ing of the States General, which had then 
 been assembled about two months; and from 
 the firmness and dignity which the Tiers Etat 
 had already manifested on several occasions, he 
 augured well of their future proceedings, and 
 thought them well qualified to become the rege-
 
 ARUNDEL. 49 
 
 nerators of their country. He had attentively 
 watched the characters of all the political actors 
 as they appeared upon the stage, and could not 
 help wishing, that he had been so situated as to 
 take a share in the struggle which was then 
 commencing between the advocates of traditional 
 despotism on the one hand, and those who were 
 anxious to erect, on the ruins of the ancient re- 
 gime, such a fabric as should secure the liberties 
 and rights of the people, while at the same time 
 the prerogatives of the crown were respected; for 
 at that time the idea of a republic had few, if any, 
 avowed adherents. With these feelings, it is not 
 surprising that Arundel shouldhave embraced with 
 pleasure the rather wild proposal of the worthy 
 Serjeant. He felt that every career was closed 
 against him in England, and that a new state of 
 society, such as was commencing in France, 
 offered the best chance of rapidly rising to dis- 
 tinction and honours. The only circumstance 
 that made him hesitate was the state of his 
 mother's health, and he determined to run down 
 to the north before he finally made up his mind 
 on the subject. All this he expressed to Owen, 
 who fully approved of it, and advised him to 
 return home on the next day. " I will send my 
 servant," said he, " to take your place in the 
 
 VOL. I 
 
 D
 
 50 ARUNDEL. 
 
 mail for to-morrow ; and in the mean time you 
 cannot do better than pass the rest of the day 
 with me. You shall come down with me to 
 Westminster Hall, where I have a cause coming 
 on to-day ; after which, we will dine quietly 
 together ; and in the evening I will take you to 
 a society composed of the friends and admirers 
 of the French Revolution, where I have to pro- 
 pose some resolutions, expressive of our sympathy 
 with our friends at Paris."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 On the following evening, Arundel left town 
 by the mail ; and late on the second day, arrived 
 at the village which lay nearest to Rosedale ; 
 where, having procured a man to carry his port- 
 manteau, he started alone across the fields on foot. 
 
 It was a lovely summer evening, and Arun- 
 del paused from time to time, feelingly alive 
 to the beauties of the scenery ; every feature of 
 which recalled to him some pleasing recollection, 
 some happy moment of his past life. But as he 
 approached nearer home, an indescribable sad- 
 ness weighed upon his heart, which might be 
 taken for the foreboding of some heavy calamity. 
 In vain he tried to struggle against it ; in vain 
 he endeavoured to analyze its source. His mind 
 refused to assist him. He felt like one deprived 
 
 d2 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 ILLINOIS LIBRARY
 
 J*2 ARUNDEL. 
 
 of the intellectual part of his being; as if his 
 soul was under the influence of some terrific 
 nightmare, from which it struggled to free itself, 
 but in vain. At length he arrived at the summit 
 of a gentle acclivity, from whence, through a 
 break in the trees, he could perceive the happy 
 home of his boyhood. 
 
 The hill on which he stood, sloped down gently 
 for about half a mile, to a small river that flowed 
 through the bottom ; beyond, on the right, stood 
 the village church,, its modest tower just visible 
 amongst the elms and oaks in which it lay 
 embosomed. Behind this grove lay the village 
 itself; though a few neat white cottages, on 
 which played the rays of the setting sun, were 
 all that could be seen of it. On the left were the 
 cottage and farm, which formed Arundel's sole 
 inheritance ; the garden and neatly kept lawn 
 stretching down to the river, close to the bridge, 
 which formed the sole communication between 
 the high road and the village. Far beyond, the 
 ground began to rise in well-wooded hills ; and 
 the horizon was shut out by the extensive plan- 
 tations of Arundel Castle, the vast and magnifi- 
 cent pile which, for many centuries, had been 
 the principal residence of the Arundel family ; 
 but which, at the sale of the property by the
 
 ARUNDEL. 53 
 
 late Mr. Arundel, had passed with the estate 
 into the hands of a Mr. Brown. This gen- 
 tleman was understood to be nearly connected 
 with a noble family; though little further was 
 known of him than that he had accumulated 
 a very large fortune in India. He had re- 
 turned to England a few years before, but 
 had speedily left it again for the Continent. 
 It was said, his health compelled him to live 
 abroad. Be this as it might, he had only been 
 once at Arundel Castle, for a few days, since he 
 had purchased it. In short, his whole conduct 
 seemed to exhibit the caprices of a very wealthy 
 and very whimsical individual; not the least proof 
 of which was, that, although he appeared to have 
 given up every idea of returning to England, he 
 still kept up an immense establishment at the 
 castle, and had every thing always ready for him, 
 in case he should take it into his head to arrive 
 at a moment's notice. 
 
 Arundel, feeling the necessity of regaining as 
 much composure as possible before he made his 
 appearance before his mother, sat down upon the 
 stump of a tree, and gazed upon the scene we 
 have just described. But the thoughts that 
 pressed upon his mind were not of a nature to 
 restore him to tranquillity. He could not but
 
 54 ARUNDEL. 
 
 remember that all the wide extent of country 
 which lay around him, had once belonged to his 
 family ; and that the humble cottage before him, 
 which was all he could call his own, had, in days 
 of yore, been frequently bestowed upon some 
 favourite and deserving retainer of the family, 
 rent free, as a reward for past services. fc ' And 
 here am I," thought he, "the descendant of 
 those bold and powerful barons, who led their 
 vassals to conquer on the fields of Cressy and 
 Agincourt ; here am I, reduced to the necessity 
 of exiling myself from my native land, in order 
 to procure the means of subsistence. My blood 
 flows as warmly, my courage is as undaunted as 
 theirs ; but shall I ever have the opportunity of 
 showing that I am not unworthy of my lineage ? 
 At all events, I will not now disgrace it by un- 
 worthy repinings. The founder of my race had 
 probably to struggle with greater difficulties 
 than those I am now surrounded with ; and to 
 him was wanting the powerful incentive of 
 having the honour of a long line of illustrious 
 heroes to uphold. I will not prove weaker than 
 he was ; and if I cannot restore the splendour of 
 my house, I trust I shall never have to reproach 
 myself with having tarnished its past honours." 
 While such thoughts as these presented them-
 
 ARUNDEL. 55 
 
 selves in rapid succession to his mind, the even- 
 ing was fast closing in ; yet still he lingered on 
 the spot where he had first seated himself. He 
 felt that sort of indefinite apprehension which is 
 so apt to seize upon the imagination, when we 
 are on the point of approaching those we love. 
 He felt as if he had no courage for the interview 
 which was awaiting him ; while, ever and anon, 
 a small still voice seemed to urge him forwards. 
 He could almost have imagined that some one 
 was whispering in his ear, " Hasten, or you will 
 be too late." The gloom of the approaching 
 night seemed to have penetrated his soul. At 
 last, unable to resist the agitation of his spirits, 
 he started up, and rushed hastily down the hill. 
 By the time he reached the bridge, every thing 
 was enveloped in darkness, save one window of 
 the cottage, which was lighted by a single 
 candle. Hastily making his way to the en- 
 trance, he found it fastened ; and, after some 
 ineffectual attempts to find the bell, he deter- 
 mined to walk round through the pleasure 
 garden, to the windows of the drawing-room, 
 which opened down to the ground, and which, at 
 this season of the year, were generally left open 
 till the inmates retired for the night. Through 
 one of these he got into the room, which was
 
 56 ARUNDEL. 
 
 empty, and without a light. Not knowing what 
 to make of this solitude, he groped his way to 
 the bell, and rang it violently. In a few minutes 
 the room was entered by a maid servant, whose 
 face he did not recollect, bearing a light; but 
 who no sooner caught a glimpse of him, than, 
 letting the candle fall, she rushed out of the 
 room again with a loud exclamation of terror. 
 Provoked at her folly, Arundel again applied 
 himself to the bell, and this time with success ; 
 for the door opened, and a young lady, running 
 up to him, and throwing her arms round his 
 neck, exclaimed, "I knew it must be you, 
 
 Henry." 
 
 " Yes, my dear Ellen, it is I, sure enough," 
 
 said Arundel, tenderly kissing her ; " whom was 
 
 I taken for ? But what is the matter ?" seeing 
 
 that she sunk into a chair almost fainting. 
 
 " How is my mother ?" 
 
 " Oh, thank God you are come !" said Ellen ; 
 
 " though I hardly hoped you would have got 
 
 my letter soon enough." 
 
 " Letter ! — what letter? I received no letter 
 
 from you ; it is almost accidental my being here 
 
 to-day ; but what was the letter about; — how is 
 
 my mother ?" 
 
 " Oh, Henry," replied his sister, " 1 wrote
 
 ARUNDEL. 57 
 
 the day before yesterday; but you could not 
 have had time to receive it. My mother has 
 had another fit, and is very ill. It is only since 
 this afternoon that she has recovered sufficiently 
 to recognize me ; but I trust the happiness 
 of having you here will be the best medicine 
 for her." 
 
 " Can I see her?" said Arundel, turning his 
 head away, to conceal his emotion. 
 
 " Dr. Powis is now here; he came about ten 
 minutes before you. He is with her; and I 
 think I had better consult him about it; as, 
 perhaps, any violent emotion might be pre- 
 judicial." 
 
 " Do, dearest Ellen ; lose no time, I beg of 
 you ; or rather, beg Dr. Powis to come and 
 speak to me here." Ellen left the room, and in 
 a few minutes Dr. Powis made his appearance. 
 " Welcome back to Northumberland, my dear 
 sir," said he, stretching out his hand. " I wish 
 it had not been under such melancholy auspices; 
 but still your arrival here is most fortunate." 
 
 " Dr. Powis," said Arundel, ' ' let me know 
 exactly what you think of my mother's state; 
 and do not be afraid of shocking me. I am 
 prepared for the worst, and can bear it." 
 
 " My dear sir," said the Doctor, " nature has 
 
 d5
 
 53 ARUNDEL. 
 
 many resources unknown to art; and your mother 
 is far from being an old woman," 
 
 " I understand you," said Arundel; " but still 
 I wish to know how long you think my mother 
 may yet have to live." 
 
 " Really, you ask me a question it is not easy to 
 answer; but I much fear it will not be long. If 
 the medicines I have administered produce the 
 effect they ought to do — and I grieve to say that 
 as yet they have not produced the slightest — she 
 may live for some days, perhaps weeks ; but, as 
 it is, I doubt her living through the night." 
 
 " So sudden, Dr. Powis !" and Arundel leant 
 against the chimney-piece for support. 
 
 " Come, my dear young gentleman," said the 
 Doctor, who at bottom was a good -hearted man, 
 though grown rather callous by his long pro- 
 fessional practice, " you must endeavour to arm 
 yourself with resignation, for the sake of Miss 
 Ellen. Poor dear, she will feel the blow heavily 
 indeed. She has not been in bed for two nights; 
 and her health is not very strong just now. For 
 some time past, something seems to have been 
 preying upon her spirits; she is not the merry 
 light-hearted girl she was when you were here 
 last, Mr. Arundel." 
 
 " Doctor," said Arundel, rousing himself
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 59 
 
 from the fit of abstraction in which he had been 
 sunk during the last speech; "can I see my 
 mother ? Will you undertake to break to her 
 that I am in the house, and prepare her for see- 
 ing me?" 
 
 " Certainly ; I think it will do her good 
 rather than otherwise. Have the goodness to 
 wait here a few minutes ;" and so saying, he left 
 the room ; and Arundel again sank into a gloomy 
 reverie, from which he was soon roused by the 
 entrance of Ellen, who came to conduct him to 
 his mother's room. 
 
 " I feel greater hopes," said she, " than I 
 have done for some time. When Dr. Powis 
 mentioned your name, the colour came into her 
 cheeks; and she begged, in almost, a strong 
 voice, that you might come directly." Arundel 
 sighed heavily, as he followed his sister; for he 
 was aware of the fatal truth ; and he had not 
 courage to answer her. When they entered the 
 room, he went silently to the side of the bed, 
 and kneeling down, kissed his mother's hand. 
 She had hardly strength to murmur his name ; 
 but soon recovering from her emotion, she beg- 
 ged to be left alone with her two children. On 
 Dr. Powis and the nurse leaving the room, she 
 said, in a stronger voice, " Come near me, my
 
 60 ARUNDEL. 
 
 children ; this is indeed a blessing. I hardly 
 expected to have had you near me, Henry, when 
 I die." 
 
 " Oh, mother/' exclaimed Ellen, ie you will 
 live yet many long years. Doctor Powis told me 
 he hoped much from the original strength of 
 your constitution." 
 
 " My dear Ellen, Dr. Powis may deceive you 
 and himself, but me he cannot. I feel the hand 
 of death upon me ; and I thank God that it has 
 no terrors for me. I did once hope to have 
 been permitted to live to see my children restored 
 to that rank in society they are entitled to ; but 
 an all-wise God has ordained it otherwise ; and 
 I can still say with sincerity, i His will be done.' 
 His goodness is already more than I deserve, in 
 permitting me to embrace my son once more 
 before I die. Henry, I need not tell you to 
 take care of your sister ; you will soon be her 
 only protector ; the only being on earth to whom 
 she can look for advice and assistance ; and you, 
 Ellen, look up to him, as you would to a father, 
 and take no important step in life without con- 
 sulting him. My dear boy, you know the views 
 I have always had for you; you are old enough 
 to judge whether they are wise or not, and you 
 will now act according to your own discretion.
 
 ARUNDEL. 61 
 
 I sometimes feel that, perhaps, I should not have 
 departed from your dear father's plan. If I have 
 acted wrong, my intentions were good ; I was 
 proud of my children, and wished others to ad- 
 mire them also. Embrace me, my children; few 
 mothers can say, as I can, that their children 
 have given them nothing but unalloyed happi- 
 ness. And now leave me. I have sent for the 
 clergyman, and hear him in the next room. I 
 wish to be alone with him. I will see you to- 
 morrow morning." 
 
 They both threw themselves on their knees 
 before the bed, and embraced her ; while Arun- 
 del said, " My dearest mother, rest assured 
 that whatever may happen, my first, my most 
 anxious care, shall be for Ellen's happiness; 
 my next, to carry all your known wishes into 
 effect." Saying this, he raised up Ellen, who 
 was almost insensible, and retired with her 
 from the room. In the passage he found Dr. 
 Powis, whom he beckoned to follow him; and 
 having conducted his sister to her own room, he 
 led the way to the garden. " Doctor Powis," 
 said he, " my mother evidently wishes to spare 
 us the sight of her last moments. I shall not 
 leave the room, after the clergyman has retired, 
 till" — he faltered a moment — " till all is over;
 
 62 ARUNDEL. 
 
 but I am most anxious that my sister should be 
 spared this: you must order her to bed, and give 
 her a sleeping potion. Will you undertake this ?" 
 
 (i Indeed, I think it is the best thing that can 
 be done," replied the Doctor; I feel convinced 
 from the rapid change that has taken place in 
 Mrs. Arundel, that she cannot last many hours ; 
 and the shock would be too much for Miss Ellen 
 to bear, worn out as she is by fatigue and un- 
 easiness." 
 
 Dr. Powis accordingly took his way to Miss 
 Arundel's room, and knocking at the door, was 
 alarmed at receiving no answer. He entered 
 without further ceremony, and found that she 
 had fainted away on the floor. Without loss 
 of time, he summoned one of the maids to her 
 assistance, and having easily restored anima- 
 tion, he desired she might be undressed, and 
 put to bed, while he went to prepare a draught 
 for her. With this he soon returned, and 
 having given it to her, while she appeared 
 to be almost unconscious of what was passing, 
 he had the satisfaction of seeing her in a few 
 moments fall into a profound sleep. He then 
 rejoined Arundel in the garden, and both of 
 them returned into the house ; in a few mi- 
 nutes, having seen the clergyman retire, they
 
 ARUNDEL. 63 
 
 went into the room where Mrs. Arundel lay. 
 Both were shocked at the change, which in so 
 short a time had taken place in her appear- 
 ance — she was evidently dying. Still she had 
 strength enough left to say, ' My son, I wished 
 to spare you this; where is Ellen?' Arundel 
 hastened to assure her she was in a sound sleep, 
 and that strict orders had been given on no 
 account to disturb her. Mrs. Arundel made an 
 attempt to speak, but could only utter some in- 
 articulate sounds. She then sank into a dose, 
 which lasted nearly an hour, at the expiration of 
 which she started up, and exclaiming, " Bless 
 you, my children" — expired without a struggle. 
 When Arundel was aware that all was over, 
 he burst into a paroxysm of tears, and kneeling 
 down by the bed, remained for some time in 
 silent prayer, before he suffered himself to be 
 led away by Dr. Powis, who told him that he 
 would take charge of every thing that remained 
 to be done ; and would remain in the house till 
 after Miss Arundel should awake. Arundel 
 thanked him by a squeeze of the hand, and re- 
 tired to the solitude of his own room. Here he 
 remained in deep and solemn reflection for many 
 hours, without an attempt at repose. The new 
 duties that had devolved upon him, and the con-
 
 64 ARUNDEL. 
 
 sideration of the best way to provide for their 
 execution, occupied his most anxious thoughts. 
 His sister was now entirely dependant upon him. 
 It was impossible for him to think of leaving 
 her alone with her grief; yet he saw the great 
 inconvenience of taking her with him to France, 
 at a time when that country was on the eve of 
 a revolution, in which he was preparing to take 
 an active part. On the other hand, he was 
 convinced of the necessity of removing her from 
 a spot where every thing would serve to recall 
 to her her recent loss, and keep fresh in her 
 mind the recollection of Hammond, which he 
 was bent upon effacing, if possible. At length, 
 he decided that his best plan would be to take 
 her with him, and place her in some convent in 
 or near Paris, where he could see her every 
 day, and where, at the same time, she would be 
 under the protection of those of her own sex, 
 and secure from the consequence of any popular 
 violence or riot. While he was yet busied with 
 these thoughts, the sun had risen, and the morn- 
 ing was already far advanced, when he heard a 
 knock at the door, and Ellen herself made her 
 appearance. 
 
 " I have sent Mary," she said, (i to see if we 
 can go to my mother yet ; but how is this — you 
 have not been in bed yourself?"
 
 ARUNDEL, 65 
 
 " My own Ellen," returned Arundel, " have 
 you seen Dr. Powis this morning ? " 
 
 " I saw him walking in the garden, as I came 
 down stairs ; what does he say of mama ? " 
 
 " Ellen, my dearest Ellen, you must collect all 
 your fortitude ; you will see your mother no more." 
 
 Miss Arundel instantly comprehended the 
 fatal truth, and bursting into tears, she ex- 
 claimed : " Oh ! Henry, this was cruel of you, 
 to deprive me of my mother's last blessing — did 
 she not think of me, and ask for me ?'' 
 
 " It gave her comfort in her last moments," 
 replied her brother, "to know that you were 
 asleep, after all your fatigues and exhaustion ; 
 and the last words she uttered were, to invoke a 
 blessing upon both her children." 
 
 At this moment, Dr. Powis entered the room : 
 " Miss Ellen," said he, " I am very angry with 
 you ; I do not allow my patients to quit their 
 rooms without my permission." 
 
 " Would to God I had never gone into it, and 
 then I might have soothed my mother's last mo- 
 ments," was the reply. 
 
 " My dear, good young lady, you have sus- 
 tained a grievous loss ; but you should be thank- 
 ful for what is still left you," said the Doctor : 
 " and it may be some consolation to you to
 
 66 ARUNDEL. 
 
 know that Mrs. Arundel's last moments were 
 without pain ; and as far as mortals can judge, 
 without a thought to embitter them. And now, 
 Mr. Arundel, if you will but consider me as a 
 sincere, though humble friend, you will allow me 
 instantly to take Miss Arundel home with me in 
 my gig, and will follow yourself in the course of 
 the day. Mrs. Powis will do all she can to 
 make you comfortable, and a little change of 
 scene and air will do both of you good." 
 
 Arundel's first feeling was that of offended 
 pride, at its being supposed that he would put 
 himself under such an obligation to a country 
 apothecary ; it lasted but a moment, and soon 
 gave way to the impulse of his better nature. 
 " My dear sir," said he, taking the Doctor cor- 
 dially by the hand ; " most gratefully do I ac- 
 cept your kind offer, as far as regards my sister, 
 at least ; for as for me, I have so much to do, 
 that my time will be fully occupied for some 
 days to come ; in addition to which, I will not 
 leave the house in which my mother is, solely to 
 the care of servants." 
 
 " Oh Henry !" cried Miss Arundel, " do not 
 send me from you; my duty retains me here, 
 quite as much as it does you." 
 
 " Ellen, it is better for both of us, that you
 
 ARUNDEL. 67 
 
 should go," said her brother ; " I will come over 
 and see you every day : it is the first request I 
 have made you — do not refuse me." Ellen re- 
 luctantly acquiesced, and it was settled that 
 Dr. Powis, who had some patients to visit at a 
 considerable distance, should call on his return in 
 the evening, to take his future guest with him. 
 
 Miss Arundel had retired to make the ne- 
 cessary preparations for her absence, and her 
 brother was occupied in his own room, when a 
 gentleman on horseback rode hastily up to the 
 house, and having alighted, insisted, in spite of 
 the opposition of the servants, on seeing Arun- 
 del. It proved to be Sir John Hammond. As 
 soon as he had entered the room, he said, 
 " My dear Arundel, I only heard yesterday of 
 your mother's illness, and to-day on my way 
 here to make enquiries, I met Dr. Powis, who 
 communicated to me the melancholy news of her 
 death, and your own arrival. I cannot tell you, 
 how much 1 was shocked by it — so young too ; 
 she could not have been more than forty-five. 
 However, 1 trust you will allow me to consider 
 myself as an old friend, and as such I beg you 
 will make use of me in any way you think fit. I 
 should also tell you, that Charles received this 
 morning a letter from Lord Havant, informing
 
 68 ARUNDEL. 
 
 him of all that has happened at Cambridge since 
 he left it. Of course he had not before men- 
 tioned his folly to me ; but on the receipt of 
 this letter, he confessed it all to me. I never 
 can express sufficiently how truly grateful I feel 
 for the manly and friendly part you acted ; nor 
 my deep regret, at the unfortunate consequences 
 my son's imprudence has entailed upon you. I 
 must, however, do Charles the justice to say that 
 he is perfectly miserable, and that he has al- 
 ready written to the Vice-Chancellor a letter 
 containing a history of the whole transaction. 
 But all this we must discuss at some other time ; 
 what I want you to do now, is to bring your sis- 
 ter over to Hammond Place, and make it your 
 home for the present." 
 
 How bitterly did Arundel regret that delicacy 
 and honour combined to make him refuse a pro- 
 posal, which, under any other circumstances, 
 would have been the very thing he could have 
 wished. As it was, he was compelled to decline 
 it, which he did in an embarrassed manner, 
 alleging as an excuse, the promise they were 
 under to Dr. Powis. 
 
 "Oh!" said Sir John, "if that is all, you 
 may make your mind quite easy ; Dr. Powis 
 told me that he was to carry off Miss Arundel,
 
 ARUNDEL. 69 
 
 but when I expressed a similar determination, 
 he at once, and with great propriety, waved his 
 claim in my favour. No, no, Mrs. Powis is the 
 best person in the world, I believe, in her way ; 
 but she is not a proper chaperon for Miss Arun- 
 del. Your father chose to cut us all, when he 
 sold Arundel Castle ; but he could not make us 
 forget the friendship and high regard we all had 
 for him ; and it shall never be said that his chil- 
 dren wanted a home, while I have a roof over 
 my head." 
 
 When Arundel saw him so determined on 
 carrying his point, which was urged in so 
 friendly and delicate a manner that he could 
 not persist in his refusal without giving just 
 offence, he resolved at once to tell his visitor the 
 motives of his determination; and after a short 
 silence, he said, " Sir John, the very kind man- 
 ner in which you have pressed this matter, com- 
 pels me to tell you why I cannot accept it. 
 Circumstances have lately brought to my know- 
 ledge the fact that an attachment exists between 
 your son and my sister ; had I been earlier ac- 
 quainted with it, I should have done my utmost 
 to stop so disproportionate a connexion, before 
 it had gone to the extent it has — as it is, you 
 you will now understand why your house is the
 
 70 ARUNDEL. 
 
 very last place that can afford a home to Ellen." 
 " Do you mean to say that you were only 
 aware of this lately ?" said Sir John. 
 
 6i I only knew it on the evening previous to 
 your son's duel. I trust, Sir John, you will do 
 me the justice to believe that I would never for 
 a moment have sanctioned an enlargement en- 
 tered into without your knowledge. Miss Arun- 
 del herself," added he, rather proudly, " whatever 
 might be her feelings in a moment of excitement, 
 would never consent to steal into a family with- 
 out the knowledge of its principal members." 
 
 " By heaven," exclaimed Sir John, " you 
 are a noble fellow ; I partly suspected this, 
 though I had no idea it had gone so far, for I 
 think you talked of an engagement ; but my 
 good sir, do not think I should have had the 
 blindness to encourage my son in living inti- 
 mately in the society of a beautiful and accom- 
 plished young woman, if the connexion had been 
 one that I was likely to disapprove." 
 
 " How !" cried Arundel, ie does it meet your 
 approbation ?" 
 
 "Ay, that it does; and I thank heaven for 
 giving me such a daughter : so now I suppose 
 you will no longer make any objections to my 
 plan of taking you both home with me, where we 
 can talk over our future proceedings at leisure."
 
 ARUNDEL. 71 
 
 c * Sir John," said Arundel, hardly able to 
 speak from emotion ; " you have made me a 
 happier man than I ever hoped to be again. 
 My darling Ellen will be, I hope, as happy as 
 she deserves to be, and Charles too. I am 
 afraid you will think me very ungrateful in 
 starting anything like an objection, after your 
 kindness ; but I confess, I should like to see the 
 marriage itself deferred for some time. Ellen is 
 only seventeen, and Charles is but three years 
 older: and I must say, I should like him to 
 become a little steadier than he is at present, 
 before he marries my sister. 
 
 " My dear Arundel," said Sir John, " we 
 will talk over all these things at leisure ; of 
 course, under present circumstauces, it is need- 
 less to say that an immediate union is out of 
 the question. Miss Arundel certainly cannot 
 marry for the next six months; but if you will 
 believe me, great as may be the inconveniences 
 attending early marriages, they are not to be 
 compared to those attending long engagements. 
 The position of both parties is, in a manner, 
 the reverse of that which they will respect- 
 ively occupy in after life. The lady commands, 
 the gentleman obeys; and when this state of 
 things has lasted for any length of time, it is no 
 easy matter to restore them again to their natu-
 
 7*2 ARUNDEL. 
 
 ral state ; for although no woman of sense, who 
 respects her husband and herself, will ever wish 
 to domineer, and no man of spirit would submit 
 to it, yet the precise limits to which authority 
 may fairly be extended on the one hand, and 
 obedience expected on the other, are so ill- de- 
 fined, that it requires very often great tact and 
 management to adjust the balance; and this diffi- 
 culty is naturally increased when the parties 
 have been for a long time playing directly the 
 contrary parts. Lovers, too, are naturally living 
 in a state of complete deception and hypocrisy, 
 in most cases probably quite unintentionally ; 
 but where there exists a strong desire to please, 
 there must also necessarily exist a strong anxiety 
 to keep one's faults in the back ground, and ex- 
 hibit only the most pleasing parts of one's cha- 
 racter. Half the unhappiness that exists in 
 married life is, I believe, to be attributed to the 
 discoveries that are constantly making of the 
 great difference of dispositions before and after 
 marriage. Then come accusations of deception, 
 very unfairly — for, as I before said, the fraud 
 was an involuntary one, and inherent in human 
 nature ; accusations are followed by recrimina- 
 tions and all the misery and bitterness of mar- 
 ried strife, merely because the lovers expected
 
 ARUNDEL. 73 
 
 to marry angels, and find out that they are 
 united to human beings like themselves." 
 
 " I cannot say I have made these matters my 
 study," said Arundel, half smiling; " but surely, 
 a woman has a better chance of becoming 
 thoroughly acquainted with a man's disposition, 
 by a long and intimate intercourse with him, 
 than if she has only known him a short time ; 
 and there is always the chance that the long 
 habit of keeping a strict guard over ourselves 
 may eradicate, or at least diminish, any evil pro- 
 pensity of our nature." 
 
 " I grant that, where there are any strong 
 passions or positively vicious inclinations," re- 
 joined Sir John, " they will probably occasion- 
 ally force themselves into notice in the course of 
 a long intimacy ; but how seldom is this the 
 case. Ninety-nine young men out of a hun- 
 dred, are free from any positive vice ; even if 
 the seed of evil exists, it generally takes years 
 to develope it; and it is only when vice has 
 become a confirmed habit, that it exhibits itself 
 in strong colours. What chance has a girl of 
 knowing how a man spends his time, when he is 
 absent from her society? How, for instance, 
 can Miss Arundel know that Charles is not a 
 gambler — violent in his temper — tyrannical to 
 
 VOL, I. E
 
 74 ARUNDEL. 
 
 his inferiors — addicted to women or the plea- 
 sures of the table ? Why, even I, with much 
 better means of information, cannot be sure on 
 all these points ; though I believe him to be 
 free from them, as confirmed vices. She cannot 
 know, as I do, that he once lost a considerable 
 sum at Newmarket — that he had a horse there, 
 running under another man's name — that he 
 was by no means the most sober man at Cam- 
 bridge — that just before he left Eton, he fancied 
 himself in love with a very worthless woman — 
 and that only last year he had to pay ten 
 pounds for breaking his servant's head. You 
 seem surprised at the accuracy of my informa- 
 tion. A father is too anxious not to take care 
 to be kept au courant of his son's follies. Now 
 do you suppose that if any one were to tell all 
 this to Miss Arundel, she would believe one 
 word of it ? No, she fancies she knows Charles 
 too well, to allow that he could be capable of 
 such enormities, as she would think them. We 
 think them follies of youth; and though as* a 
 father I cannot approve of them, I cannot con- 
 sider them as proofs of a vicious disposition. 
 I believe him to be wild and thoughtless, but 
 I trust he has good principles, I know him to 
 have an excellent heart, and I believe there is
 
 ARUNDEL. 75 
 
 no better way of confirming his principles, and 
 putting a stop to his thoughtlessness, than by 
 marrying him to a beautiful and sensible girl, to 
 whom he is attached, and by whom his affection 
 is returned." 
 
 " My dear sir," exclaimed Arundel, " I am 
 sure you do Charles no more than justice. Were 
 I not as sure of his principles and honourable 
 nature as I am of my own, nothing would tempt 
 me to confide my sister's happiness to his keep- 
 ing." 
 
 "I am sure you would not," said Sir John ; 
 "and without any compliment, I always felt your 
 friendship a guarantee for his principles. Be- 
 lieve me when I say, that there is no man, 
 whether old or young, for whom I feel greater 
 esteem than I do for you, my young friend ; for 
 I have watched your conduct through life, as 
 carefully as my son's. But I merely wished to 
 show you, how little a long courtship has to do 
 with knowledge of character. I speak not of 
 women who live in the world ; they probably 
 could obtain an accurate knowledge of all the 
 proceedings of all their acquaintance, if they 
 wished it ; but they would find the life of one 
 the life of all, with some trifling exceptions ; and 
 what we unsophisticated country folks call vice, 
 
 e 2
 
 76 ARUNDEL. 
 
 would probably be treated as a matter hardly 
 deserving of reproof. There is besides some 
 feeling in such women, which certainly makes 
 them pleased rather than otherwise with the at- 
 tentions of men of notorious profligacy; whether 
 it is the vanity of enchaining the conqueror or 
 the more meritorious motive of converting the 
 sinner that animates them, I will not undertake 
 to determine ; but so it is." 
 
 " Well, but surely," said Arundel, Ci women 
 are not guilty of this deception ; they can have 
 no vice to conceal, or but very seldom." 
 
 " Men certainly have better opportunities of 
 judging of women, than women have of judging 
 of men," replied Sir John ; " seeing them, as we 
 have frequent opportunities of doing, in the 
 bosoms of their families ; but even there, one is 
 not safe : if the match is a good one, the mem- 
 bers of the family play into each other's hand, 
 to keep up the delusion ; and it is not vice alone 
 that makes unhappiness in marriage. What 
 think you of temper, for example ?" 
 
 " Well, my dear sir," said Arundel, " it is 
 lucky Charles and Ellen have not heard your 
 declamation ; it is enough to frighten any one 
 from the holy estate." 
 
 " Not so," replied Sir John ; " I hold marriage
 
 ARUNDEL. 77 
 
 to be the great link of society, and as such, 
 entitled to all our respect and reverence. All I 
 have said only amounts to this, — that like all 
 other conditions through which we pass, it is 
 liable to disappointment, from which no previous 
 observations can secure us." 
 
 " If one did not know how happily you and 
 Lady Hammond live together, we might almost 
 fancy you were complaining of your own fate," 
 observed Arundel. 
 
 (i I imagine," replied Sir John, " that no one 
 possessed of feelings of delicacy, would ever 
 allude to his own family, unless he could do so 
 in terms of praise and approbation. Lady Ham- 
 mond is an excellent woman in every respect; 
 and I can conscientiously say, that I believe few 
 married people have ever lived so happily and 
 well together, as we have done; and yet per- 
 haps, you could have no stronger instance of the 
 truth of what 1 have advanced. You know, 
 Lady Hammond and myself were first cousins ; 
 and as both our families were exceedingly de- 
 sirous of seeing the two properties united, we 
 were absolutely brought up together, and our 
 intimacy encouraged by every possible means ; 
 so that it was natural to suppose that we should 
 know every turn and bent of each other's dispo-
 
 78 ARUNDEL. 
 
 sition. Soon after I attained my majority, we 
 married, and were, I really believe, as much 
 in love with each other as any two people ever 
 were. Well, I assure you, it was three or four 
 years before we were thoroughly comfortable 
 and happy together, before we had learnt each 
 other's ways, and knew how to make those 
 little mutual concessions, which are so necessary 
 to happiness, and yet are perhaps more difficult 
 to make than important sacrifices. But come, 
 while I have been, lecturing here, I have let half 
 the day slip away — I shall return home imme- 
 diately, communicate to Lady Hammond what 
 has passed, lecture Charles, and send the car- 
 riage in time to bring you and your sister to 
 dinner. We are quite alone, so you will have 
 nothing to interfere with you ; and if you prefer 
 it, you can live in complete privacy. So now 
 adieu for the present — of course you will prepare 
 your sister to be received by a father and mother, 
 who will make no distinction between her and 
 their other children." 
 
 « Oh Sir John!" said Arundel, seizing his 
 hand; "you must think me very ungrateful, 
 very insensible to all your goodness, but I have 
 no words to thank you ; my heart is too full of 
 such conflicting emotions."
 
 ARUNDEL. 79 
 
 " I do not want your thanks, my dear boy, 
 nor do you owe me any; on the contrary, we 
 must thank Miss Arundel for taking charge of 
 my scapegrace of a son." 
 
 Arundel assured him that his sister would be 
 ready to depart at the hour named ; but excused 
 himself for the same reasons he had given Dr. 
 Powis. Sir John could not but approve his con- 
 duct ; and it was finally settled, that Arundel 
 should remain at Rosedale till the funeral was 
 over, when he would remove to Hammond Place; 
 and satisfied with this arrangement, the worthy 
 baronet took his departure. 
 
 Arundel had now to undertake a task which 
 puzzled him not a little ; and that was, to break 
 to his sister all that had passed in such a way as 
 to spare her any violent emotion, which she was 
 ill able to bear. He went slowly up to the 
 room which had been always known as Miss 
 Ellen's boudoir, revolving in his mind how 
 to begin. When he went in, he was quite 
 alarmed at the state of nervous anxiety in which 
 he found her ; she had seen Sir John ride up to 
 the house, and from the length of his visit, and 
 his not asking to see her, had conjectured, that 
 she and Charles must have been the subject of 
 conversation ; while, from what she felt to be an
 
 80 ARUNDEL. 
 
 uncivil neglect, she augured nothing good. She 
 was looking out of window, watching Sir John, 
 as he rode fast away ; but upon hearing her 
 brother enter the room, she flew to him, and ex- 
 claimed : iC Oh Henry ! tell me all ; I can bear 
 anything but this dreadful suspense." 
 
 " My dearest sister," said he, (i compose your- 
 self; I have no bad news for you :" and seeing 
 her incredulous look, he felt the best way would 
 be to tell her exactly how matters stood. Be- 
 ginning therefore from the commencement, he 
 stated to her the whole conversation, as far as 
 regarded herself and Charles Hammond. 
 
 When she understood that Sir John gave his 
 consent to their marriage, the sudden revulsion 
 of feeling was too much for her, and she sunk 
 into a chair in a fit of hysterical crying. This 
 however did not last long — the first words she 
 uttered were, " Oh that my mother had lived to 
 give me her blessing this day ; how have I de- 
 served so much happiness? Oh Henry, what 
 can you think of me, when you hear me talking 
 of happiness at such a moment? — how selfish I 
 must appear to you !" and she again burst into 
 tears. Arundel endeavoured to soothe her, and 
 at last succeeded; though it was a long time 
 before he could persuade her to go to Lady
 
 ARUNDEL. 81 
 
 Hammond's that evening. At length she yield- 
 ed, on Arundel's promising to accompany her, 
 with the understanding that he should return in 
 an hour or two to sleep at Rosedale. 
 
 E O
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 In the meantime, Sir John returned as fast as 
 his horse could carry him to his own house, and 
 proceeeded, without loss of time, to inform his 
 wife of all that had happened, and the arrange- 
 ments that he had made. Lady Hammond was, 
 as Sir John had truly said, an excellent person 
 in every sense of the word; she had been very 
 handsome, and was still a most pleasing looking 
 matronly woman. Without being clever, she 
 had a sufficient stock of plain good sense for all 
 the purposes of life. She looked up to her hus- 
 band with pride and affection, and was firmly 
 convinced that whatever he said or did was 
 right ; and as she had brought up all her child- 
 ren with the same notions, Sir John had the
 
 ARUNDEL. 83 
 
 happiness of enjoying that most rare of all repu- 
 tations, that of being " a prophet in his own 
 country." After all, if a woman wishes to enjoy 
 a quiet, peaceable life, it is by no means a bad 
 calculation to set up her husband as a sort of 
 oracle, whose decisions are to be considered as 
 immutable as the laws of the Medes and Per- 
 sians. Sir John says this, or Sir John thinks 
 that, is a very convenient mode of putting an 
 end to a discussion or enforcing a command; 
 and I earnestly advise all married ladies to 
 give it their serious consideration. The plea- 
 santest way of reigning, after all, is by throwing 
 all responsibility on the shoulders of some one 
 else. 
 
 To proceed with our story. Lady Hammond 
 had been all along aware of the probability of 
 her son's becoming attached to Miss Arundel; 
 and, though she had at first insinuated some- 
 thing about Charles doing better with his fortune 
 and expectations, yet when she found that her 
 husband had set his heart upon the plan, she 
 instantly withdrew her opposition, and was pre- 
 pared to receive Ellen with all the affection of 
 her warm heart. She felt, too, a good deal 
 shocked at the sudden death of Mrs. Arundel. 
 They had been friends in early youth; and
 
 84 ARUNDEL. 
 
 although the latter had never of late years 
 been upon intimate terms with any of her 
 neighbours, and had refused all the numerous 
 invitations to Hammond Place, yet she had 
 always seemed pleased when they did meet, and 
 had shown a great partiality for Charles Ham- 
 mond, whose intimacy with her son she had en- 
 couraged by all the means in her power. No 
 one hears with indifference of the death of an 
 acquaintance of the same age with one's-self ; and 
 Lady Hammond's thoughts reverted with a sigh 
 to the time when Mrs. Arundel and herself had 
 appeared, for the first time, as brides and rival 
 beauties at the county balls. The time that had 
 elapsed since that period had passed swiftly, and 
 how differently had it fared with the two friends. 
 The one, deprived of her fortune and her hus- 
 band early in life, had sunk into a premature 
 grave, after a continual struggle, if not with 
 absolute poverty, at least with narrow circum- 
 stances. The other had continued growing in 
 prosperity and honours, and as yet scarcely felt 
 the rude touch of time. She could not help 
 asking herself how she had deserved so different 
 a lot ; and these thoughts gradually softened 
 down into compassion for the unprotected state 
 of the daughter of her early friend ; while she
 
 ARUNDEL. 85 
 
 felt happy in the thought that the task of soft- 
 ening her affliction was thus as it were to be en- 
 trusted to one of her family. Under the inspi- 
 ration of these feelings, she told Sir John that 
 she would go herself to fetch Ellen, that she 
 might feel more at her ease on her arrival at 
 Hammond Place; and then declaring that the 
 girls ought to be told of the footing on which 
 Miss Arundel stood with regard to their brother, 
 she departed in quest of them. 
 
 As soon as she had left the room, Sir John 
 sent to tell his son that he wished to see him, 
 and endeavoured to persuade himself that he 
 ought to be very angry with him ; for, although 
 he had no objection to his falling in love with 
 Miss Arundel, and indeed had done all he could 
 to encourage his attachment, he was by no means 
 pleased to find that Charles had entered into 
 a positive engagement without consulting him ; 
 although, from motives of delicacy, he had said 
 nothing on the subject to Arundel. He had 
 rather arbitrary ideas of paternal authority, and 
 felt that Charles had shown a want of confi- 
 dence in him, which he had neither deserved nor 
 expected. 
 
 " Charles," said he, when his son entered 
 the room, " I have just returned from Rosedale,
 
 86 ARUNDEL. 
 
 where I found our friends in the greatest afflic- 
 tion. Poor Mrs. Arundel died last night." 
 
 " Good God ! sir, how shocking !" cried his 
 son. " I had no idea she was so ill. Dear 
 Mrs. Arundel, I shall never forget her goodness 
 to me;" and Charles tried to hide the tears 
 which trickled down his face, as he called to 
 mind a thousand acts of kindness he had re- 
 ceived at her hands; he felt, moreover, that 
 his never having called at Rosedale since his 
 return, which his promise to Arundel had effec- 
 tually prevented, must have struck his old friend 
 as being very ungrateful. Then his thoughts 
 took another turn, iC And how is El — Miss 
 Arundel? — how does she bear it?" 
 
 " Miss Arundel," said Sir John, " is of course 
 in great affliction ; but most fortunately, or 
 rather most providentially, her brother arrived 
 last niofht from London, in time to close his mo- 
 ther's eyes. So far she is not unprotected. Of 
 course you conclude that my first impulse was to 
 beg them to come over to Hammond Place, 
 (Charles began to look rather foolish,) that they 
 might no longer have before their eyes scenes 
 which could only serve to keep alive their afflic- 
 tion ; and great, I confess, was my sorrow — I
 
 ARUNDEL. 87 
 
 may say indignation — to find that your conduct 
 had deprived them of that resource." 
 
 (i My conduct, sir !" exclaimed his son. 
 
 " Yes, Charles, yours; your clandestine en- 
 gagement with Miss Arundel compelled her 
 brother to decline my offer. He is the very 
 soul of honour, and would not consent to let his 
 sister inhabit my house, while she was under an 
 engagement to the son without the approbation, 
 or even knowledge, of the father." 
 
 " Oh my father !" exclaimed Charles, " I 
 have acted very foolishly — very ill ; but not so 
 much so, I hope, as you appear to think. I 
 promised Ellen to ask for your consent so soon 
 as I took my degree ; but when Arundel found it 
 out, he made me give my word of honour to 
 take no further steps till he had seen his sister ; 
 I had hopes — I felt sure you must love her, as 
 everybody else does ; but as all that is over, you 
 shall see, sir, that if I have been wrong, I know 
 how to repair it. I will leave Hammond Place 
 directly. Send to say they may come here with- 
 out fear ; I will promise to see Ellen no more, 
 but do not let them be without a home. Poor 
 Ellen ! — what a situation ; no woman near her, 
 and her mother dead in the house ; and Henry, 
 too ! first I have ruined him, and now I deprive
 
 88 AUUNDEL. 
 
 him of your friendship. For God's sake, sir, 
 send directly !— they will not find me here when 
 they arrive." 
 
 Sir John was too much pleased with the good 
 feeling his son evinced, though not a little 
 amused hy his wrongheadedness, to interrupt him, 
 till he had fairly spoken himself out of breath. 
 He then said, " I think, Charles, I have always 
 shown myself an affectionate father; and I do 
 not see why you should imagine I am now going 
 to assume a new character. If you had had a 
 little more confidence in me, you would have 
 saved yourself, and those you love, considerable 
 anxiety. However, you need not be just yet in 
 such a violent hurry to run away. I have had a 
 long conversation with your friend Arundel; 
 and the result of it is, that Miss Arundel will 
 consent to come this evening to this house, of 
 which I trust she will one day or other be the 
 mistress, though I confess I am in no hurry to 
 see that day arrive." 
 
 Charles, hardly daring to trust his ears at this 
 unhoped-for confirmation of his happiness, seized 
 his father's hand ; and, kissing it, proceeded to 
 give vent to his joy in a thousand extravagant 
 unconnected exclamations. At length his father 
 obtained a moment's silence.
 
 ARUNDEL. 89 
 
 " Arundel/' said Sir John, " from a very 
 proper feeling of delicacy, will not leave Rose- 
 dale till after the funeral is over. His sister, no 
 doubt, will be so much fatigued and agitated 
 with the various emotions to which she has been 
 exposed, that it would be cruel to subject her to 
 anything more this evening; and therefore I 
 think you cannot give her a better proof of your 
 affection and reasonableness than by going over 
 and sleeping at Rosedale. Henry is quite alone, 
 and probably the presence of a friend will be a 
 real comfort to him." 
 
 Charles gulped down, as well as he could, the 
 vexation this proposal caused him ; for what 
 man, and a young man too, would not feel 
 vexed at being obliged to postpone seeing his 
 mistress for twenty-four hours, even were the 
 object to comfort his dearest friend. He con- 
 sented, however, with a tolerably good grace. 
 
 " Well, then," said his father, " you shall 
 start on horseback an hour after the carriage, 
 and go across the fields, so that you will run no 
 risk of meeting Miss Arundel ; and I will ride 
 part of the way with you, as I want to charge 
 you with a commission for your friend." 
 
 In the meantime the hours past on at Rose- 
 dale ; and a short time before the carriage was
 
 90 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 expected, Ellen begged her brother to accom- 
 pany her to her mother's room, that she might 
 once more look on the parent she had so tenderly 
 loved. He tried to dissuade her; but finding 
 her bent upon it, they both entered the room 
 together. Mrs. Arundel's illness had been so 
 short, and the latter part of it so free from pain, 
 that her features retained, even in death, the 
 character of placid benevolence that had distin- 
 guished them during life. An indifferent ob- 
 server would have thought she slept, so little 
 was she changed. Her children reverently ap- 
 proached the bed in which she lay, and, kneeling 
 down together, continued for some time in silent 
 and earnest prayer. What soothes the mourner 
 more than the idea that the departed spirit is 
 not indifferent to the weal or woe of those it 
 loved on earth ? at least so felt Ellen, as, burst- 
 ing into a passion of tears, she threw herself on 
 the bed, and called upon her mother to look 
 down upon her and bless her. Henry's entrea- 
 ties at length prevailed on her to calm herself, 
 and, pressing one long kiss on the cold lips, she 
 left the room. In a few minutes, the Ham- 
 mond carriage arrived ; and, to Ellen's surprise 
 and embarrassment, Lady Hammond alighted 
 from it.
 
 ARUNDEL. 91 
 
 " I am come to fetch my daughter," said she, 
 " to the home which I trust she will always 
 consider her own. My dear Ellen, you have 
 lost your best friend ; but you have many left, 
 who will endeavour to replace her." 
 
 Ellen was so overwhelmed with this reception, 
 that she could hardly articulate a few words in 
 reply. Arundel came to her relief. 
 
 " This is such unexpected kindness, that you 
 must allow Ellen to show her gratitude in deeds, 
 not words. Ellen, you had better not keep Lady 
 Hammond waiting, as it is late. You do not 
 now want me to go with you — so I shall wish 
 you, not good bye, but good night, for I will 
 come over early to-morrow and see you." 
 
 Poor Ellen, hardly knowing what she did, 
 suffered him to lead her to the carriage, followed 
 by Lady Hammond; and they were soon on their 
 way from Rosedale. 
 
 Arundel returned to his room, and endeavoured 
 to occupy his mind by looking over the different 
 books and accounts : which were, as usual, after 
 any continued absence on his part, in consider- 
 able disorder, when he was roused by a ring at 
 the door bell, and in walked Charles Hammond. 
 
 " Arundel, my dear friend," said he, " will 
 you give me a bed and a dinner, for I mean to 
 spend the evening with you ?"
 
 92 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " This is kind, indeed, Charles; I can fully 
 appreciate the sacrifice, but I am not selfish 
 enough to accept it." 
 
 " Nay, I must not take more credit for it 
 than I deserve ; my father first suggested it to 
 me, for he thinks Ellen will be too much fatigued 
 to see any one to-night, so he sent me over to 
 keep you company. How is she ?" 
 
 " Why," replied Arundel, " I hope a day or 
 two's rest will set her up again ; for, to say truth, 
 she wants it." 
 
 " I am sure I do not wonder at it; and you, 
 my dear Henry, how do you feel ? Do you for- 
 give me for being the cause of your expulsion ? 
 If you do, it is more than I can myself." 
 
 " There is nothing to forgive," replied 
 Arundel. " I knew the risk I ran, and I volun- 
 tarily stood the chance ; and after all, I only did 
 for you what you would have done for me." 
 
 " Tell me, Arundel ; your poor mother must 
 have thought it very unkind in me never to have 
 called on her, so good as she was to me ; did she 
 not say so ?" 
 
 Arundel satisfied him on this head ; and soon 
 after dinner was announced, which passed over 
 in silence. When the servant left the room, 
 Hammond began fidgetting about on his chair,
 
 ARUNDEL. 93 
 
 evidently wishing to speak, and not very well 
 knowing how to begin. Arundel was at first 
 too much absorbed in thought to pay attention 
 to him ; but at length, observing his uneasiness, 
 he said, w Come, out with it, Charles; I know 
 your ways of old." 
 
 " Well, then," said Charles, " I have a mes- 
 sage to you from my father. You cannot think 
 how grieved he is at your expulsion from Cam- 
 bridge, knowing, as he does, how completely it 
 ruins your prospects in every way. I need not 
 add how entirely I agree with him in this feeling. 
 He desires me to say that as his son has been 
 the cause of such a misfortune, his son is bound 
 to repair it as much as possible ; that if you wish 
 to diminish his regret in any degree, and I must 
 add my remorse, for I have felt it more than I 
 can describe — indeed, I believe if I had killed 
 you out shooting, I should not have been so 
 much grieved. (" Thank you," said Arundel.) 
 No, you need not say thank me in that manner. 
 I know what you mean ; but where was I ? Oh ! 
 my father authorizes me to say that he hopes 
 you will allow me so far to repair the mischief I 
 have done, as to consent to divide with me my 
 grandfather's property ; stop — hear me out before 
 you speak; that, you know, is two thousand
 
 94 ARUNDEL. 
 
 pounds a year — one thousand a year a-piece, till 
 he can obtain for you some place of equal value; 
 and he proposes, if agreeable to you, to try to 
 get you a secretaryship to some embassy ; and 
 when you have once got your foot on the ladder, 
 you are certain of rising to the head of your 
 profession. He thinks that your expulsion will 
 not affect you in that career ; and besides you 
 know his two seats in parliament give him a cer- 
 tain influence; or, if you prefer it, he will at 
 once settle one thousand pounds a year on you ; 
 and if you feel you can support ministers gene- 
 rally, he will bring you unshackled into parlia- 
 ment as soon as you are of age." 
 
 4S I am sure," replied Arundel, Ci I need not 
 tell you how sensible I am of your father's kind- 
 ness; and be assured that I am not the less 
 grateful for his offer, that I decline it altogether. 
 I have enough to live upon ; and even if I had 
 not, my principles would not allow me to eat the 
 bread of dependence, so long as I have it in my 
 power to provide for my subsistence. The 
 diplomatic profession is one for which I have 
 always felt the greatest aversion. Nor, to tell 
 you the truth, would I consent to accept any 
 favour from the present government, whose poli- 
 tical system I entirely disapprove. The same
 
 ARUNDEL. 95 
 
 reason of course would prevent my accepting the 
 offer of a seat in parliament upon the terms you 
 mention, had I the least wish to do so ; but I 
 have not. I have my way to make in the world, 
 and a parliamentary existence requires the undi- 
 vided attention of any one who embraces it with 
 the conscientious determination to do his duty. 
 In my opinion, a man ought to be thoroughly 
 independent in his circumstances before he 
 aspires to a seat in parliament, or he will find it 
 extremely difficult to place himself above the 
 suspicion of interested motives; and a public 
 man, like Caesar's wife, ought not even to be 
 suspected. Now I have not these qualifications ; 
 I am very poor, and my whole time is already 
 devoted to another purpose, which absorbs all my 
 thoughts, and demands all my energies. Be- 
 sides, do you think me so selfish as to accept a 
 a seat in parliament, which I know has been kept 
 for you ; and knowing, too, with what pride and 
 impatience Sir John is looking forward to the 
 time which is to give a second Chatham to Eng- 
 land, in your person ? And now, as this is 
 rather a painful topic to me, and I have given 
 you not only a refusal, but the reasons for that 
 refusal, which must prove to you that my mind 
 is quite made up on the subject ; let me beg of
 
 96 ARUNDEL. 
 
 you to drop it for ever, as no circumstances can 
 alter my determination." 
 
 Hammond knew his friend too well to attempt 
 to reason him out of his resolution, although he 
 thought he pushed his delicacy to an absurd 
 extent ; and he could not help saying, " I think 
 you over fastidious; but I shall not press the 
 matter further : only I must say that you indulge 
 your pride and overstrained delicacy without 
 any regard to the feelings of your friends. My 
 father I know will be much hurt; I will not 
 speak now of myself; but recollect that the very 
 essence of friendship, such as I had hoped ours 
 was, consists as much in knowing how to be 
 obliged as in obliging. There is little generosity 
 in the determination you evince, to keep me so 
 immensely your debtor." 
 
 " My dear Charles," replied Arundel, " you 
 are now talking like a child ; the only obligation 
 you are under to me, is that once I was your 
 second in a duel, an act involving no great stretch 
 of friendship. The circumstances resulting from 
 that act, being quite accidental and unforeseen, 
 can certainly not be said to increase the obliga- 
 tion, and therefore have nothing to do with the 
 question. The case therefore stands thus. — I 
 gave you a very ordinary proof of friendship, for
 
 ARUNDEL. 97 
 
 which you propose to give me a pecuniary re- 
 compense. To this I have one very simple 
 answer. — I do not sell my friendship. But enough 
 of this style of argument. If ever I want as- 
 sistance of a pecuniary or any other nature, you 
 know full well there is no man on earth to whom 
 I would apply sooner than to you ; and if you 
 still persist in thinking yourself my debtor, as 
 you are pleased to express it, I will point out a 
 way in which you can not only cancel the debt, 
 but return the obligation a hundred fold, and 
 that is, by making my sister happy." 
 
 A warm squeeze of the hand was the reply, 
 and a silence of some minutes ensued. At 
 length Hammond said, " Well, what do you 
 mean to do ? — and what is this wonderful object 
 to which you have devoted yourself?" 
 
 " I have not arranged my plans sufficiently 
 yet to enter into a full explanation; but you 
 shall know all before long." 
 
 With this answer Hammond was obliged to 
 content himself, and soon after the two young 
 men separated for the night. 
 
 The next day, soon after breakfast, they rode 
 over to Hammond Place, and found all the fa- 
 mily assembled in the drawing-room, with the 
 exception of Ellen, who was in her own room, 
 
 VOL. I. f
 
 98 ARUNDEL. 
 
 and who sent to beg her brother to come up 
 stairs, as soon as she heard of his arrival. He 
 found her much better in looks and spirits than 
 he could have expected, and more resembling the 
 Ellen of former days than he had seen her since 
 her return. He looked at her for some minutes 
 with pride and pleasure ; and certainly it did not 
 require the partial eye of a brother to find out 
 that she was worthy of admiration. Her beauty 
 was of that sort which seems peculiar to the 
 daughters of the north. The soft melting blue 
 eyes — the fair silken ringlets parting over a fore- 
 head whiter than alabaster — the pure transparent 
 skin, just tinged with the most delicate carnation, 
 all proclaimed her of British birth; while her 
 slender figure, cast in the most perfect mould 
 of symmetry, somewhat perhaps above the 
 common height of woman, possessed a dignity 
 and grace that seemed to attest the purity of her 
 blood, and the antiquity of her lineage. 
 
 " I am so glad to see you," said she, address- 
 ing her brother. " I want you to go down stairs 
 with me ; I am almost afraid to go down alone. 
 They are really too kind to me. I should feel 
 more comfortable if they would not always be 
 studying what is to make me so. They seem to 
 think of nothing but me ; and I am not quite
 
 ARUNDEL. 99 
 
 used to it yet ;" and after a pause, she added, 
 " Is Charles come back with you ?" 
 
 " That is a question I need not answer ; if 
 you will turn your head, you may see him walk- 
 ing with Sir John in the flower garden. If you 
 want to get over the awkwardness of a first 
 meeting, you cannot have a better opportunity. 
 Put on your bonnet, and we will go and meet 
 them by accident" 
 
 Ellen made no answer, but was ready in a 
 minute ; and on the two parties meeting, Sir 
 John took Arundel by the arm, and the two 
 lovers were left by themselves. 
 
 " Ellen, my Ellen," began Charles ; when he 
 was interrupted by Miss Arundel, who said, 
 
 " Charles, I am very glad to have this oppor- 
 tunity of speaking to you alone. I wished to 
 explain to you what you must already feel — that 
 for the present, I cannot allow you to make any 
 allusion to our situation. I am too unhappy — 
 too miserable to think of anything but that my 
 poor mother — Oh Charles ! you would not wish 
 it yourself; you know how she loved you ; do 
 not add to my affliction by using language which 
 my present situation forbids me to listen to. 
 Promise me you will only treat me as one of 
 your sisters." 
 
 f2
 
 100 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " I will do anything you wish," said Charles, 
 with a look that contrasted strangely with his 
 words ; " but surely my duty, my privilege is to 
 share your afflictions as I would your pleasures, 
 and alleviate your sorrows as I would add to your 
 happiness. Nay, I have done, do not leave me ;" 
 as he fancied he saw Miss Arundel disposed to 
 withdraw her arm from his ; " only tell me you 
 were not angry with me for running away last 
 night." 
 
 " How could I be angry with what was so con- 
 siderate, so dear of you. You could not have 
 pleased me more than by your kindness to poor 
 Henry. It made me very melancholy to leave 
 him all alone, till Lady Hammond told me you 
 were going over to him ; so far from being 
 angry, or even annoyed, it made me " 
 
 <f What, Ellen ?" said Hammond, seeing she 
 paused for a moment. 
 
 " I was going to say it made me like you 
 better." 
 
 " Only like ?" 
 
 A gentle pressure on his arm gave him a more 
 satisfactory reply than words could probably 
 have done. Now Hammond had pretty well an- 
 ticipated what Ellen's answer would be, when 
 he asked her if she had felt angry with him the
 
 ARUNDEL. 101 
 
 night before ; and he had thrown it out as a sort 
 of decoy to turn the conversation back to the 
 point from which he had started. The calcula- 
 tion was not so bad ; and finding it had suc- 
 ceeded, he proceeded to follow up his advantage. 
 Love scenes, however, are proverbially unin- 
 teresting to all but the parties concerned; and, 
 therefore, we will content ourselves with stating 
 that before they were rejoined by Arundel and 
 Sir John, my Ellen — which, by the bye, had been 
 improved into my own Ellen — had said something 
 to my dear Charles which put him into the high- 
 est good humour for the rest of the day. 
 
 In the meantime the conversation between Sir 
 John Hammond and Arundel had been of a 
 highly interesting nature to both of them. The 
 former, who had already heard from Charles of 
 the bad success of his negociation, had again 
 attempted to press his offers in the most deli- 
 cate manner ; but he was met by a refusal so 
 decided, although couched in the most respectful 
 and grateful terms, that he reluctantly gave up 
 the point, and was obliged to confess to himself, 
 that his esteem and admiration were, if possible, 
 increased for the young man ; who, proud of his 
 independence, and confident in his own resources, 
 determined to work out his fortunes alone and
 
 102 ARUNDEL. 
 
 unassisted. Arundel, without at the present 
 moment fully explaining his projects, hinted at 
 the possibility of his going abroad shortly, and 
 no longer offered any objection to his sister's 
 marriage taking place as soon as the mourning 
 for his mother should be over. It was therefore 
 arranged that Charles and Ellen should be united 
 as soon as the former should attain his majority, 
 which would be in ten months' time; and Sir 
 John expressed his determination to send him 
 to travel abroad till that period arrived. It was 
 further agreed that as soon as the funeral was 
 over, Arundel should endeavour to let Rosedale, 
 and fix his residence at Hammond Place as long 
 as he remained in the north. It was further 
 settled between the high contracting powers, 
 that Miss Arundel should remain there also till 
 her marriage. This arrangement suited Arundel 
 perfectly, as the only obstacle to his going abroad 
 was now removed ; and he had the pleasure of 
 knowing that his sister would be living in the 
 midst of a family who loved and appreciated her, 
 and of which she was soon to become a member. 
 Everything being thus settled to their mutual 
 satisfaction, they all four returned to the house, 
 and Arundel soon after took his leave on his 
 return home.
 
 ARUNDEL. 103 
 
 The days that intervened between this period 
 and that of the funeral, had nothing to mark 
 them, except a letter that Arundel received from 
 Serjeant Owen, in reply to one he had written on 
 his arrival in the north, in which he had informed 
 him of the position in which he was placed, and 
 the little probability there was of being able to 
 proceed to France as soon as he had hoped. He 
 had therefore begged that a deputation to the Na- 
 tional Assembly, in which the Serjeant was anx- 
 ious to include him, might not be delayed on his 
 account. This letter had discomposed Owen not a 
 little. He felt that the names of the members of 
 the society were, for the most part, unknown to the 
 world ; and a deputation coming from them was 
 not very likely to excite much interest at Paris. 
 He had consequently seen the great advantage 
 of having Arundel amongst them, whose name 
 was an historical one, and whose family had 
 played a conspicuous part in public affairs in 
 nearly each successive reign since the Conquest. 
 He had laboured, therefore, amongst his col- 
 leagues, to obtain the adjournment of their mis- 
 sion, but in vain ; and he now wrote to announce 
 this result to Arundel, and to condole with him 
 on what he supposed would be a great disap- 
 pointment to him. In this, however, he was 
 mistaken ; in the enthusiasm of the moment
 
 104 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Arundel had been hurried on to give his acqui- 
 escence to Owen's plan ; but, upon reflection, he 
 felt all the advantage he should derive, from 
 arriving at Paris unconnected with, or at least 
 unpledged to, any party ; and he congratulated 
 himself upon hearing that he would now have it 
 in his power to make the observations and in- 
 quiries necessary for his guidance, before he 
 could be called upon in any way to commit 
 himself. 
 
 At length the day arrived, on which Mrs. 
 Arundel's remains were to be consigned to the 
 tomb. The magnificent mausoleum of the Arun- 
 del family had been reserved from the general 
 sale of the property ; and it was there that her 
 body was to be laid, by the side of her husband, 
 amidst the marble monuments and tattered ban- 
 ners, displaying the armorial bearings of his 
 race. Strange, that the vanity of man should 
 follow him to the charnel house ! that he should 
 still seek to surround himself with the vain pomp 
 of heraldry, and the insignia of rank and power, 
 when reduced to that state which levels all dis- 
 tinctions, where the son of the bondsman is on 
 an equality with the mightiest monarch ! Such, 
 however, were not the thoughts of Arundel, as 
 he accompanied the melancholy procession. He
 
 ARUNDEL. 105 
 
 felt a degree of satisfaction and pride in the 
 idea, that although others, while living, might 
 rule over the ancient possessions of his house, 
 the mouldering bones of his ancestors still re- 
 tained possession of the soil, as if their spirits 
 protested from the tomb against the disinherit- 
 ance of their descendant. These distempered 
 workings of the imagination seemed to acquire 
 a sort of reality, when on approaching the gates 
 of the park, through which they had to pass, he 
 found all the tenants of the estate, who had 
 most of them held farms for many generations 
 under the Arundel family, drawn out to accom- 
 pany the widow of their last landlord to her 
 silent home. Arundel was deeply affected by 
 this proof of attachment ; and as he gazed upon 
 the features of many a well-known face, some- 
 thing seemed to whisper to him, that the day 
 would come, when he should pass those gates as 
 the master of the broad domain that lay before 
 him. His morbid sensibility had never allowed 
 him to enter Arundel Castle, since he had been 
 carried from it on the day when his father left 
 it for ever; and he had even endeavoured as 
 much as possible, when at Rosedale, to direct his 
 walks and rides in a contrary direction. Still, 
 he was well known to all his father's old tenants, 
 
 f 2
 
 106 ARUNDEL. 
 
 and his affable manners, and the constant inte- 
 rest he manifested for their welfare, had greatly 
 increased the attachment with which in England 
 the yeoman and the peasant invariably regard 
 the members of the family which has been for a 
 length of time connected with them, by the ties 
 of neighbourhood and good offices. 
 
 In no country in the world does this feeling 
 exist, as it does with us. The sports of the 
 field, the occupations of agriculture, a similarity 
 of interests and tastes, all combine to promote a 
 good understanding between every class of an 
 agricultural population; and as nothing is so easy 
 for a country gentleman, living on his own 
 estate, as to conciliate the affections of his hum- 
 bler neighbours, so I know nothing which gives 
 a more unfavourable impression of him, than to 
 find that he has not succeeded in so doing. But 
 this warm attachment more particularly exists, 
 where the land has remained for centuries in the 
 same hands ; and many years must elapse before 
 the inhabitants of an estate can bring themselves 
 to view with the eye of favour those who replace 
 an ancient family. Benefits are unheeded, cha- 
 rity is lavished in vain ; they cannot so soon 
 change their idols, and are too apt to institute 
 comparisons unfavourable to the last comer,
 
 ARUNDEL. 107 
 
 whom they generally look upon in the light of 
 an usurper. But in Arundel's case, the circum- 
 stances were still stronger in his favour. He 
 had been deprived of his property through no 
 extravagance, no fault of his own, or even of his 
 father's; and not being very acute reasoners, 
 the old tenants and dependants could not avoid 
 connecting an idea of injustice with the transac- 
 tion which had disinherited him. They had no 
 one to whom they could transfer their affections, 
 for most of them had never even seen their new 
 landlord ; and they were only made aware of 
 his existence, by the periodical visits of his 
 steward, whose half-yearly exactions of rent took 
 place with the most edifying punctuality. 
 
 Arundel's manners, too, were exactly of that 
 sort which was calculated to ensure him popula- 
 rity. Reserved, and even haughty with his equals, 
 more perhaps from a dread of being led into ex- 
 pences he could ill afford, if he frequented their 
 society, than from any distaste to it ; he gave 
 way in his intercourse with his inferiors, to the 
 natural warmth of his heart, and benevolence of 
 his disposition. He enquired into their con- 
 cerns with interest, took part in their afflictions, 
 and no case of real distress ever appealed to him 
 in vain. True, the assistance he gave was
 
 108 ARUNDEL. 
 
 trifling, but the manner that accompanied it 
 increased its value to tenfold ; and as nothing is 
 ever kept secret, it was well known that he prac- 
 tised the most rigid economy himself, in order to 
 add to the comforts of his mother and sister. 
 
 At the door of the chapel, which formed part 
 of the mausoleum, they were met by the whole 
 Hammond family and Ellen, whom no entreaties 
 had been able. to keep away from the sad cere- 
 mony. Arundel was grieved to see that she 
 had persisted in coming ; but she bore the me- 
 lancholy scene much better than he had dared to 
 hope. The service was soon ended, and it was 
 not till the coffin had been lowered into the 
 vault, that she seemed to feel that her mother 
 was indeed separated from her by an impassable 
 barrier. She gave a faint low cry, so inexpres- 
 sibly touching, that it thrilled through the hearts 
 of every one present, and fell into a state 
 of insensibility. Her brother took advantage 
 of it to carry her to the carriage, which speedily 
 conveyed her to Hammond Place, whither Arun- 
 del followed her as soon as he had fulfilled the 
 last sad duties of filial affection. 
 
 The following day, Arundel explained to Sir 
 John his future intentions. " I feel," said he, 
 " that I have better chances of success in a new
 
 ARUNDEL. 109 
 
 state of society, than I can have here, where so 
 many professions are closed against me, and 
 where to succeed, one must have recourse to 
 favour and protection, both of which are repug- 
 nant to my disposition. At all events, should I 
 be disappointed, it will be no bad thing to see 
 something of the world ; and at the end of a 
 year, for I fully intend returning for Ellen's 
 marriage, perhaps the prejudices which my 
 expulsion from Cambridge have raised against 
 me, will have subsided, and I shall no longer 
 have so many obstacles to encounter as I have 
 at present. If the worst comes to the worst, 
 why I shall return to Northumberland, and cul- 
 tivate my paternal acres, which, with Hammond 
 Place under my lee, will not be such a miserable 
 existence after all." 
 
 Sir John did all he could to dissuade him from 
 this plan, which he considered as the mere crea- 
 tion of a disordered brain. The circumstances 
 of birth and long habit had confirmed him in 
 those doctrines of high toryism, of which, at 
 the present day, we can hardly form an idea. 
 Monarchs he considered as positive emanations 
 of the Deity ; and all the gradations of the aris- 
 tocracy, as so many representatives of the differ- 
 ent orders of the celestial hierarchy. Any
 
 1 10 ARUNDEL. 
 
 attempts to limit the authority or diminish the 
 prerogatives of the crown, were in his opinion 
 crimes, which he always expected to see pun- 
 ished by some sudden and visible manifestation 
 of the divine wrath. 
 
 These being his political views, it is easy to 
 conjecture with what feelings he regarded the 
 proceedings of the Tiers Etat, who had by this 
 time assumed the name of National Assembly, 
 and which he pictured to himself as a collection 
 of every thing that was bad and vicious — an 
 assemblage of needy adventurers and hardy 
 ruffians, alike despicable for their vulgarity, 
 their want of talent, and the meanness of their 
 extraction, and only formidable from their auda- 
 city and total recklessness of the consequences 
 of their measures. It is not therefore surprising, 
 that when he heard Arundel express his admi- 
 ration of their patriotism, and his intention of 
 going to France with the avowed purpose of 
 linking his fate with theirs, he should at first 
 imagine that his brain had become disordered 
 through the annoyances and grief which he had 
 lately undergone; and he ventured to drop a 
 hint about his endeavouring to compose himself, 
 and the propriety of his seeing Dr. Powis ; but 
 when Arundel proceeded to argue on the sub-
 
 ARUNDEL. Ill 
 
 ject in a manner that could leave no doubt as to 
 his perfect sanity, his countenance showed the 
 great concern under which he laboured. 
 
 « My dear Arundel," said he, " believe a 
 man who is more than double your age, and 
 who has seen a great deal of the world ; these 
 mad projects can end in nothing but the ruin of 
 their authors. I will say nothing of their crimi- 
 nality, but for God's sake, consider for one 
 instant the position in which these patriots, you 
 admire so much, stand ; — a few hundred factious 
 ragamuffins, totally unsupported, except by the 
 lowest rabble of Paris, who would join any cause 
 that offered a fair prospect of riot and opportu- 
 nities of plunder, undertake to dictate to one of 
 the most powerful, most absolute sovereigns in 
 Europe, with an immense army at his command, 
 well-appointed and disciplined, and supported by 
 all the nobility and gentry of the kingdom. 
 Why you might as well attempt to batter down 
 that oak with a penny pop-gun. Luckily for 
 them, they have to deal with a sovereign who 
 carries his good nature and clemency to a fault ; 
 but rely upon it, when once he feels that they 
 presume on this, so far as to direct audacious 
 views against the majesty of his throne, he will 
 sweep them from his path, as the sun dispels the 
 morning fog-.
 
 112 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " No, no, they know better than to awake the 
 sleeping lion. And after all, what is it all about ? 
 Why, every body knows that the French were 
 the happiest people in the world, and the most 
 contented, till a set of cursed demagogues, for 
 their own selfish purposes, tried to persuade 
 them to the contrary. On this head I can speak 
 from my own personal knowledge, for I was at 
 Paris when the present king, then Dauphin, was 
 married ; and I saw nothing but happiness and 
 good humour, cheerful faces, and merry voices ; 
 and certainly they had not then a monarch like 
 the one they now have. Louis XV, I must ad- 
 mit, was not free from weakness; but his suc- 
 cessor I firmly believe to be possessed of every 
 virtue under the sun : and the Queen is an 
 angel upon earth, if ever there was one." 
 
 (i I should have thought/' said Arundel, " that 
 the fall of the Bastille gives a pretty fair sample 
 of the king's power." 
 
 " Pooh !" said Sir John, rather nettled by 
 this allusion ; " who can guard against treache- 
 ry ? The Bastille, as I am credibly informed, 
 was betrayed into the hands of the mob ; indeed, 
 your own good sense must convince you that a 
 fortress of that description would have resisted 
 the efforts of all Paris for years, if it had been
 
 ARUNDEL. 113 
 
 properly defended. As it was, it was only gar- 
 risoned by a few decrepid old soldiers, and the 
 Governor proved himself nothing but an old 
 woman. And you, Arundel, with the best blood 
 in the three kingdoms flowing in your veins, to 
 associate yourself with a set of low blackguards, 
 who will only pick your pocket, and laugh at 
 you for your pains. No, if you must go to 
 France, you will find many opportunities of 
 entering upon a career worthy of your name, 
 your talents, and your birth. You could easily 
 enter into the Gardes du Corps, the first mili- 
 tary body in Europe, and there your advance- 
 ment will be sure and rapid." 
 
 " Yes," replied Arundel ; " but I cannot offer 
 my services to a cause I do not approve. I 
 think the French nation, for I cannot separate 
 them in my ideas from their representatives, are 
 engaged in a just struggle for the recovery of 
 their rights, of which they have been long de- 
 prived, it is true, but to which they have an 
 indefeasible claim ; and 1 wish them success 
 from the bottom of my heart. The king has 
 rights, and the nation has rights; let each enjoy 
 what fairly belongs to them, and respect that 
 which belongs to the other. I am quite aware, 
 that it is most probable that the people rank
 
 114 ARUNDEL. 
 
 among their defenders, many vulgar persons, 
 many illiterate persons, and very possibly many 
 vicious persons ; from the latter, I hope I shall 
 keep myself free — as for the others, I shall 
 always esteem honesty and virtuous actions, as 
 more than an equivalent for high rank or an 
 illustrious descent." 
 
 " That is all cant," cried Sir John, who began 
 to wax rather warm ; " I do not believe any 
 man ever despised the advantages of birth, if he 
 possessed them himself. Those who do not, 
 perhaps, may endeavour to conceal their morti- 
 fication, by railing at them ; but they deceive no 
 one — every body perceives why the grapes are 
 sour." 
 
 " Nor do I pretend to despise them," said 
 Arundel; "on the contrary, perhaps I rate them 
 too highly; all I contend for is, that a man 
 born in the lowest class, may be a more estima- 
 ble member of society than the prince on the 
 throne. But you will oblige me by allowing me 
 to drop the discussion, as my mind is made up 
 on the subject ; that is to say, as far as my 
 journey to Paris is concerned : for I have fully 
 determined not to commit myself in any way, 
 till I have satisfied myself by my own observa- 
 tion, as to the course it will be proper for me to
 
 ARUNDEL. 115 
 
 pursue when there. In the mean time, I hope 
 we shall be able to arrange so that Charles and 
 I may start at the same time, and then we can 
 go together as far as Paris, for I suppose you 
 intend him to go there first." 
 
 This was an unlucky hit on the part of Arun- 
 del, and it must be confessed, did not show 
 much tact. Sir John had by no means recovered 
 his equanimity, which had been sadly discom- 
 posed during the whole of this discussion ; and 
 this proposal of Arundel's quite transported him 
 beyond the bounds of moderation, and he ex- 
 claimed, with a vehemence very unusual to him, 
 "No — by God, I would as soon think of sending 
 him to hell." 
 
 But with this explosion all his wrath evapo- 
 rated at once, and ashamed of having allowed 
 himself to be betrayed into such a violent lan- 
 guage, he began walking up and down the room 
 in great agitation ; — at last he continued : 
 
 " No, Arundel ; it is just possible that your 
 steady head may carry you through the dangers 
 you are so unnecessarily courting, unscathed; 
 but as for allowing any son of mine, particularly 
 with Charles's disposition, to run after every no- 
 velty that happens to strike his imagination, to 
 stay for an hour in such a hot bed of atheism
 
 116 ARUNDEL. 
 
 and sedition as Paris is at this moment, I would 
 as soon think of firing a loaded pistol into a 
 barrel of gunpowder. He shall spend the next 
 year in Germany, and if you are wise, you will 
 go with him." 
 
 Arundel shook his head ; but felt, that as 
 far as regarded Charles, his father was acting a 
 prudent part in keeping him out of harm's way ; 
 and seeing Sir John a little calmer, he again 
 repeated his determination to take no important 
 step till after mature deliberation. 
 
 " Well/' said Sir John, " if you really act 
 up to that resolution, I have no doubt you will 
 return before two months are over, thoroughly 
 disgusted with all these new fangled doctrines of 
 equality and liberty, which are only other words 
 for a general plunder of the rich, and unbridled 
 licentiousness for all ; but I will say no more 
 about it. I am sorry I should have shown so 
 little command over myself; but you must be 
 aware I could have no object in view but your 
 good ; and I confess I do not know when I have 
 felt so much sorrow as at seeing a young man, 
 for whom I have so much esteem and affection 
 as yourself, throwing yourself headlong into the 
 arms of a set of blackguard democrats. I wish 
 you well through it; but I much fear you will
 
 ARUNDEL. 117 
 
 find it no easy matter to divest yourself of party 
 prejudice, and examine into the merits of the 
 case with the calmness of a philosopher. And 
 now, my dear Henry, we will say nothing more 
 on this subject; let me know if you have made 
 any arrangements about Rosedale, and if I can 
 be of any use to you." 
 
 " I hear," said Arundel, " that there is a 
 Mr. Cooper who would like to take it as a hunt- 
 ing-box, and he offers one hundred pounds a year 
 for it. I think I cannot do better than accept 
 the offer. You have been so kind to me and 
 mine already, that I am encouraged to ask an- 
 other favour of you. You know I shall not be 
 of age for some months, and Ellen is only seven- 
 teen. I understand it will be necessary for us 
 to have a guardian ; and if you would undertake 
 that office, which I trust will not be a very trou- 
 blesome one, I should feel it as a great obliga- 
 tion. The farm is let for three hundred and 
 fifty pounds a year, on which two thousand 
 pounds are settled for poor dear Ellen. Of course 
 I should wish her to receive the interest regu- 
 larly ; and if you will allow it on her marriage 
 to remain on mortgage, I should prefer it to 
 borrowing the sum elsewhere. I find, too, my 
 poor mother has left debts to the amount of be-
 
 118 ARUNDEL. 
 
 tween three and four hundred pounds : if you 
 could advance me that sum, it would be greatly 
 adding to my obligations to you. I think I have 
 now fully redeemed the promise I made Charles 
 of applying to you if I ever wanted assistance." 
 " To be sure I will," said Sir John ; " and I 
 am delighted at last to find you will condescend 
 to make use of your friends, although, from the 
 ceremonious manner in which you do it, one 
 would think you had been asking for some 
 mighty favour. You must have the act consti- 
 tuting me your guardian, drawn up as you pass 
 through London ; I suppose there is some form 
 necessary ; but I will give you the address of my 
 attorney, who will take care all is properly done. 
 You had better send your mother's creditors to 
 me — I will examine their claims, and have them 
 settled; and as you will want money abroad, 
 you must let me advance you a year's income, 
 which I will repay myself out of the rents as I 
 receive them, deducting the interest of two 
 thousand pounds for Miss Arundel as long as 
 she remains Miss Arundel ; for as to taking the 
 two thousand pounds when she marries Charles, 
 that is quite out of the question." 
 
 " That determination," said Arundel, " if 
 persisted in, I must consider as equivalent to
 
 ARUNDEL. 119 
 
 breaking off the marriage. We are not rich, 
 but we are not beggars. I am sure, Sir John, 
 you will not persist in a proposal, that only 
 serves to hurt the feelings of one you profess to 
 feel a friendship for." 
 
 " I tell you what it is, my boy," said Sir 
 John, endeavouring, though unsuccessfully, to 
 keep his temper; " your d d pride and ob- 
 stinacy will end by being your ruin. Mark my 
 words ; but have your own way — act just as you 
 think fit — I wash my hands of it ;" and so saying, 
 he recommenced his peripatetic exercises. 
 
 " Why, Sir John, after all," said Arundel, 
 half smiling, " I am only reminding you of your 
 duty to your ward ; you are bound to take care 
 of her fortune for her." 
 
 " Yes, and when I am your guardian, it will 
 be my duty to make you act with common 
 sense." 
 
 Arundel was rather startled at this hint, and 
 hastened to say, " But I consider you upon 
 honour, sir, not to interfere with the arrange- 
 ments which have already, in a manner, received 
 your sanction." 
 
 " My sanction !" exclaimed Sir John; " what 
 do you mean by that ? But, however, make 
 yourself quite easy ; you may go to the devil
 
 120 ARUNDEL. 
 
 your own way — I shall not interfere. Young 
 man, you have made me swear more in one hour 
 than T have done for years. This is the begin- 
 ning of your fine plans : what will be the end of 
 them, God only knows." 
 
 Arundel saw that the worthy Baronet was 
 greatly excited, and felt provoked with himself 
 for being the occasion of it. Taking him by 
 the hand, he said, " Forgive me, my dear sir, if 
 I have said anything disrespectful ; you must 
 know that nothing could be further from my in- 
 tentions. I should detest myself if I were ca- 
 pable of such ingratitude." 
 
 " I know you are not, my dear Arundel," 
 cried Sir John; "never mind what I have said; 
 I am out of humour with every body and every- 
 thing, and I must see if I cannot gallop it off be- 
 fore dinner; so till then, adieu !"
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Arundel now proceeded to prepare his sister 
 for his departure, which he had fixed for the 
 evening of the following day. As she had an- 
 ticipated this event, she was easily reconciled to 
 it, although she endeavoured to persuade him to 
 postpone it for a little time longer. He explained 
 to her all the arrangements he had made with 
 Sir John for both of them, and assured her that 
 she should see him again before twelve months 
 had elapsed. 
 
 " Recollect, Ellen," said he, in conclusion, 
 " that neither time nor distance will make any 
 diminution in the affection I bear you. You are 
 about to form new connections, and are already 
 surrounded by a family who love and admire you : 
 I stand alone in the world, with only your affec- 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 122 ARUNDEL. 
 
 tion to bind me to it. Do not let new ties or 
 new friendships usurp my place in your heart; 
 you will never find any one to love you better. 
 
 Ellen assured him he had nothing to fear 
 on that head, and promised to be very punctual 
 in her correspondence. They were interrupted by 
 Charles, who burst into the room, looking as if 
 he was out of his senses. 
 
 " Do you know, Arundel," cried he, a that 
 my father is going to send me abroad for a year, 
 and that I am to go up to town with you to-mor- 
 row ? Did you ever hear anything half so ab- 
 surd or tyrannical ? But I won't go — I don't see 
 why I am always to be treated like a child." 
 
 " Hush, Charles !" said Ellen ; " you do not 
 know what you are saying." 
 
 (i Oh yes ! I dare say you do not care for my 
 going away for a whole year : perhaps you would 
 not mind if I never came back ;" rejoined her 
 lover. 
 
 " Oh, Charles ! how can you be so unjust, so 
 unkind ! I did not expect this from you." Charles 
 was at her feet in a moment . 
 
 " Forgive me, Ellen ; I did not mean what I 
 said; but this plan has made me so unhappy, 
 when we were so comfortable here altogether, so 
 happy — to have it all put an end to, and for no
 
 ARUNDEL. 123 
 
 earthly reason that I can see. Say you are a 
 little sorry, Ellen." 
 
 il You know I am very sorry ;" replied she ; 
 " how can I be otherwise, when I lose you and 
 Henry at once? — but a year will soon be over — 
 you know you have promised to come back in a 
 year, Henry ; you will not disappoint me." 
 
 Arundel assured her he would not, if it de- 
 pended upon himself; "and as for you, Charles," 
 continued he, " I tell you fairly that I am quite 
 ashamed of you ; you, who ought to be the per- 
 son to reconcile Ellen to what is inevitable, do 
 all you can to add to her affliction. Depend 
 upon it, Sir John does not send you abroad with- 
 out having well considered it ; and indeed I do 
 not think that Ellen could have remained with 
 propriety at Hammond Place, if you were to 
 have been its constant inhabitant : so, by oppos- 
 ing Sir John, you would be only defeating your 
 own object. You will deserve to be treated like 
 a child, if you continue to act like one." 
 
 " It is very easy for you to preach resignation 
 and so forth ; you are not in love," said Ham- 
 mond. 
 
 " What !" cried Arundel, " do you think it is 
 an easy matter for a man to abandon his home ; 
 to leave all those he loves, to lead in fact the 
 
 g2
 
 J24 ARUNDEL. 
 
 life of an exile from his native land, and not to 
 feel it ! You go to travel abroad for a year, dur- 
 ing which time you will have nothing to do but 
 amuse and instruct yourself; at the end of that 
 time you return to your happy home— you marry 
 the woman you love — you become a member of 
 the legislature — you may attain every honour an 
 Englishman can aspire to; and you have no- 
 thing to look forward to but a life of prosperity 
 and happiness. I, on the other hand, go abroad 
 to seek my fortunes unaided, and even if I suc- 
 ceed, I must expect a long succession of strug- 
 gles and privations. If ever you feel discon- 
 tented with your lot, compare it with mine, and 
 judge which has the most reason to repine." 
 
 "I feel 1 have been very selfish;" said Charles; 
 i( but your destiny is your own choice — one word 
 from your mouth puts it on a level with mine." 
 
 "It is my own choice," replied his friend; 
 " and I tell you now, that I would not at this 
 moment exchange it for yours. I will yet coin 
 honours and distinctions for myself. But come, 
 I am becoming egotistical ; I am glad to hear we 
 are going to London together to-morrow, and as 
 I have much to do at the cottage, I will ride 
 over there now. By-the-bye, Ellen, Sir John has 
 had the goodness to send over for old Mabel,
 
 ARUNDEL. 125 
 
 who is to resume her functions of lady's-maid ; 
 he thought you would like to have your old nurse 
 about you." 
 
 The following day Arundel and Charles Ham- 
 mond took their departure for London. Sir 
 John, on taking leave of Arundel, gave him a 
 letter for the British Ambassador at Paris, who 
 was a relation of his, and with whom he was 
 still more intimately connected by the ties of 
 friendship. "I have merely told him,'' said he, 
 " that you are a ward of mine, without saying a 
 word as to the purpose you have in view in 
 visiting Paris. I have begged of him to make 
 it as pleasant to you as he can, and to take care 
 of you. You will find him a very pleasant, well 
 informed man, and the more you see of him, 
 the more you will like him ; I strongly recom- 
 mend you to cultivate his acquaintance, and he 
 will put you in the way of seeing what good 
 French society really is ;" and with this advice 
 Arundel promised to comply, as he did not see 
 the necessity of sacrificing the habits and inter- 
 course of polished life to his political feelings. 
 
 The day after their arrival in London, Charles 
 started for Harwich, from which part he was to 
 embark, according to Sir John's wishes, after 
 taking an affectionate leave of his friend, and
 
 126 ARUNDEL. 
 
 mutual promises of correspondence having been 
 exchanged between them. This separation made 
 Arundel feel rather low, and with a view to turn 
 his thoughts into another channel, he determined 
 to visit Serjeant Owen. He found that worthy 
 laid up with a severe fit of the gout, and not in 
 the best possible humour. As soon as he saw 
 Arundel enter, he cried out, 
 
 ei Ah ! so you are come at last, when you can 
 be of no use. I suppose you know our depu- 
 tation, which I meant you to join, started last 
 week ; I tried to stop them, but I fancy they 
 thought the fate of France depended upon their 
 being in Paris on a certain day, like a pack of 
 fools as they are." 
 
 " I explained to you," replied Arundel, <f the 
 circumstances, which made it absolutely impos- 
 sible for me to leave home before. I am now on 
 my way to Paris, for which place I shall set out 
 at the end of this week. But I am sorry to find 
 you laid up in flannels: how long have you been 
 unwell ?" 
 
 " Oh ! I forget — not long — I hope the worst 
 is over ; though every now and then I have a 
 severe twitch. But don't take notice of me — I 
 hate it, it always makes me worse ; and I never 
 let any body in to see me, when I am ill, though
 
 ARUNDEL. 127 
 
 I could not help making an exception in your 
 favour." 
 
 i( Well ! and how goes on the Society ? Is it 
 much increased ?" 
 
 " Oh ! d — n the Society — that is, I mean the 
 gout — oh ! the Society flourishes prodigiously, 
 too much so, perhaps. It is taking another 
 turn. I am half afraid the direction of it will 
 fall into bad hands. We have got a set of young 
 men, who talk of nothing but republican doc- 
 trines, and the necessity of purging the earth of 
 kings and priests. A republic is a very fine 
 thing in theory. Perhaps in a new country it 
 may answer. America is trying the experiment; 
 we shall see how it answers there : but to give 
 it a chance of success in Europe, it would be ne- 
 cessary to remodel society from the very foun- 
 dation, and not only root out our prejudices, but 
 change the current of all our feelings and affec- 
 tions, and I for one am not prepared to try the 
 experiment." 
 
 " Well, but if I remember right," said Arun- 
 del, " you were not always of this opinion ; I 
 think you once said that the time would arrive, 
 when the people would govern themselves, and 
 hereditary privileges would be abolished." 
 
 6( There is nothing incompatible," resumed
 
 128 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Owen* i( with that opinion and what I have just 
 said. Whenever the people really choose their 
 own representatives, and those representatives 
 possess their proper influence, the people may 
 fairly be said to govern themselves. I know you 
 may say, that if hereditary legislators are an ab- 
 surd anomaly in the constitution, afo?'tiori 9 an 
 hereditary mouarch is still more so ; but even 
 admitting this, you are to consider the relative 
 advantages and disadvantages of the two insti- 
 tutions. A house of peers returning, by means 
 of rotten boroughs, the majority of the House 
 of Commons, with great privileges, complete 
 irresponsibility, and possessed of immense influ- 
 ence through their vast possessions, and the sort 
 of traditional halo with which they are sur- 
 rounded, have it in their power to prevent any 
 measure from being carried into effect, however 
 beneficial in its nature, or however necessary its 
 adoption may be for the public welfare ; and the 
 people have no resource ; they must submit in 
 silence. The King and the nation are con- 
 trolled by a handful of interested individuals. 
 In fact, we are told that the form of our govern- 
 ment is that of a limited monarchy. I confess I 
 consider it to be a mere oligarchy. Whatever 
 tends to increase the political power of the peo-
 
 ARUNDEL. 129 
 
 pie, must naturally diminish that of the peerage, 
 and it requires no prophet to foretell that every 
 measure of reform will find a vehement and con- 
 stant opposition in the upper house. But the 
 case is far different as regards the Sovereign ; 
 he has no power, no influence, I may say no 
 friends, except what he derives from his politi- 
 cal situation ; and, surrounded by checks, he is 
 little more than a mere piece of clock-work. He 
 can never be a dangerous enemy to liberty, even 
 if his inclinations were inimical to it; and our 
 history shews that an English King cannot in- 
 dulge a tyrannical disposition with impunity. 
 You must have a chief magistrate, be he king, 
 president, or protector; and I confess I think the 
 hereditary principle, which we have adopted, 
 presents fewer objections, and even offers greater 
 guarantees for our liberties, than the elective 
 one, where the choice of a president marks the 
 triumph of a party." 
 
 " I believe you are right," replied Arundel ; 
 "and I much regret that all reformers do not unite 
 to obtain what is just and practicable, instead of 
 introducing wild and visionary plans of Utopian 
 perfection. After all, all we wish for is a good 
 government, founded on equal rights; and if that 
 is secured, what does it matter, what the form of 
 
 g5
 
 130 ARUNDEL. 
 
 government is called ? I am afraid that, if these 
 new doctrines prevail, it will do much to injure 
 the cause of the people, and will certainly excite 
 great prejudice against us." 
 
 6< I fear so too," said Owen ; "but if we do our 
 duty, that is all that concerns us, and then we 
 need not mind what is said of us." Arundel 
 was not quite of this opinion, but he said nothing, 
 and Owen continued. " I have written the letter 
 I mentioned, and I have got one for the Marquis 
 de la Fayette, so you will not find Paris quite a 
 terra incognita. Recollect, I shall expect to be 
 informed of all your proceedings. By-the-bye, 
 my brother was in town last week for a few days, 
 and inquired much about you. He says your 
 friend, Mr. Hammond, wrote a letter to the 
 Vice Chancellor, which has very much increased 
 the concern every one felt for your expulsion. 
 I told him you were going abroad, though with- 
 out mentioning your views. You probably 
 knew enough of his politics, to guess that he 
 does not view the proceedings in France with a 
 favourable eye. I tried hard to get him to our 
 society, by representing it to him as a sort of 
 debating society ; but it would not do, I fancy 
 he had heard something about it ; he had a lucky 
 escape, for I had composed a speech which I
 
 ARUNDEL. 131 
 
 meant to have had printed as coming from him, 
 and sent to all his friends at Cambridge :" and 
 the witty Serjeant chuckled over the intended 
 piece of mischief, with all the glee of a school- 
 boy, till a twinge of the gout put a disagreeable 
 termination to his mirth. (i Aye, aye !" said he, 
 as soon as the pain would allow him to utter ; 
 " the tables are turned against me now. It is 
 time for me to go to bed — I am afraid I cannot 
 say to rest ; so get along with you, and let me 
 see you to-morrow, if you can : at all events 
 before you leave London." This Arundel pro- 
 mised, and then took his leave. 
 
 The next morning he called on Sir John Ham- 
 mond's attorney, who promised to have every- 
 thing ready for him on the following day, and 
 this being 1 settled, he determined to let nothing 
 prevent his immediate departure. He called on 
 Owen to take leave of him, and found him con- 
 siderably better. Having received the letters of 
 introduction which have already been mentioned, 
 he returned to his lodgings ; and the next day, 
 his arrangements with the lawyer being com- 
 pleted, he started in the evening for Paris, at 
 which place he arrived, without the occurrence 
 of anything worthy of remark. 
 
 Arundel's first visit was to M. Martin, the
 
 132 ARUNDEL. 
 
 banker, on whom he had a letter of credit. He 
 was shewn into a magnificent salon, in one of 
 the largest hotels in the Chaussee d' Antin, where 
 everything seemed to indicate, on the part of 
 the owner, a desire to display to the greatest 
 advantage the wealth which he possessed. Gold 
 and silver were lavished upon every article of fur- 
 niture which was susceptible of receiving them, 
 while the very mirrors were half concealed by 
 the gorgeously gilt frames in which they were 
 enclosed, Still there was a want of good taste 
 in the arrangement of the apartment, which ren- 
 dered all this glare and glitter rather oppressive 
 than otherwise ; and Arundel felt a relief in turn- 
 ing his eyes to the large garden, which extended 
 to some distance at the back of the house. 
 
 He could hardly fancy that he was in the centre 
 of one of the largest and most populous cities in 
 the universe, so quiet and calm was everything 
 around him ; but he was soon disturbed in bis 
 meditations, by the entrance of a short, thick, 
 good-humoured looking man, the magnificence 
 of whose dress could not pass unnoticed, even in 
 those days of lace and embroidery. He announced 
 himself as M. Martin, and asked what he could 
 do for the service of Monsieur. Arundel told 
 him his name, and said that he had a letter of
 
 ARUNDEL. 133 
 
 credit to a small amount, on him, from his 
 correspondents in London. M. Martin welcomed 
 him to Paris, with great cordiality. 
 
 (i I was already apprised," said he, " of your 
 intended journey — my correspondents men- 
 tioned it in a letter 1 received from them two 
 days ago, and they have requested me to do 
 everything in my power to make your stay here 
 agreeable." 
 
 Arundel rightly conjectured that he was in- 
 debted to Sir John Hammond for this atten- 
 tion. 
 
 "I am afraid," continued the banker, < f you will 
 hardly think an old man like myself very well cal- 
 culated to do the honours of our Paris to you ; so 
 if you will allow me, I will have the honour of 
 introducing my son to you, who is perfectly 
 qualified for a cicerone and will be delighted to 
 undertake the task. Pray let Mons. le Comte 
 know that I wish to speak to him — " continued 
 he, addressing a servant who had entered the 
 room. (i I am too old to care about titles and 
 rank myself, but I bought the estate of Beauvoi- 
 sin for my son, which gives him the title of Count ; 
 and a marriage which I am now negotiating for 
 him, will give him the right of presentation at 
 Versailles, as well as that of entering the King's
 
 134 ARUNDEL. 
 
 carriages; so that in me the family of Martin 
 will end, to reappear in the illustrious house of 
 Beauvoisin. Excuse the details, my dear sir, but 
 as I hope to have the honour of seeing you very 
 often during your stay at Paris, I thought it as 
 well to give you our little family history, which 
 will make you feel less like a stranger amongst us. 
 
 " Adolphe — " said he, as his son entered the 
 room ; " I wish to introduce you to Mr. Arun- 
 del, the representative of one of the oldest fami- 
 lies in England ; and if I mistake not, a Count 
 of the Holy Roman Empire, of the creation of 
 Frederic Barbarossa." Arundel bowed assent, 
 and could not help feeling internally gratified at 
 this allusion to the prowess of one of his ances- 
 tors, who had saved the life of the Emperor at 
 the risk of his own, and had received from the 
 grateful monarch a reward, which his descen- 
 dants had always looked upon as one of their 
 proudest distinctions; so true it is that the surest 
 way of rendering one's-self agreeable in the eyes 
 of the wisest and best of us, is by delicately admi- 
 nistering to our vanity. 
 
 " If I might presume to offer any advice," con- 
 tinued the banker, "it would be to assume the 
 title of Count, to which you have so good a right, 
 while you remain in France. The well educated no
 
 ARUNDEL. 135 
 
 doubt "would requireno such distinction to acknow- 
 ledge your claims of birth ; but the generality 
 of the world in France would find considerable 
 difficulty in comprehending how a plain Mr., with- 
 out even the noble particle before his name, could 
 lay claim to be ranked among the nobility." 
 
 " In England," said Arundel, "we never use 
 foreign titles. The Arundels have never con- 
 sidered even English ones as necessary to the 
 illustration of their family, and we have repeat- 
 edly declined the honours of the peerage ; al- 
 though in days of yore the names of my ances- 
 tors have frequently appeared among those of 
 the great Barons, holding immediately of the 
 Crown. I must therefore decline adopting your 
 advice — though I feel greatly obliged to you for 
 the motive which suggested it." 
 
 " I think M. Arundel right," said de Beau- 
 voisin ; "titles are no longer necessary to estab- 
 lish a man's claim to respect ; all these aristo- 
 cratical distinctions are going out of fashion. 
 Merit alone is the qualification, by which a true 
 philosopher would desire to be tested. The En- 
 glish," continued he, bowing to Arundel, "will 
 soon be compelled to admit, that theirs is not 
 the only country in which the sacred tree of 
 liberty can blossom and bring forth fruit ; and I
 
 136 ARUNDEL. 
 
 hope they will acknowledge us as worthy bro- 
 thers in the glorious cause of freedom;" and hav- 
 ing delivered this oration with rather a theatri- 
 cal air, he took a pinch of snuff from a magni- 
 ficent box, on the lid of which was the picture of 
 the favourite danseuse of the day set in diamonds, 
 and then turned to admire himself in the glass. 
 Arundel thought to himself he had never beheld 
 such a conceited puppy in his life, but here he 
 was wrong. The Comte de Beauvoisin was only 
 a little bitten by the Jean Jacques mania of the 
 times, and wished to display his liberal opinions 
 and eloquence before one, whom as an English- 
 man, he considered to be a good judge of both. 
 His coxcombry was only in his manners. He 
 was, in reality, sensible and good-natured, and 
 if he was not exempt from the vices of his age, 
 at all events he did not glory in the display of 
 his profligacy, or indulge in it at the expence of 
 others. His appearance was gentlemanlike, 
 without being striking, except from a look of 
 lassitude and exhaustion which pervaded his 
 features ; his manners, though spoiled by affec- 
 tation, were those of the most polished good 
 breeding ; and altogether he was by no means 
 an unfavourable specimen of a French gentleman 
 of that day. His father was fond and proud of
 
 ARUNDEL. 137 
 
 him, but he could never hear with patience any- 
 thing that seemed to imply approbation of the 
 Revolution. 
 
 H Grant me patience, heaven !" he exclaimed ; 
 " it is enough to make a saint mad to hear 
 the young men of the present day talk- 
 ing politics, and discussing the state of the 
 nation, instead of occupying themselves with 
 their horses and mistresses; and to see them liv- 
 ing in clubs and debating societies, instead 01 
 frequenting the theatres and good society, as 
 they did in my time. No wonder the canaille 
 abandon themselves to such excesses, when they 
 see themselves encouraged in them by their supe- 
 riors. But you will be the sufferers ; you fancy 
 you will be able to stop them when you think 
 fit, and you will find out your mistake too late. 
 Your idol, Necker, found the difficulty of stop- 
 ping the stone he had set rolling, and I suppose 
 you do not imagine yourselves to be cleverer than 
 he. No, I see the days coming when rank and 
 property will be involved in one common ruin. 
 To be rich or powerful will be reckoned a crime; 
 and I dare say that I, who have been labouring 
 hard all my life to earn a humble competency, 
 shall see myself reduced to envy the cottage of 
 my father in Auvergne."
 
 188 ARUNDEL. 
 
 « My dear father,'' said the Count, " I hope 
 it will not be so bad as that, but I beg your par- 
 don for having touched upon a subject which I 
 know annoys you." 
 
 " Come," thought Arundel ; i( there is some 
 good in him after all." 
 
 cf My dear boy," rejoined old Martin, " I 
 speak only for your own good. I know you do 
 not mean half you say, but your tongue will get 
 you into some scrape before long. Only fancy if 
 Mile, de St. Maurice was to hear you; she 
 would be capable of breaking off the marriage at 
 the foot of the altar." 
 
 " That would not break my heart — " said the 
 Count; "nay, my dear father," seeing Martin look 
 grave ; " you know I have promised to marry her 
 if you insist upon it ; but for God' s sake let me 
 talk of her as I like till she is my wife. But we 
 both of us seem to forget Mr. Arundel's presence, 
 to whom this discussion cannot be very amus- 
 ing." 
 
 <f I beg Mr. Arundel's pardon with great sin- 
 cerity," said the old man. Ci Perhaps you would 
 like to put yourself at once under the guidance 
 of my son, and I shall feel greatly flattered, if 
 you will honour me with your company at dinner 
 to-day. You will find only a family party ; but
 
 ARUNDEL. 139 
 
 if you have no other engagement, perhaps it will 
 be more agreeable than a solitary meal at your 
 hotel, or in one of those new establishments, 
 which, I hear, are quite the fashion under the 
 somewhat quaint title of Restaurants." 
 
 Arundel accepted the invitation with pleasure, 
 but declined the Count's company for the present, 
 under the plea that he was going to visit the 
 British Ambassador. (i At least allow me to 
 have the honour of taking you there," said 
 the Count. " I will be at your service in two 
 minutes ;" and so saying he left the room. 
 
 "He is a little thoughtless," said Martin, 
 as soon as the door shut, " but that will soon 
 pass ; his marriage will steady him, and if 
 he is as good a husband as he is a son, his 
 wife will have no cause to complain. But you 
 are come at an unlucky moment, if you wish to 
 see the amusements for which we were once 
 noted. Every head is full of politics — even young 
 women can talk of nothing else, and I am afraid 
 that this excitement will not so soon be allayed. 
 Apropos, Mr. Arundel, if you should have occa- 
 sion for more money than is specified in your 
 letter of credit, you will find my caisse always 
 open to you." 
 
 Arundel expressed his thanks, but said "he
 
 140 ARUNDEL. 
 
 hoped he should not be obliged to avail himself of 
 his kindness." 
 
 i( I shall always be most happy to be of any 
 service to you I can," said the banker ; " but in 
 this case you owe me no thanks, as I am merely 
 obeying the orders of my correspondents." 
 Arundel again recognised the kind heart of Sir 
 John Hammond, and felt almost provoked that 
 he should persist in endeavouring to force pecu- 
 niary obligations on him, while he mentally 
 vowed that nothing should induce him to accept 
 them. 
 
 The Count de Beauvoisin now made his 
 appearance, and Arundel took his leave for 
 the present, of Mons. Martin. The Count's 
 equipage was remarkably neat ; and even to the 
 fastidious eye of an Englishman, offered nothing 
 to find fault with. " You see," said he to Arun- 
 del, when they were seated, " we are quite Eng- 
 lish-mad; nothing will go down but English car- 
 riages, English horses, English servants, and 
 English liberty. I was in England myself last 
 year, and got a friend of mine, Lord Havant, 
 whom perhaps you know, (Arundel nodded 
 assent) to superintend the formation of a com- 
 plete English equipage ; how do you think he 
 has succeeded ?" Arundel assured him, with
 
 ARUNDEL. 141 
 
 truth, that nothing could be better, and said, 
 f< it did his Lordship's taste great credit." 
 " Aye, so I am told by every body who under- 
 stands these things. I knew Lord Havant when 
 he was in Paris with his father two years ago. A 
 very good fellow, but not much in him I should 
 think. I hope, by-the-bye, you are not of my 
 father's political opinions. That is the only 
 fault he has — too much attachment to things as 
 they existed in his youth; but he is the best 
 man in the world for all that, so kind, so libe- 
 ral, and I confess I sometimes do things that 
 must try him. I wish, though, he would let me 
 marry whom I like, or rather that he would 
 not insist upon my marrying a woman I do not 
 like." 
 
 "Well, but surely," said Arundel, "he will not 
 force your inclinations ?" 
 
 " Oh no, he would not do that exactly, but I 
 know he wishes it most particularly ; and after 
 all, perhaps the sacrifice will not be so great ; 
 luckily I am in love with no one else just now, 
 but if I could bring myself to detest any young 
 woman upon earth, it would be Mile, de St. 
 Maurice; not but what she is handsome enough, 
 — but so cold, so proud, and thinks she does so 
 much honour bv admitting me into her thrice
 
 142 ARUNDEL. 
 
 noble family. And then her father — one would 
 think he was the whole feudal system made man ; 
 he thinks and talks of nothing but the antiquity 
 of his family — which, entre nous, is rather ques- 
 tionable — and the privileges of his order. Due 
 et pair is written on his brow ; and with all this 
 my father really thinks himself honoured at being 
 allowed to advance him two millions of livres to 
 pay his debts> and conceives himself more than 
 repaid by the expectation of calling the daugh- 
 ter, * my daughter-in-law ;"' and here the Count 
 stopped to take breath ; he soon, however, re- 
 sumed. " And now that we are come to our 
 journey's end, we had better settle what we shall 
 do after your visit. Of course I shall w T ait to 
 bring you back ;" but this Arundel would by no 
 means permit. i( Well then, my carriage will 
 call for you at your hotel, to bring you to 
 dinner. After that we will go to the opera, and 
 then you must come and sup with me and a few 
 friends, male and female, at a small house I 
 have in the Faubourg du Roule." To all this 
 Arundel assented, and in a few minutes more 
 the carriage stopped at the door of the embassy. 
 Having thanked his new friend, he shook hands 
 with him and entered the hotel. 
 He was most graciously received by the Ambas-
 
 ARUNDEL. 143 
 
 sador, Lord A — ,who asked a thousand questions 
 after his old friend, Sir John Hammond. * I had 
 the pleasure of knowing your father, Mr. Arun- 
 del," continued he, "at college, though we quite 
 lost sight of each other afterwards, which I much 
 regretted. I am delighted, therefore, to make 
 the acquaintance of his son. Have you any 
 friends here ?" Arundel told him that the only 
 two persons he knew as yet, were Mons. Martin, 
 and his son, and mentioned the engagements he 
 had made for the evening. 
 
 "Well," said Lord A — — , "you could not 
 have had two better acquaintance in their way. 
 The father is one of the most respectable bankers 
 in Paris, and I know several very generous and 
 kind actions of his doing. The son has the cha- 
 racter of being a great roue, but I believe, is 
 not without good feeling and a high sense of 
 honour. I do not know much of him ; and sup- 
 pers at a petite mat son, are, as you may suppose, 
 rather out of my line. No man, however, I 
 should think, is better qualified to act as guide 
 to a new comer ; whether you will ever wish him 
 to be more than a common acquaintance, you 
 will be better able to decide when you know 
 more of him. If you wish to be introduced into 
 the society of the Court, and the haute noblesse,
 
 144 ARUNDEL. 
 
 I shall be most happy to offer you my good 
 offices. I am going to-morrow evening to Ver- 
 sailles, and if it suits you to go with me, I will 
 take you in my carriage, and present you." 
 This offer Arundel gratefully accepted, and after 
 a few minutes further conversation, took his 
 leave. 
 
 On quitting the hotel of the embassy, Arun- 
 del sauntered about Paris, to wile away the hours 
 till dinner time. It was the latter end of Sep- 
 tember when he arrived, and the city was in 
 a state of perpetual excitement and agitation. 
 One day there were rumours of attempts to 
 carry off the king and royal family ; on the next, 
 it was ascertained that fresh detachments of 
 troops had arrived at Versailles, to reinforce 
 the already numerous army stationed in and 
 about that town. A scarcity of provisions 
 too, at this time, pressed severely upon the 
 lower orders ; and every day complaints were 
 made, of convoys intercepted and grain sent 
 out of the kingdom. In vain the National 
 Assembly had sent a deputation to Paris to res- 
 tore calm. That body itself no longer possessed 
 the undivided confidence of the nation which it 
 had hitherto enjoyed. The union of the three 
 estates, had infused into the assembly the ele-
 
 ARUNDEL. 145 
 
 ments of discord. It was evident that many 
 members of the privileged orders sought to em- 
 barrass and retard the adjustment of the most 
 vital questions, by every means in their power ; 
 and it was well known that all the partisans of 
 the ancien regime, and those attached to the 
 Royal family, scrupled not to avow their convic- 
 tion, that a reaction was approaching, which 
 would restore the king to unlimited power, and 
 place those whom they considered as his ene- 
 mies at his feet. The Parisians, too, began to 
 be exceedingly dissatisfied with the despotic 
 authority exercised over them by the Commune. 
 A decree that body had lately issued against the 
 press, was considered as a violation of one of 
 the most important rights of freemen, and the 
 frequent recurrence of periods of famine was 
 attributed to their incapacity or malversation. 
 The people, in short, felt that it would require 
 their utmost vigilance and determination to pre- 
 serve them from the yoke of a municipal oligar- 
 chy, after having freed themselves from that of 
 an absolute Sovereign. All their grievances 
 were set forth and commented upon at every 
 moment in the public streets by itinerant orators ; 
 and Arundel fell in with several groups listening 
 to the most violent declamations, accompanied 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 ARUNDEL. 
 
 by threats of vengeance on all suspected of 
 being the authors of their miseries. The Queen 
 and the Comte d'Artois were particularly de- 
 nounced as traitors to the nation, and Arundel 
 was more than once disgusted with the furious 
 language of the speakers, and astonished at the 
 applause which they elicited from the audience. 
 He did not consider how difficult it is for a 
 nation suddenly emancipated from the shackles 
 which have pressed on them for centuries, to 
 restrain their newly obtained liberty within due 
 bounds. Licentiousness is the natural offspring of 
 restrictions, as ferocity and a desire of ven- 
 geance are of oppression. 
 
 In the course of his perambulations, he ar- 
 rived at the Palais Royal, and here it seemed as if 
 the whole of that immense garden had been con- 
 verted into an arena for political discussion. He 
 approached one group, which a very young man 
 was addressing from a table. His countenance 
 was that of one inspired; his language eloquent, 
 and even not devoid of classical elegance, while 
 occasionally his impassioned ideas seem to burst 
 forth in words of flame. Arundel listened to 
 him with great attention, and thought he had 
 never heard any one who seemed so deeply con- 
 vinced of the truth of the cause he was advocat-
 
 ARUNDEL. 147 
 
 mg, and this conviction evidently forced itself 
 upon his auditors. Arundel himself felt his 
 breath come thicker, his blood flowed more 
 rapidly in his veins, as he listened to these ani- 
 mated appeals. He asked a man who was stand- 
 ing near him, the name of the young orator. 
 "Camille Desmoulins" was the answer, — "the 
 most patriotic, the most sincere of all our young 
 writers." 
 
 Arundel turned homewards reflecting deeply 
 on what he had seen and heard. He could now 
 understand how the spirit was raised that took 
 the Bastille ; he felt that a people, led by men 
 animated by such a deep enthusiastic devotion 
 to their cause as that evinced by Camille Des- 
 moulins, could achieve anything ; but what 
 most astonished him, was to see that not the 
 commonest precautions were taken by the autho- 
 rities, or the slightest attempt made to arrest 
 these violent and audacious instigators to revolt. 
 He could not help thinking in his heart, that a 
 government manifesting such utter indifference 
 to these rude assaults, or such complete want of 
 power to put them down, was foredoomed to des- 
 truction. 
 
 His mind still occupied with these thoughts, 
 he again found himself in the Chaussee d'Antin. 
 
 h 2
 
 148 ARUNDEL. 
 
 The dinner party was strictly a family one, con- 
 sisting merely of Mons. and Mme. Martin, the 
 Count, and himself, but the dinner itself was 
 of the most exquisite kind. The science of one 
 of the first artists in France had been lavished 
 upon it ; the wines were excellent, the plate 
 magnificent, while the number of the attendants 
 and the richness of their liveries seemed rather 
 calculated for the establishment of a prince, 
 than for that of a private individual, however 
 wealthy. 
 
 i( I hope," said Mme. Martin — a good sort of 
 elderly woman — ei that my husband properly 
 apologised to you for the liberty he took in ask- 
 ing you to a mere family party." 
 
 " Indeed, my dear Madame," replied Arundel, 
 " I felt as an act of the greatest kindness, his 
 not thinking it necessary to treat me with cere- 
 mony. I am tempted to forget that I am a mere 
 stranger, though I almost fancy myself in fairy 
 land in the midst of such splendour and magni- 
 ficence. I am sure none of our bankers or 
 merchants could compete with it." 
 
 1 ( No," interrupted Martin, (i they are too 
 wise. The gold and silver, that glitter on my 
 furniture and sideboard, would be safely stowed 
 away in their coffers. This sort of profusion
 
 ARUNDEL. 149 
 
 would injure their credit, or at all events be of 
 no use to it; but here it is necessary to support 
 mine ; were I to reduce the number of my ser- 
 vants, or suppress an entree in my bill of fare, all 
 Paris would know it next day, and my affairs 
 would be considered to be in a precarious situa- 
 tion. We have not yet learnt the folly of trust- 
 ing to appearances; show and effect go a great 
 way. with us." 
 
 "I hope, Mr. Arundel," said the Count, "you 
 have passed your time agreeably since we 
 parted." Arundel told him how he had been 
 occupied, and could not forbear expressing his 
 astonishment at the impunity with which the 
 grossest attacks against the Queen and the high- 
 est personages in the kingdom were accom- 
 panied. 
 
 (i Yes," said Mons. Martin, with a sigh, ' i it is 
 very well known by whom these attacks are 
 encouraged and paid for ; and it is easy to see 
 that the object is to bring everything that is 
 good and great to a level with the low and 
 vicious. We want a few more men like the 
 Prince de Lambesc, to put a stop to these foul- 
 mouthed slanderers. However, every body, 
 but the lowest rabble and their instigators,
 
 150 ARUNDEL. 
 
 does justice to the virtues and courage of the 
 Queen." 
 
 The Comte de Beauvoisin, notwithstanding 
 his daily resolutions to avoid political discussions 
 with his father, could not refrain from say- 
 ing :— 
 
 ft No one can feel greater disgust than I do, 
 at all the misrepresentations of which the Queen 
 is the victim; but we should not forget with 
 whom they originated. It was the high noblesse 
 that first began these attacks against her, and 
 lost no opportunity of inveighing at what they 
 called the scandalous levities of her con- 
 duct. It was the nobility, who jealous of her 
 system of favouritism, first encouraged scandal 
 to fix upon her name. Why, Mr. Arundel, you 
 will hardly believe me, when I tell you, that I 
 have heard stories told and couplets recited in 
 the salons of the very highest society, of which 
 Marie Antoinette and her supposed lovers were 
 the subjects, so replete with coarse ribaldry and 
 indelicacy, that I doubt whether the commonest 
 woman in the streets could have repeated them 
 without blushing. We all recollect the affair of 
 the Cardinal de Rohan and the diamond neck- 
 lace. I have no hesitation in declaring my 
 belief, not only that the Queen was innocent,
 
 ARUNDEL. 151 
 
 but perfectly ignorant, of the disgraceful intrigue 
 by which a weak, unprincipled and ambitious 
 priest sought to win her favour. The nobility, 
 however, set the example of making use of this 
 unfortunate event to mortify her. The Queen, 
 who had a personal dislike to the Cardinal, and 
 was naturally indignant at having her name 
 mixed up in such a dirty, swindling transaction, 
 took a more active part in the proceedings which 
 ensued, than in my opinion she ought to have 
 done. It was inconsistent with the dignity of 
 her situation ; still it was natural, and therefore 
 excusable. Well, the aristocracy, and, at their 
 instigation, every class of society, took part with 
 the Cardinal and against her, and openly tes- 
 tified, even in the apartments at Versailles, the 
 joy they felt at the Cardinal's acquittal, which 
 was considered as her condemnation. They now 
 defend her and abuse her calumniators as vehe- 
 mently as they previously attacked her, because 
 they begin to find out that the rights of the 
 absolute monarch and the privileges of a feudal 
 aristocracy must sink or swim together. They 
 were her first and bitterest enemies, and yet it 
 appears to me very doubtful whether they will 
 not do her more harm now with their selfish mis-
 
 152 ARUNDEL. 
 
 chievous counsels, than they did formerly by their 
 libels and their calumnies." 
 
 " Certainly, Mons. le Comte," said his father, 
 " no one would imagine that you were a mem- 
 ber of the nobility, whose character you take so 
 much pains to blacken." 
 
 " And do you think, my dear father," rejoined 
 the Count, " they consider me as such ? No— 
 they borrow my money, ride my horses, eat my 
 dinners — in short, they make every use they pos- 
 sibly can of me, and yet I shall never be any- 
 thing but a parvenu, the son of Martin the 
 banker; forgive me the expression — it is not 
 mine, — I have overheard it twenty times. It was 
 only yesterday that the Marquis de Ponthieu said 
 in his sneering way, ' Well, my dear Count, you 
 do not look so very awkward with a sword, con- 
 sidering how short a time you have had a right 
 to wear one !'" 
 
 iC And what answer did you make to such an 
 insolent speech?" said Arundel. 
 
 "I told him I did not know how I wore one, 
 but that if he wished to know how I could use 
 one, I was at his service." 
 
 « My dear child," cried Mme. Martin, « how 
 could you be so imprudent? Suppose he had 
 thought you serious, and taken you at your word."
 
 ARUNDEL. 153 
 
 The Count smiled with a peculiar expression, 
 which was apparently unnoticed, except by Arun- 
 del. 
 
 " Well !" said the old gentleman, " I begin 
 to regret the money I paid for the estate of 
 Beauvoisin. You seem to despise the title, 
 and the property will never return one per 
 cent." 
 
 " I do not regret it, though," said the Count; 
 " there is one privilege attached to nobility in 
 France, which I value next to my existence." 
 
 « And that is? — " said Arundel — 
 
 i( Do you remember, father/' continued the 
 Count, " three years ago, when this very Mar- 
 quis de Ponthieu gave me a lash across the face 
 for not getting out of the way of his phaeton fast 
 enough, and when I called on him for satisfac- 
 tion for so gross, so unprovoked an outrage, he 
 told me in the most quiet, impertinent man- 
 ner possible, that he should have the greatest 
 pleasure in giving it me, if he were not ap- 
 prehensive of falling under the displeasure of 
 Nos Seigneurs les Marechaux de France, if he 
 measured swords with a roturier. I am a rotu- 
 rier no longer, and the proudest noble in 
 France, were it the brother of the King himself, 
 could not refuse to meet me." 
 
 h 5
 
 154 ARUNDEL. 
 
 (i Oh ! Mons. Martin," cried the good lady at 
 the top of the table, " how could you run him 
 into such danger? Surely you did not know 
 that he might fight anybody he liked, when he 
 became a Count; you shall not stir out, Adolphe, 
 till you promise me never to use this horrible 
 privilege." 
 
 " I promise you, dearest mother, I have no 
 present intention of using it," replied de 
 Beauvoisin. 
 
 " But do you mean to say," said Arundel, 
 greatly interested in the story he had just heard, 
 " that you got no redress for such an atrocious 
 affront ?" 
 
 " My father," replied de Beauvoisin, "brought 
 an action against him ; but he is a great friend of 
 the Comte d'Artois — scandal says that he is 
 what is generally called l'ami du Prince, and so 
 he got a lettre de cachet, prohibiting all further 
 proceedings, and that is all the satisfaction the 
 laws of my country on the one hand, and the 
 privileges of the nobility on the other, afforded 
 me." 
 
 " I acknowledge, my son," said the old banker, 
 " you were grievously wronged in that business ; 
 but still you should not allow the injury inflicted
 
 ARUNDEL. 155 
 
 by one, to be brought forward as evidence against 
 a whole class." 
 
 " Perhaps you are right, father; but if you will 
 allow us to have coffee, I will carry off Mr. Arun- 
 del, as I dare say he will like to see the whole 
 of an opera for the first time." 
 
 Mons. Martin returned his thanks in a set 
 speech to Mr. Arundel for the honour he had done 
 him, and hoped he would not think he was 
 taking too great a liberty in begging him to 
 remember, that he would always find a place at 
 his table, whenever he would do him the honour 
 to avail himself of it. Arundel thanked the warm 
 hearted, though somewhat formal old man, for his 
 kindness, and having taken leave of Madame, 
 followed the Count to his carriage. 
 
 " I suspect," said Arundel, when they were 
 seated, il your debt to the Marquis is dis- 
 charged." 
 
 " Ah ! say you so ? — you are a shrewd obser- 
 ver. Why yes, I believe he has as pretty a 
 coup d'epee, through his sword arm, as a man 
 need wish for. I have been waiting for the 
 opportunity for some time, but he knew it, 
 and kept a guard over himself. Not that he 
 is a coward, I believe, but he does not like 
 unnecessary fighting; at last he could bottle
 
 156 ARUNDEL. 
 
 up his sarcastic temper no longer. I do believe 
 he would have had a fit of apoplexy, if he had 
 tried to do so. However, he has had a good 
 lesson, which will probably last him some 
 time."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Arundel was delighted with the opera and 
 the ballet; he had been so little in the way of 
 theatrical representations in England, that the 
 French scene burst upon him in all its splen- 
 dour, without the disadvantage of former recol- 
 lections. He was disagreeably roused from his 
 state of enchantment., by the falling of the cur- 
 tain, and the summons of the Count to leave the 
 theatre. At first he wished to go home, but 
 de Beauvoisin assured him that he had asked 
 some friends to supper, on purpose to meet him, 
 and he felt he could no longer refuse without 
 rudeness. He wished also to see Parisian society 
 in all its shapes ; and, at that time, the 
 petits soupers still formed too remarkable a fea- 
 ture of it to be omitted, and he accordingly sub-
 
 158 ARUNDEL. 
 
 mitted himself to de Beauvoisin's guidance. As 
 they rolled along, his friend gave him some 
 account of the persons he was to meet. 
 
 et We shall only be ten," said he. Ci I hate 
 large parties at supper — they destroy the feeling 
 of intimacy which makes the great charm of this 
 sort of society. Fortunately, too, I quarrelled 
 with my last mistress two days ago, and not 
 having yet replaced her, I am as much fete by 
 the ladies of her class, as I was by those of the 
 upper ranks of society, when it was known that 
 I was the heir to some millions, and that my fa- 
 ther wished to see me married." 
 
 " The comparison is not very nattering at all 
 events to the last," observed Arundel. 
 
 iC Flattering or not," replied his companion, 
 "it is just; there is but little difference in my 
 opinion, between a marriage like the one I am 
 about to make, for instance, and the connexion 
 one forms with a Duthe or a Fayal, except that 
 the first is unfortunately permanent, and the last 
 only continues during one's bon plaisir. The 
 one is prostitution sanctioned by the laws, and 
 the other by the police. But do not mistake me, 
 and think I am speaking of marriage in general 
 when I talk thus; I am only alluding to our 
 mariages de convenance, when a young lady (or
 
 ARUNDEL. 159 
 
 a parent for her) sells her person to a man she 
 has very likely never even seen, and obtains in 
 return, what she probably values most on earth, 
 a good establishment, handsome equipage, and 
 magnificent diamonds. Now the ladies to whom 
 you will be introduced to-night, do all this, it is 
 true ; but at all events they have not the hypo- 
 crisy to shelter their ambition or cupidity under 
 the sanction of religion. No, no, you will 
 find no hypocrisy at my house to-night." 
 
 " That I make no doubt of," said Arundel, 
 laughing; "but you were good enough to promise 
 me a description of the persons I am to meet." 
 
 11 Ah, true, so I did ; well, in the first place, 
 you will see the Comte de Tilly, who, though not 
 yet thirty, I believe, has exhausted every plea- 
 sure, and nearly ruined his constitution and fortune 
 at the same time ; which, as he himself observes, 
 is a fortunate combination; for what is the use of 
 health without money, or money without health. 
 However, putting women on one side, to whom 
 I believe he has not always behaved like a che- 
 valier sans reproche, he is a man of honour in 
 the strictest sense of the word, and at any time 
 would rather fight than eat his breakfast. 
 
 " Next we shall have the Marquis de Genlis, 
 and Mdlle Duthe, from whom he is at the
 
 160 ARUNDEL. 
 
 present moment inseparable, though I fancy that 
 liaison will not last much longer, for by all ac- 
 counts she has cut deep already into the forests 
 of Genlis, and no one knows better than Duthe 
 when it is time to change masters ; she has the 
 credit of having ruined more men, old and young, 
 noble and financial, than any other ten women 
 in Paris put together ; but then she is so beau- 
 tiful, so clever* so much the fashion, that it is 
 quite a pleasure to be ruined by her — she does 
 every thing with so much grace ; and when at 
 length the last louis d'or is spent, she dismisses 
 you in a manner that makes you still more in 
 love with her than ever. Oh, she is a delightful, 
 dangerous creature — take care of her. 
 
 " Then we have Mme. Beauvilliers, the mistress 
 of the Marquis de Fenelon (he, I am sorry to 
 say, cannot come, as he is obliged to be in at- 
 tendance at Versailles) ; and a certain Made- 
 moiselle Adeline, who belongs to the Italian 
 theatre, and on whom, to tell you the truth, I 
 have cast the eye of affection, in defiance of the 
 tenth commandment, for she is living with Veime- 
 ranges, the Director of the Posts, immensely 
 rich, and a very good fellow ; he will also sup 
 with us, as will a certain Chevalier de Poix. 
 Who he is exactly, I cannot tell you, for I believe
 
 ARUNDEL. 161 
 
 that nobody knows, further than that he is a 
 Chevalier de St. Louis, rather old, though with 
 all the vivacity of youth, and is to be found in 
 the very best society. I have indeed heard it 
 hinted, that his birth-place was the pare aux 
 cerfs. Now that he can no longer carry on the 
 w r ar on his own account, he seems to have estab- 
 lished himself as a sort of master of the cere- 
 monies in all our petites maisons, and so well 
 does he play his part, that no supper is reckoned 
 perfect without him. The last I have to intro- 
 duce to your notice, is a charming Hebe-looking 
 thing, Mile. Coralie by name. She has not long 
 been at Paris, and is under the protection of an 
 old banker of the name of Berthout, who lets 
 her do just what she pleases, though report says 
 she has been much more faithful to him than 
 his sixty years deserve, or have a right to ex- 
 pect." 
 
 By this time the carriage stopped before a 
 small house in the Faubourg du Roule, the door 
 of which, opened by some invisible agent, ad- 
 mitted the two friends into one of the most en- 
 chanting abodes that the most determined votary 
 of luxury and refinement could boast of. The 
 house itself was small, but seemed perfectly 
 adapted to the purposes for which it was in-
 
 162 ARUNDEL. 
 
 tended. The most exquisite taste was every- 
 where discernible, and every thing that could 
 captivate the senses was scattered through the 
 apartments with an unsparing hand. Delicious 
 perfumes filled the air, while the rare exotics 
 which supplied them captivated the eye by the 
 brilliancy of their tints. A soft mellowed light 
 pervaded the rooms, penetrating into the re- 
 motest corners, without fatiguing the sight by a 
 glare which would have been little in unison 
 with the rest of the scene. 
 
 The Count had hardly time to do the honours 
 of his house, and explain its various merits to his 
 friend, before the rest of the company arrived in 
 rapid succession. Arundel was successively pre- 
 sented to them all, and although the short sketches 
 of each which his friend had given him, had by no 
 means prepossessed him in their favour, he soon 
 found himself unable to resist the contagion of 
 their animated conversation and lively repartee. 
 Indeed he was not a little surprised to remark 
 the decency and ban ton which was observed by 
 all present, except, indeed, the antiquated Che- 
 valier de St. Louis, whose jests and stories, 
 drawn from the school of the Due de Richelieu, 
 and savouring of the libertinism of the Regency, 
 exposed him to the raillery of those on whom he
 
 ARUNDEL. 163 
 
 inflicted them. This he bore with consummate 
 good humour, and seemed to enjoy the united 
 attacks of which he was the object. 
 
 After this sort of conversation had lasted about 
 half an hour, the Marquis de Genlis, who to his 
 other accomplishments added that of being a most 
 determined gambler, exclaimed, " But why 
 should we waste our time in this idle manner ? 
 Let us have a little faro till supper is ready ; — 
 what say you, de Beauvoisin ? — if you have no 
 objection I will hold the bank." This proposal 
 was unanimously applauded, and cards were soon 
 procured. 
 
 " Only recollect," said de Beauvoisin, " I am 
 not fond of play, and therefore I hope you will 
 not ask to continue after supper ; nothing spoils 
 society so much as knowing that play, or as you 
 would call it, business, is waiting for us." 
 
 " Oh, I am so glad to hear you say so," said 
 Mile. Coralie ; " I play because every body else 
 does, but I confess I hate it ; do you like it, 
 Monsieur Arundel ? " 
 
 "That is a question I hardly can answer," 
 replied our hero ; " for to tell you the truth, I 
 never tried, and have no wish to learn, if I may 
 be excused." 
 
 " Of course you can do as you please," said
 
 164 ARUNDEL 
 
 the Count ; " but take my advice, and instead of 
 sitting in a corner by yourself, which you will 
 find dull enough, risk ten louis under the tuition 
 of Coralie ; if you win, so much the better ; if 
 not, stop, and you will not have done much 
 harm. To tell jou the truth," addded he, in a 
 whisper, " I hate play, but de Genlis is so fond 
 of it, as indeed are most of the rest, that I could 
 not say no; so you will oblige me by complying 
 for half an hour, when supper will be ready." 
 Thus pressed, Arundel thought it would look 
 churlish if he did not join the rest, and he seated 
 himself by his fair instructress, who willingly 
 undertook the task of initiating him into the 
 mysteries of the game. After various fluctua- 
 tions of fortune, Arundel found himself, when 
 supper was announced, a winner of upwards of 
 two hundred louis. 
 
 " It is fortunate for me, Monsieur Arundel," 
 said the Marquis, " that you confined yourself 
 to such moderate stakes, or you would have 
 broken the bank ; as it is, I have no reason to 
 complain, for I win nearly two thousand louis." 
 
 " And of me too you win nearly five hun- 
 dred," exclaimed Mile. Duthe. " That is too 
 bad, I declare." 
 
 ft Yes, indeed," chimed in Mile. Adeline,
 
 ARUNDEL. 165 
 
 " the Marquis is very imgallant to-night ; he has 
 ruined all of us unfortunate women." 
 
 " Except me,"' said Coralie. " I have shared 
 in my pupil's good fortune." 
 
 iC He is a most fortunate man to have such a 
 teacher, fair Coralie," drawled out. the Che- 
 valier. iC I wish you would take me under your 
 tuition." 
 
 " Oh ! you know, by your own account," replied 
 she, "you were so irresistible in your youth 
 from your charms, that, with all your experience 
 added to them, you must be too dangerous a man 
 at present. I will have nothing to say to you." 
 
 " Nay," rejoined the Chevalier, " you are too 
 hard upon me ; you must not judge a man too 
 severely by what falls from his own lips." 
 
 " That I can easily believe," retorted Coralie. 
 The rest laughed, and the Count, taking advan- 
 tage of the pause, conducted them into the 
 supper -room. 
 
 " You must be my cavalier," said Coralie to 
 Arundel, " as we seem to be the greatest stran- 
 gers here." 
 
 " Were you never here before, then ?" said 
 Arundel, offering her his arm to lead her to the 
 supper-table, and seating himself next her. 
 
 P No, never ; if I had been, I suppose I shoula
 
 166 ARUNDEL. 
 
 have had the pleasure of making your acquaint- 
 ance sooner." 
 
 iC No, indeed ; I have only been twenty-four 
 hours in Paris, for the first time in my life." 
 
 " Is it possible ? — you speak French so well, 
 and are so aimable, that I fancied you had passed 
 all your life in Paris. I assure you that you 
 deserve to be a Frenchman." 
 
 The compliment, for as such it was meant, was an 
 unlucky one, for what Englishman is there worthy of 
 the name, who could change the denomination for 
 that of any other nation under the sun ? — at least 
 so thought Arundel, as he coldly replied that he 
 was perfectly satisfied with being what he was. 
 There was something in the words and the tone 
 in which they were uttered, which made Coralie 
 look up at him. " Why you are not angry," 
 said she (i at my silly speech ? Do you not know 
 we think it the greatest compliment we can pay 
 a stranger, to tell him he is almost a French- 
 man ? I dare say now in England you would 
 think it very flattering to a foreigner, to tell him 
 he was almost an Englishman ; come, be honest, 
 and confess the truth." 
 
 Arundel smiled, as he answered, " I believe 
 you are right; at all events, I am sure was wrong 
 to feel — I will not say — angry, that would be too
 
 ARUNDEL. 167 
 
 strong a word, but piqued at what you said. 
 Forgive me, and I will endeavour to offend no 
 more." 
 
 e ■ You will be very wrong if you do, for though 
 I know I very often say thoughtless things, I 
 never mean to annoy any one." 
 
 " Not even the Chevalier ? " 
 
 " Oh ! the tiresome old man — he deserves it. 
 He is eternally pestering me with his declarations 
 of love." 
 
 "Have you so hard a heart, then?" said 
 Arundel. 
 
 " Why, I should think any heart under seventy 
 years of age would be hard to such a decrepit 
 old roue, who can do nothing but talk about his 
 achievements some forty years ago. But come, 
 you are too young, and too — in short you are 
 too young to be my father confessor." 
 
 The supper was excellent, and the wines ad- 
 mirable. By degrees, as the champagne did its 
 duty, the conversation became more animated, 
 and gradually assumed a freer tone. 
 
 " By-the-bye, Coralie," cried Veimeranges, 
 from the other side of the table, " do you know 
 that you were very near attaining the distin- 
 guished honor of being transferred to the Comte 
 de Lauraguais ? He offered Berthout his cook,
 
 168 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Barigouille, the first artist in France, in ex- 
 change for you, and Berthout had — what shall 
 we say ? — the good taste to refuse the offer." 
 
 te The Count took a very useless trouble," ex- 
 claimed Coralie, colouring with indignation ; 
 "does he think I am to be made an object of sale, 
 without my consent?" 
 
 " Well, I am sure," said de Genlis, laughing, 
 (i you ought to be very much obliged to him, in 
 the first place for setting Berthout's affection in 
 so strong a light — for believe me, the temptation 
 was great — and in the next place, for putting you 
 in a passion, which is exceedingly becoming to 
 you." 
 
 i( Why, you odious wretch !" exclaimed Mile. 
 Duthe, '"'you do not mean to say that you would 
 have accepted such an offer? I would never 
 speak to you again, if I thought you capable of 
 it." 
 
 <c I never had the offer made me,"' said the 
 Marquis, with the most perfect indifference — "I 
 really cannot say, therefore, what my answer 
 would have been." 
 
 * After all," said the Chevalier, " I do not 
 see what there is to be angry at. I remember 
 the Due de Richelieu winning a certain Mile. 
 Lelia from the Prince de Soubise, in a bet
 
 ARUNDEL. 169 
 
 about something, I forget what now ; but I well 
 remember the supper at which the stakes were 
 paid. She was a lovely creature, and seemed 
 nothing loth at the exchange." 
 
 " He is a most singular man, that Comte de 
 Lauraguais," said Mile. Duthe. " Did you 
 ever hear what he did to the Prince de Fleuri ?" 
 
 " No ; what was it ?" was the universal ex- 
 clamation. 
 
 " Why, in those days the Count was a very 
 intimate friend of mine, and we used to be ex- 
 cessively bored by the Prince, who was perpe- 
 tually calling on me, and unluckily chose his time 
 in general very ill. Lauraguais bore this patiently 
 for some time, but at last he could stand it no 
 longer; and, summoning half a dozen physicians 
 to a consultation, gravely propounded the ques- 
 tion, whether it was possible for a person to die 
 of ennui. Long and solemn debates ensued, as 
 you may imagine; and aftermost lucid reasoning, 
 pour et contre, it was finally determined in the 
 affirmative, and a certificate to that effect was 
 signed by all of them. The Count then ob- 
 tained the written opinion of a lawyer of emi- 
 nence, whose name I forget, to the effect, that 
 any person seeking to take away the life of 
 another by any means whatever, was liable to bo 
 
 VOL. I. 1
 
 170 ARUNDEL. 
 
 convicted of a capital offence. Armed with 
 these two documents, he actually preferred an 
 accusation against the Prince for conspiring to 
 kill himself and me by ennui." 
 
 This story was received with shouts of laughter 
 by all present, and was succeeded by many 
 others of a similar nature, till at length exhaust- 
 ed by their own mirth, the party prepared to 
 break up. 
 
 " Arundel," said the Count, " I am afraid 
 you will think me very rude when I tell you 
 that I have promised the use of my carriage to 
 Mile. Adeline, who forgot to order her own, and 
 I cannot, therefore, have the pleasure of taking 
 you home ; but I dare say Mile. Coralie will 
 give you a place in hers." 
 
 " With the greatest pleasure," exclaimed the 
 individual in question. 
 
 Arundel made some faint excuses, which were 
 easily overruled ; and indeed it would have been 
 no easy matter for him to have found his way 
 home at that hour of the night, or rather, 
 morning. His politeness, however, would not 
 allow him to take Mademoiselle out of her way ; 
 and it was therefore agreed that, after setting 
 her down, the carriage should take him home to 
 his hotel. How they passed their time on the
 
 ARUNDEL. 171 
 
 road, or what was the nature of their conversa- 
 tion, I have never been able satisfactorily to learn ; 
 nor indeed do I think it quite fair to inquire too 
 curiously into what passes between a lady and 
 gentleman under such circumstances; all I do 
 know is, that on their arrival at Mile. CorahVs 
 house, Arundel thought common civility re- 
 quired him to give her his arm to her own apart- 
 ment. 
 
 The morning was well advanced ere Arundel 
 returned to his hotel. The streets were already 
 crowded with persons hurrying along in all 
 directions in pursuit of business or pleasure. 
 The sun was shining brightly, the whole appear- 
 ance of nature was calculated to promote cheer- 
 fulness, and induce the human race to enjoy life 
 to the utmost. On Arundel, however, the beauty 
 of the weather, and animated scenes through 
 which he passed, were quite thrown away. 
 Angry with de Beauvoisin, with Mile. Coralie, 
 with the whole world, and above all, angry and 
 disgusted with himself, he forced his way through 
 the streets, without even hearing the clamour 
 and angry ejaculations which his rapid evolutions 
 occasioned. On arriving at his hotel, the porter 
 hoped, with a broad grin on his countenance! 
 
 i2
 
 172 ARUNDEL. 
 
 that nothing unpleasant had occurred to occasioo 
 his staying out all night. Arundel could have 
 knocked him down with pleasure, but he did 
 contrive to resist the temptation ; and running 
 up to his own room, hurried in and locked the 
 door. A violent headache, the natural conse- 
 quence of the wine he had drunk the night be- 
 fore, did not contribute to calm his agitation; but 
 the predominant feeling was that of mortified 
 vanity at finding he possessed so little command 
 over himself. 
 
 " Idiot— fool that I am !" said he to himself; 
 " not eight-and-forty hours in Paris, and I have 
 gambled, drank to excess, and formed a con- 
 nexion with a woman of a class I despise. How 
 well qualified to assist in the regeneration of a 
 nation ! — what a noble beginning in the career 
 that is to lead to honour and fame ! Good God ! 
 what would I not give to efface the last twenty- 
 four hours from my life ? Oh my mother ! what 
 would be your feelings if you were to see the 
 son, on whom you lavished so much affection, 
 and from whom you expected so much, reduced 
 to a level with gamblers and libertines. I, who 
 felt so much confidence in myself, who would 
 have defied the world to make me do or say any- 
 thing I did not approve, how can I ever form a
 
 ARUNDEL. 173 
 
 resolution again — how can I ever dare to say 
 again, thus far will I go, and no further ?" 
 
 This thought, the offspring of his besetting 
 sin, reproduced itself in every possible form 
 and shape; till at last he almost determined to 
 return to England at once, without taking leave 
 of any one. 
 
 But this fit of despondency passed away, as 
 calm reflection resumed its sway, and suggested 
 to him that, instead of these violent measures, he 
 ought rather to endeavour to keep a better guard 
 over himself for the future. And now his pride 
 stepped in to insinuate that it would be mere 
 cowardice to fly from dangers instead of encoun- 
 tering and vanquishing them. No, it would be 
 far more becoming a strong mind to conquer his 
 passions, and put temptation to flight. These 
 magnanimous thoughts restored him to a certain 
 degree of self-complacency. One recollection, 
 however, forced itself upon him, and that was, 
 that he was Mile. Coralie's debtor for the hospi- 
 tality she had shown him on the preceding night ; 
 and as he wished, if possible, to banish from 
 his memory everything connected with his folly, 
 he inclosed forthwith what was, in fact, a mag- 
 nificent remuneration, in a blank cover, on 
 which he merely signed his name. He was
 
 174 ARUNDEL. 
 
 going to ring for some one to take it immedi- 
 ately, with his compliments, when he suddenly 
 recollected that he did not know her address. 
 Here was a dilemma. To inquire it of the 
 Comte de Beauvoisin would be easy enough ; 
 but, besides that it would expose him to all 
 sorts of jokes and inquiries, which he felt he 
 could not very patiently bear, it would probably 
 require more time than was consistent with his 
 present determination. He felt confident that 
 he could find his way to her house ; but how 
 could he explain it to a laquais de place ? — nor 
 was he particularly anxious to publish his adven- 
 tures to such ears. 
 
 " Well," said he, " there is nothing for it but 
 to carry it myself, and I well deserve this humi- 
 liation as some punishment for my folly ;" and, 
 strange as it may appear, he really felt humi- 
 liated at the idea of another interview with Co- 
 ralie. He would have submitted to any sacrifice 
 at that moment rather than again be forced into 
 such society. But there was no remedy for it, 
 and he set out on his expedition. 
 
 He found out the house as easily as he had 
 anticipated; and, on asking for Mademoiselle 
 Coralie, was shown into a boudoir, which was ar- 
 ranged with the most perfect simplicity and good
 
 ARUNDEL. 175 
 
 taste. The windows were filled with the rarest 
 flowers, the only circumstance that seemed to de- 
 note the extravagance of the mistress of the house; 
 on the table lay a few books, amongst which Arun- 
 del perceived an English grammar, a dictionary, 
 and a volume of Tom Jones, a book at that time as 
 much in vogue with beginners as the Vicar of 
 Wakefield at present. After a delay of a few 
 minutes, a door opened, and Coralie herself 
 made her appearance, looking even prettier and 
 more interesting than she had done at the Comte 
 de Beauvoisin's, and in a dress with which pro- 
 priety itself could not have found fault. 
 
 " Ah ! mon cher Henri" cried she, taking his 
 hand, which he instantly withdrew ; " this is, 
 indeed, an unexpected pleasure ; it is very ami- 
 able of you." 
 
 " I have taken the liberty of waiting on you," 
 said Arundel, making a low bow, and putting on 
 his stateliest manner — and he could look awfully 
 frigid when he liked — " to deposit this offering 
 upon your shrine ;" and he laid down the rouleau 
 he had prepared on the table. 
 
 " Oh fi, done /" exclaimed Coralie. " Votes 
 voild bien, vous autres Anglais, you think gold 
 can buy everything ; but here at least you are 
 mistaken. I took a liking to you the moment I
 
 176 ARUNDEL. 
 
 saw you. It was really a penchant, un vrai 
 caprice ; without that, be sure you would have 
 never found your way into my house. No, no, 
 Henri, it cannot be a question of money between 
 us." 
 
 Now this was a most unlucky speech. The 
 idea of an Arundel being the object of a caprice 
 on the part of a courtezan ! The blood rushed 
 to his very forehead at the idea. 
 
 " Mademoiselle," said he, i( I suppose I ought 
 to feel very much flattered — very much honoured, 
 no doubt, at having been selected as the object 
 of your caprice, to use your own expression ; 
 but unfortunately that is not the case ; and I 
 must, therefore, insist upon your accepting this 
 remuneration — very inadequate, I confess, to your 
 merits. Excuse me," continued he, as she im- 
 patiently made a gesture of refusal ; " I should 
 consider it as an act of dishonesty to take goods 
 that are for sale, and not pay the price." 
 
 " I understand you, sir," said she, and the 
 veins of her neck and forehead seemed as if 
 they would burst, while her whole frame shook 
 with emotion ; " I understand you, sir. That you 
 despise me, I do not complain ; it is what I am 
 used to — perhaps what I deserve. But what has 
 given you the right to insult me ? — what has
 
 ARUNDEL. 177 
 
 given you the right to indulge your pride or 
 your ill humour at the expence of my feelings ? 
 For I have feelings, sir, though you may doubt 
 it ; feelings as strong and as susceptible of kind- 
 ness or contempt, as yours can be. And for 
 what?— for a fault, if fault it be, in which you 
 were my accomplice. You despise and insult 
 me ; and how can you tell what has made me 
 what I am, or what 1 might have been, but for 
 one of your sex ?" and tears began to flow, not- 
 withstanding all her attempts to prevent them. 
 " Oh Henri !" continued she, as her passion 
 began to subside, " I did not think that you — 
 that any one with the feelings or manners of a 
 gentleman, would have made such a cruel obser- 
 vation." 
 
 Arundel had never felt so extremely foolish in 
 his life. He was obliged to admit that his con- 
 duct and language had been indefensible. As 
 Coralie had very justly remarked, what right 
 had he to insult her? She stood before him 
 without friends; the only protection to which 
 she could appeal, was that which her lonely state 
 ought to have afforded her in the mind of every 
 feeling and humane person, and this protection 
 he had disavowed and trampled on ; but the very 
 idea that he had so far forgotten himself, only 
 
 i5
 
 178 ARUNDEL. 
 
 served to increase his irritation and bitterness 
 against her who was the cause of it; and he 
 eagerly caught at what he considered a fair 
 ground for continuing hostilities. 
 
 " I have remarked," said he, " that you have 
 two or three times called me Henri. How you 
 came to find out that, such was my name, I nei- 
 ther know nor care ; but I beg you will do so 
 no more." 
 
 Coralie's energy was quite gone; the first 
 effort she had made to repel insult had quite ex- 
 hausted her courage. The continual degrada- 
 tions to which her way of life exposed her, had 
 broken her spirits. One day exalted as an idol 
 by the flattery and admiration of her noble and 
 wealthy admirers, and the next perhaps treated 
 as the very dregs of society by some insolent 
 and tyrannical employe of the police, she had 
 long lost all sense of dignity and self-respect ; 
 and she almost wondered at herself for having 
 dared to expostulate with Arundel in the manner 
 she had done. It was therefore in a low tone of 
 submission, almost of fear, that she answered, 
 " I will offend you no more, Mr. Arundel, by call- 
 ing you by your christian name ; but you cannot 
 forget that it was you yourself who told it me last 
 night, and said you had never thought it sounded 
 so well as from my lips."
 
 ARUNDEL. 179 
 
 Arundel bit his lips till the blood came, and 
 he experienced a slight feeling of contrition for 
 the barbarous manner in which he had treated 
 the beautiful creature who stood almost trem- 
 bling before him ; still he could not understand 
 her sudden change of manner; and at length 
 came to the conclusion that Coralie was a most 
 consummate actress, and had been playing a 
 part at his expence. Conscious that the part he 
 had been acting was anything but creditable to 
 him, he determined to put an end to the scene 
 at once, by letting her see that he was not so 
 easily to be duped. 
 
 " Mademoiselle," said he, i( I sincerely regret 
 having said anything that could wound your 
 feelings. Whatever it was that made me so far 
 forget myself, I must entreat your forgiveness of 
 it. I will not attempt to excuse it, for I feel I 
 should only fail in the attempt ; but now let me 
 undeceive you; you probably think me some rich 
 milord, whose only object is to spend his guineas 
 as fast as possible, and amuse himself to the best 
 of his power. You are quite mistaken ; I am so 
 poor — and I am not ashamed to avow it, for it is 
 not through any extravagance or folly of my 
 own that I am so — that I have barely sufficient 
 to support my station in society; so that you see,
 
 180 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 I should be acting foolishly and culpably to both 
 of us, if I were to seek to continue your ac- 
 quaintance." 
 
 ie Oh ! Mr. Arundel," replied she, " and yet 
 you thought it necessary to deprive yourself of 
 so considerable a sum for me. See !" she cried, 
 running to a drawer in her writing table, and 
 opening it ; " see, I am very rich. I have jew- 
 els, and more money than I know what to do 
 with. I am not extravagant — at least not very 
 — and I have no debts. What should I do w r ith 
 your money ?— - there positively is no room for it. 
 If you do not think quite so badly of me as you 
 said, if you think you owe me any reparation, 
 you will say no more about it." 
 
 " Nay," said Arundel, in a kinder tone of 
 voice, and hardly knowing what to think of her, 
 " you forget. I am quite en finds. I won two 
 hundred louis last night, and how can I dispose 
 of a part of them better ? Besides, for the sake 
 of the old proverb, ce qui vient par la flute — " 
 
 iC I know the proverb," cried Coralie ; " I do 
 not want to hear it. I hate proverbs. Cer- 
 tainly, Mr. Arundel, there is no chance of my 
 ever offending you again as I did last night, by 
 telling you that you deserve to be a Frenchman ; 
 put that rouleau in your pocket. Come, if you
 
 ARUNDEL. 181 
 
 will not do it to gratify me, I think I have a 
 right to inflict a punishment upon you for all 
 that is past ; and as I am not disposed to be le- 
 nient towards you, that is what I sentence you 
 to. I hate the sight of it — it has destroyed all 
 my illusions;" and Coralie gave a sigh, whether 
 real or affected, we will not undertake to deter- 
 mine. 
 
 "Well, if it must be so, I will submit at once 
 with a good grace," said Arundel, whose feel- 
 ings by this time had undergone a marvellous 
 change ; " but it is upon condition that you will 
 accept some trinket from me, which I hope," 
 added he, with hesitation, "you will wear for 
 my sake." 
 
 " Yes, that I will," exclaimed she ; " but 
 mind it must be only a trifle, or you will think 
 I value it for its own sake, and not for yours." 
 
 * I see," rejoined Arundel, "that you do not 
 forgive me, Coralie, from the bottom of your 
 heart, or you would not retaliate on me so un- 
 generously." 
 
 " Yes, indeed I do ; after all, I am sure you 
 could not have meant wantonly to annoy me. 
 You were out of temper with something, and 
 you vented it on the first person you came 
 across, so I think no more of it. Still I confess
 
 182 ARUNDEL. 
 
 I should like to know the reason of it. Oh ! — I 
 guess," seeing Arundel not disposed to break 
 silence. " There is some one you are afraid 
 should hear of your adventure — or perhaps you 
 are married? " 
 
 (i If I were, pray do me the justice to believe 
 you would never have seen me here," replied 
 Arundel, gravely; "but come, Coralie, now that 
 we are friends once more, I must leave you, for 
 I have a thousand things to do, and it is getting 
 late. ,, 
 
 " Must you go so soon, just when you were 
 beginning to be aimable ? — that is hardly fair ; 
 but promise me you will come and see me some- 
 times, while you remain at Paris." 
 
 " My stay in Paris will be very short — I mean 
 to reside for the future at Versailles." 
 
 (( Oh ! Paris and Versailles are the same 
 thing : but I will not ask what I see you will not 
 grant ; you leave me with the same impressions 
 as those you brought with you." 
 
 " No, by heavens ! Coralie," said Arundel, 
 warmly, " not so ; I did you great injustice, and 
 I shall never forgive myself for my brutality ; I 
 was not prepared to find such good feeling and 
 such disinterestedness as you have shown. I 
 will come and see you again, if you wish it,
 
 ARUNDEL. 183 
 
 though 1 confess I think it better not, for my 
 friendship can be of no use to you ; and," added 
 he, with a smile, " I do not wish to expose my- 
 self to the danger of falling in love with you." 
 
 " No chance of that, I am afraid," replied 
 Coralie ; " but I should like to see you again ; 
 your friendship, as you say, can be of no use to 
 me, for I can never hope to acquire it. You 
 will never give your friendship to one you do 
 not esteem; but the very sound of the word 
 gives pleasure to one who, like myself, does not 
 possess a friend in the world." 
 
 " Not a friend in the world, Coralie ! You, 
 with your youth, your beauty, surrounded by 
 admirers, to talk of not possessing a friend !" 
 
 " It is true, though ; if my youth, and what 
 you are pleased to call my beauty," (she could 
 not refrain from a rapid glance at the mirror in 
 front of her,) " were to pass away to-morrow, do 
 you think I should see one single individual of 
 those who now profess devotion to me, enter my 
 door from the beginning of the year to the end ? 
 If I were to die to-night, is there one who would 
 shed a tear over my grave ? Nay more, I do 
 not believe there is one who would refrain on such 
 an occasion from some brutal or licentious joke, 
 if he thought he could excite a laugh by it."
 
 184 ARUNDEL. 
 
 "But have you no friend of your own sex?" 
 
 " Still less. Many rivals, but no friends ; 
 those I should like to associate with, would re- 
 pulse me — those I could associate with, I strive 
 to avoid." 
 
 " I own I am astonished," said Arundel, 
 " that with such sentiments you should not 
 abandon the line of life you have embraced, and 
 strive to regain the good opinion of the world." 
 
 " It is too late," said Coralie, " and too soon ; 
 but it is very selfish in me to talk to you about 
 what cannot amuse or interest you. I am afraid 
 you will repent your promise, to come and see 
 me ; but I will endeavour to be more amusing, 
 or at least less dull, another time." 
 
 " Be just as you have been to-day : — we shall 
 never be lovers, but it will be your own fault if 
 we are not friends. Adieu ; it shall not be long 
 before I see you again."
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 When Arundel reached his hotel he found 
 that he had but just time to dress ; and his 
 toilet was hardly finished, before Lord A — 
 called to take him, as he had promised, to Ver- 
 sailles. The conversation during the drive, 
 turned upon a variety of topics ; amongst them, 
 politics naturally engrossed a very considerable 
 share. " Let me advise you," said Lord A, 
 " to keep as clear as you can of political conver- 
 sations and discussions ; and above all, to avoid 
 enlisting in the ranks of any of the parties 
 amongst which France is at this moment divi- 
 ded. This is an error into which, I am sorry to 
 say, many of our countrymen have fallen, and 
 they are consequently looked upon with hatred 
 by some, and distrust by all. There is another 
 thing, too, of which you must beware, and that
 
 186 ARUNDEL. 
 
 is, play, which, next to politics, is the engrossing 
 passion. You will see a bank held in the 
 Queen's apartments, at which enormous sums of 
 money are won and lost : perhaps it may be as 
 well for you to risk a few louis, as it would look 
 singular if you did not ; but do not play upon 
 credit, and recollect that you can retire at any 
 time, whether winning or losing, without any 
 remarks being made. I shall return to Paris to- 
 night, and if you are ready when I am, will 
 bring you back with me ; if not, I will take care 
 to introduce you to somebody who can give you 
 a seat in a carriage." 
 
 Arundel assured him that he should be ready 
 to return whenever it suited his lordship's con- 
 venience ; and he also added that he thought of 
 taking up his residence at Versailles, at least 
 till the winter. 
 
 " Well, I do not know that you could do bet- 
 ter," said Lord A. ; you will find much worth 
 seeing — you will be in the midst of the best so- 
 ciety in France, and certainly at this moment, 
 Versailles is the most attractive place in Europe 
 to any one who is at all interested in politics. 
 Do you know any of the members of the Na- 
 tional Assembly? Arundel mentioned the names 
 of those for whom he had letters. " They are
 
 ARUNDEL. 187 
 
 undoubtedly the two leading men of the revo- 
 lutionary party," continued Lord A. ; " Mira- 
 beau is a man of incontestable abilities; not 
 exactly eloquent, but with great powers of de- 
 clamation, and abounding with happy hits — I 
 fancy too he has great daring. I shall never 
 forget the poor Marquis de Dreuz Breze's face 
 of horror, when he told us that Mirabeau had 
 actually ordered him out of the Assembly." 
 
 " When was that ?" said Arundel. 
 
 " Oh, about three months ago, when the 
 king, displeased with the States General, or 
 rather with the Tiers Etat, for taking the title 
 of National Assembly, and the pertinacity with 
 which they insisted on the respective powers of 
 the three estates being examined and vefified in 
 common, went down escorted by the princes of 
 the blood, and all his military household, to hold 
 a royal sitting. The king announced his inten- 
 tion of maintaining the division of the States 
 General into three orders, and annulled all the 
 proceedings which had taken place in contraven- 
 tion of this disposition, as illegal and uncon- 
 stitutional, ordering them to separate imme- 
 diately, and to meet the next day in their 
 respective halls. He then withdrew, accom- 
 panied by the greatest part of the nobility, and
 
 188 ARUNDEL. 
 
 some of the bishops. The other deputies re- 
 mained, fixed in silence and astonishment, till 
 upon my friend Dreux Breze, who is grand- 
 master of *he ceremonies, reminding them that 
 they had heard the orders of the king, Mirabeau 
 exclaimed in a voice of thunder, < Go and tell 
 your master, that we are here by the will of the 
 people ; and that we shall only retire by the 
 power of his bayonets ! ' 
 
 " i Milord,' said Dreux Breze to me, when he 
 told me the story, 'I vow to God, I had rather 
 face a battery of cannon than that man:' and so 
 I believe he would, for he looked pale at the 
 mere recollection." 
 
 " He certainly must be a wonderful man by 
 all account," said Arundel; "but does your 
 lordship think him honest and sincere ?" 
 
 " My dear Mr. Arundel," replied Lord A., 
 " when you are my age, particularly if you have 
 arrived at it in following my trade, you will 
 learn never to express a doubt of a man's 
 honesty or sincerity, whatever your thoughts 
 may be, till he has proved himself to be deficient 
 in them. With regard to Lafayette, I believe 
 him to be a well meaning, weak headed man, of 
 consummate vanity, and with a facility of dis- 
 position, which renders him very unfit for any
 
 ARUNDEL. 189 
 
 prominent public situation. He went to Ame- 
 rica when very young, where he served with 
 distinction in the republican troops, and was 
 admitted to the friendship of Washington, and 
 most of the insurgent chiefs. He returned 
 with a great reputation, which, in my opinion, 
 will fade away, whenever his abilities are put 
 to the test. At present, he stands very high 
 amongst the revolutionary party, and has the 
 command of the whole National Guard of Paris, 
 which of course gives him great influence, and 
 puts a military force at his disposal, which might 
 be dangerous to the monarchy, were it in the 
 hands of an active, clever, ambitious man — qua- 
 lities, at least the two first, of which I believe 
 him to be destitute. He is supposed to be 
 strongly tinctured with republican principles. 
 At court, where he is the object of universal 
 detestation, he is accused of aiming at the part 
 of a Washington, but very unjustly, I believe; 
 neither his inclinations, nor his abilities, entitle 
 him to such distinction. The height of his 
 wishes would be, to obtain the confidence of the 
 court, and this he flatters himself he will be able 
 to do, without losing that of the people; but 
 there is one obstacle he will never be able to 
 surmount, and that is the dislike of the Queen."
 
 190 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " Well, my lord," said Arundel, " I cannot 
 say you have given me very favourable im- 
 pressions of my two male friends ; what do you 
 say of my female one, Mme. de Genlis?" 
 
 il She is not the least remarkable of the 
 three," was the answer ; " she is a woman of 
 considerable literary talents, and very agreeable 
 in society. She holds, I suppose you know, the 
 rather anomalous situation of Governor of the 
 children of the Duke of Orleans, to whom she 
 and her husband are quite devoted. That prince 
 is said to favour the Revolution, from motives of 
 personal ambition; but whether this be so or 
 not, I cannot take upon myself to say. I will 
 only give you one hint — he spares no pains to 
 gain adherents, whatever his views may be ; and 
 an Englishman of your birth and position in 
 society, would be considered a great prize. As 
 to the rest, report says, that the Palais Royal 
 has lost nothing of the reputation for profligacy 
 and debauchery, which it possessed in the time 
 of his ancestor, the Regent. And now, having 
 given you these sketches, it is but fair to tell 
 you, that they are not made from personal ob- 
 servation. My position precludes me from seeing 
 enough of the persons we have been talking 
 about, to be able to form a correct opinion ; you
 
 ARUNDEL. 191 
 
 must therefore take mine with a certain degree 
 of caution — I have, however, told you enough to 
 clear the way for your own observations." 
 
 ft I cannot sufficiently thank you, my lord," 
 said Arundel, " for the trouble you have taken : 
 at all events, you have told me enough to show 
 me, that my future acquaintances would not be 
 able to ensure me a very cordial reception at 
 Versailles. I suppose I had better say nothing 
 about them." 
 
 " Certainly," replied the Ambassador, iC I 
 should not advise you to volunteer talking about 
 them ; still less would I advise you to make an 
 unnecessary mystery of it, if the subject should 
 be brought upon the tapis. Every thing you 
 say, every step you take, will, I warn you, be 
 watched and reported ; and thus, that might be 
 made to bear an invidious construction if con- 
 cealed, which does not even require explanation, 
 if done openly; for after all, what is more 
 natural, than for a foreigner to wish to be 
 acquainted with three of the most remarkable 
 personages of the country he visits. But here 
 we are," said he, as his carriage entered the 
 Cour d'Honneur of the royal palace. 
 
 It was quite dark when they arrived, so that 
 Arundel could see nothing of the exterior of the
 
 192 ARUNDEL. 
 
 most magnificent royal residence in the world ; 
 but he was struck with admiration and astonish- 
 ment at the internal splendour which burst upon 
 him from every side, as he followed Lord A. 
 up the marble staircase. Versailles was no 
 longer what it had been under Louis XIV; still 
 something of the spirit of the great king seemed 
 to pervade the whole scene, as if incorporated 
 with the building itself; royalty as yet had 
 been shorn of none of its external attributes. 
 The court seemed as brilliant as if there were 
 not an assembly sitting at its gates, which 
 threatened to undermine the whole structure. 
 The rich liveries of the domestics, the gorgeous 
 uniforms of the Gardes du Corps — the em- 
 broidered dresses of the courtiers, glittering 
 with gold and silver — the crowds of beautiful 
 women, blazing with jewels — the glancing of 
 the numerous lights — the majestic proportions 
 of the apartments themselves; — all contributed 
 to bewilder Arundel, and almost made him fancy 
 himself suddenly transported to one of the 
 enchanted palaces described in the Arabian 
 Nights ; and he went through the ceremony of 
 his presentation to the various members of the 
 Royal family, almost unconscious of what he 
 was about. Little by little, he recovered his
 
 ARUNDEL. 193 
 
 ideas, and began to examine the details of the 
 scene before him. 
 
 The king struck him as having a singularly 
 silly expression of countenance, and looked as if 
 he had much rather have been in bed, than form- 
 ing the centre of attraction to a brilliant court. 
 But the queen was the object that principally 
 fixed his attention. The majestic beauty of her 
 features was very striking; but there was a con- 
 stant curl of the upper lip, that spoiled their ef- 
 fect — an appearance of concentrated haughtiness, 
 that took away from their feminine expression. 
 Her countenance seemed pale and anxious, 
 though at times an expression of animation and 
 even cheerfulness passed across it, as she listened 
 to the conversation of those about her; and there 
 was an air of gaiety and satisfaction spread over 
 the whole circle, that seemed not a little extra- 
 ordinary to Arundel, who, calling to mind the 
 scenes he had witnessed in the Palais Royal and 
 elsewhere, expected to find nothing but care and 
 anxiety on the brows of those who every day 
 saw some one or other of their rights and pri- 
 vileges attacked and destroyed. While he was 
 puzzling himself in vain to account for this, 
 Lord A. drew him from his reverie, and asked 
 
 vol. i. K
 
 194 ARUNDEL. 
 
 him if he would like to take a turn through the 
 rest of the apartments. 
 
 i( The Court," said he, {f are in great glee. 
 A strong reinforcement of troops has arrived at 
 Versailles. God knows what they mean to do 
 with them — " 
 
 Here he was interrupted by the Chevalier de 
 Poix, who paid his respects to Lord A. That 
 nobleman was going to introduce Arundel, when 
 he assured him it was not necessary, as he had 
 had that honour the night before ; " And, milor," 
 continued he, ' ( if the English nation have reason 
 to congratulate themselves upon being so ably 
 represented at the Court of Versailles, by their 
 ambassador, I assure you they have no less 
 reason to think themselves fortunate in having 
 such an able representative in the boudoirs of 
 Paris as Mr. Arundel. Would you believe, that 
 in less than an hour, he completed the conquest 
 of one of our most charming Lais's. He had the 
 honour of accompanying the beautiful Coralie, 
 who has half Paris at her feet, to her own house. 
 I am further informed, that it was late this 
 morning before he returned to his hotel ; and, 
 milor, to complete his triumph, and make assur- 
 ance doubly sure, he passed three hours with
 
 ARUNDEL. 195 
 
 her this afternoon. If my information is not 
 correct, Monsieur will excuse me." 
 
 Lord A., whom this speech had not a little 
 surprised, replied with becoming gravity, that he 
 was happy to find that the national character 
 for gallantry had fallen into such good hands ; 
 and gave Arundel a look, that said plainly 
 enough, "You see you have already fallen under 
 the system of espionage:" at least it was in this 
 way that Arundel interpreted it, and he said 
 rather sharply, that he pitied those who had so 
 little to do as to pass their time in watching his 
 movements. 
 
 * Monsieur," said the polite Frenchman, with 
 a low bow, " it is the tax that superior merit 
 must always expect to pay." 
 
 At this moment, a young officer, dressed in a 
 splendid cavalry uniform, approached them, and 
 having bowed to Lord A., " Well, my dear Che- 
 valier," said he, "at last I hope matters will 
 mend, and we shall no longer be bearded by 
 the insolent demagogues, who have hitherto 
 carried everything with such a high hand. I 
 suppose your Excellency knows," continued he, 
 addressing Lord A., " that we have received a 
 fresh body of troops ; and we are only waiting 
 for the orders, of his Majesty, to put an end to 
 
 K 2
 
 196 ARUNDEL. 
 
 this disgusting farce, which has only lasted too 
 long." 
 
 " So I have heard," said Lord A. ; " but I 
 hope his Majesty will not have recourse to force 
 till all other means have failed." 
 
 iS That would little become the dignity of the 
 crown/' said the Chevalier, gravely ; (i there is 
 but one way for a gentleman to negociate with 
 a rebellious canaille, and that is by means of the 
 sword ; but still I confess there is some reason to 
 fear that the king may be induced to forego his 
 dignity, so far as to allow them to retain some 
 of the advantages they have gained. He is sur- 
 rounded by timid counsellors, and men who seek 
 for popularity, at the expence of the majesty of 
 the throne ; even the heads of the army are 
 not exempt from suspicion. I wish they all 
 possessed the vigour and determination of the 
 Prince de Lambesc, and the people would soon 
 return to their duty." 
 
 ' c Why, yes," said the Prince, for it was he, 
 " I flatter myself I gave a pretty good example 
 of the way in which the scoundrels ought to be 
 dealt with. I would desire nothing more than 
 to see the whole population of Paris drawn up 
 in the Boulevards, with the National Assembly 
 at their head, and then to be ordered to make
 
 ARUNDEL. 197 
 
 one charge, just one little charge with my regi- 
 ment : I think I should give a pretty good ac- 
 count of some of them." 
 
 The Chevalier honoured him with a smile of 
 approbation; but Arundel could not refrain from 
 saying, " I can conceive no circumstances in 
 which a man can wish to have the opportunity 
 of shedding the blood of his countrymen." 
 
 " My good sir," said the Prince, rather sur- 
 prised at this sort of reproof, " I see you are a 
 foreigner, and therefore, probably quite unac- 
 quainted with the position of this country, or 
 you would not have made that remark. How- 
 ever, I beg you to understand, that my observa- 
 tion only applied to the canaille ; 1 should be 
 very sorry to shed the blood of a gentleman in 
 such ignoble warfare ; though, if it happened 
 through his alliance with the mob, or what 
 they are pleased to term, the nation, it would go 
 far to diminish my regrets." 
 
 i( Well," said Arundel, " thank God I belong 
 to a country where the life of the peasant is 
 rated at the same price as that of the noble." 
 
 li Oh," said the Chevalier, "that may do very 
 well for England, but here it is quite different. 
 We should never lose sight of that profound and
 
 198 ARUNDEL. 
 
 statesman-like declaration of Louis le Grand, 
 " ha nation, c'est moi." 
 
 " With all due submission," observed the 
 prince, " I have always considered that declara- 
 tion of Louis XIV's, as an attack upon the 
 rights of the aristocracy. If he had said " La 
 nation, c'est mot et la noblesse" he would have 
 been nearer the truth." 
 
 11 Do you not think," said Lord A., highly 
 amused at this amendment, "that the clergy 
 would then have been entitled to put in their 
 claim to be considered as part of the nation?" 
 
 "' Why," rejoined the prince, " the upper 
 ranks of the clergy are included in the term 
 noblesse ; as for the others, I confess I am very 
 often disgusted at their pretensions to be con- 
 sidered as a separate order from the tiers etat, 
 to which they properly belong. The lower 
 clergy are unfortunately a necessary evil, for it 
 is not to be supposed that a gentleman could 
 give himself the trouble of performing the duties 
 of a cure de village. But they are too apt to for- 
 get their origin, and presume upon their profes- 
 sion ; and I am sorry to say, they are often en- 
 couraged in such pretensions by their superiors. 
 I remember last year, I sentenced a poacher, 
 who bad been taken in the act of killing a stag,
 
 ARUNDEL. 199 
 
 to a hundred coups de baton, and three month's 
 imprisonment in the dungeon of my castle — a 
 sentence, I am sure, not one jot too severe for 
 the enormity of the offence; and the cure took 
 the liberty of remonstrating with me in so inso- 
 lent a manner, that I was obliged to apply to 
 his bishop on the subject, expecting that he 
 would at least be suspended for a year or so. 
 What do you think the answer was ? That the 
 man in question was so beloved by his parish- 
 ioners for his christian virtues and the exem- 
 plary manner in which he discharged his duties, 
 that he feared it would occasion great excite- 
 ment in the district were he to reprimand him, 
 and advised me to overlook the offence." 
 
 " A propos," said the Chevalier, " is it not 
 to-morrow that the Gardes du Corps give their 
 banquet to the regiment of Flanders ?" 
 
 " Yes," replied the prince ; " and if the king 
 takes advantage of the opportunity, in forty- 
 eight hours the revolution will be at an end." 
 
 "Surely," said Lord A , "his Majesty will 
 
 not consent to so wild a scheme." 
 
 * My Lord," said the Prince, considerably 
 offended, " those who have drawn up the plan, 
 which you are pleased to call a wild scheme, are 
 reckoned, with justice, the ablest statesmen and
 
 200 ARUNDFX. 
 
 most skilful generals in France. The King cer- 
 tainly has not yet given his consent ; but we enter- 
 tain no doubt of obtaining it through the Queen, 
 who takes a more correct view of the present situ- 
 ation of the kingdom, and above all, possesses a 
 decision and courage, not surpassed by any of 
 our sex." 
 
 Lord A., taking Arundel's arm, moved on 
 without making any reply ; after a short silence, 
 he said: 
 
 " Poor King — poor Queen — with such advisers, 
 who can tell what their fate will be ? I cannot 
 tell you, Mr. Arundel, how grieved I am at see- 
 ing their blindness: yet it is very natural after all. 
 Look around you — you see here collected the 
 representatives of the noblest and most powerful 
 families in France, all urging this hopeless cru- 
 sade against the liberties of their country. Who 
 that callsto mind the heroic recollections connect- 
 ed with names, would not feel confident in the suc- 
 cess of a cause in which they embarked? — and 
 probably nothing could resist them but the enthu- 
 siasm of a nation struggling for their freedom. 
 What the result will be, God only knows ; but 
 whichever party obtains the advantage, the monar- 
 chy will suffer. If the victory remains in the hands 
 of the nobility, they will dictate what terms they
 
 ARUNDEL. 201 
 
 like to the Sovereign, and certainly will be con- 
 tented with nothing less than the power and inde- 
 pendance which Richelieu, and after him, Louis 
 XIV., were at so much pains to destroy. If, on 
 the other hand, the nation remains victorious, 
 the noblesse will be stripped of their honours and 
 power, most probably of their possessions, and 
 the King will be left but the shadow of autho- 
 rity. Neither party will use their advantages 
 with moderation — perhaps not with humanity. 
 It is a dreadful picture." 
 
 " It is, indeed," replied Arundel ; "but after 
 all I have heard and seen during the short time 
 I have been in France, I confess, I am not so 
 much surprised at the excitement and violence of 
 the people, as I am at their having suffered such 
 oppression so patiently and so long." 
 
 il You must not judge of all the noblesse of 
 France," replied the Ambassador, ( ' by the spe- 
 cimens you have seen to night. Amongst them 
 are to be found many men possessed of the finest 
 feelings of humanity and justice, who dispense 
 happiness to all around them. Still it is not the 
 less true, that this depends upon their own feel- 
 ings and dispositions; and that, were they so 
 inclined, they might enact the part of petty 
 tyrants with perfect impunity. The people have
 
 202 ARUNDEL. 
 
 borne the yoke till they can and will bear it no 
 longer. Still I have no doubt in my own mind, 
 that all might be quietly settled, by attending 
 to the dictates of justice and common sense, and, 
 above all, by acting with good faith. I much 
 fear, however, that this system of conciliation will 
 not be adopted, at least not till that of violence 
 has failed, and then perhaps it will be too late." 
 They had now insensibly approached the royal 
 circle, and one of the gentlemen who composed 
 it, stepped up to Arundel, and told him that 
 the Queen wished to speak to him. After 
 asking him a few insignificant questions, about 
 the length of time he had been in France, the 
 stay he proposed making, and others of the same 
 nature, she asked him if he was any relation of 
 the Mr. Arundel who had been ambassador many 
 years before at Vienna. 
 
 Arundel said that he was his grandson. 
 
 " Indeed !" rejoined the Queen: " I was quite 
 young when he was there, but still I recollect 
 him perfectly. I remember his equipages and 
 the magnificence of his establishment were the 
 admiration of the whole court. I am very glad 
 to see his grandson here ; though you will not 
 find Paris or Versailles very attractive just now, 
 I should imagine ; for I presume you are come
 
 ARUNDEL. 203 
 
 only for the purposes of amusement ?" And she 
 fixed her eyes upon him as if she wished to read 
 his most secret thoughts. 
 
 Arundel was rather abashed at this scrutiny, 
 which he could not very well account for; but he 
 answered without embarrassment, that in Eng- 
 land, a young man's education was hardly 
 reckoned complete till he had travelled on the 
 Continent, and that his own motives were rather 
 those of instruction than amusement. 
 
 " In that case, sir," replied the Queen, " I 
 hope you will be circumspect in your choice of 
 instructors." 
 
 This short conversation puzzled Arundel ex- 
 ceedingly ; but he soon ceased to think of it, and 
 wandered into the saloon, where the faro table 
 was in full activity. He seated himself, and in 
 a short time had lost the few louis he happened 
 
 to have about him, when Lord A made his 
 
 appearance, and proposed to him to return to 
 Paris, an offer he gladly accepted. When they 
 were once more seated in the carriage together, 
 Lord A said — 
 
 " Some how or other, they have got a most 
 absurd story at Versailles ; you are said to be 
 the emissary of some society in London, and to 
 conduct their correspondence and negotiations
 
 204 ARUNDEL. 
 
 with those of the National Assembly, who are 
 supposed to he the most violent in their opposition 
 to the court. Now there is really such a society 
 existing in London, and they have sent over a 
 deputation to Paris; but luckily I happen to know 
 who the members of it were, and also that they 
 arrived some weeks before you, so that I could 
 take upon myself to contradict the information, 
 as regards you, most positively." 
 
 " I am very much obliged to you," said Arun- 
 del ; " but I was very near forming one of that 
 
 deputation ;" and he then gave Lord A a 
 
 full description of the evening he had passed 
 with Serjeant Owen at the club, and what en- 
 sued. (i I have thought it right," said he, in 
 conclusion, "to tell your Lordship all this, in 
 order that should you hear the circumstance 
 again mentioned, you may know exactly what 
 to say." 
 
 " I shall take very good care," said Lord A — , 
 "to say nothing at all about it; and I advise 
 you also to keep your own secret. The indi- 
 viduals who came here with an address, I be- 
 lieve, were very low, vulgar persons, and were 
 treated on all sides as mere adventurers. They 
 returned last week, very much disgusted with 
 their reception ; so you need not fear anything
 
 ARUNDEL. 205 
 
 from them. I was at school with Owen, and 
 have known him a little ever since. I always 
 thought him cracked, but now I am sure of it ; 
 it is the only excuse that can be made for him, 
 for having sought to entangle you in a business 
 that might have seriously compromised you. 
 However, pray be prudent, and keep clear of 
 party; for with all these suspicions hanging over 
 you, you are sure to be watched morning, noon, 
 and night." 
 
 Arundel again thanked him, and added that 
 there would be no necessity to watch him, as he 
 should use no mystery. " I confess," said he, 
 " that I feel very strongly in favour of the 
 revolution, and as my intention is to reside 
 here for some time, perhaps even to settle myself 
 here for life, it will not be easy at all times to 
 avoid giving expression to my sentiments ;. but I 
 shall certainly endeavour to inform myself cor- 
 rectly on all political matters, before I openly 
 embrace any particular party." 
 
 " I had rather see you keep aloof altogether," 
 
 said Lord A ; " but you will be better able 
 
 to judge for yourself when you have been here a 
 little longer — and now," continued he, as the 
 carriage stopped at the door of Arundel's hotel, 
 " recollect, if I can ever be of any service to
 
 206 ARUNDEL. 
 
 you, do not scruple to apply to me. I hope I 
 shall see you at my house, whenever you can find 
 time to visit me." 
 
 The next morning Arundel made preparations 
 for his departure for Versailles, and in the course 
 of the day called on the Marquis de la Fayette, 
 with his letter of introduction. He was fortu- 
 nate enough to find him at home. 
 
 " Mr. Arundel," said the Marquis, " I am 
 very glad that I happened to be at home ; I have 
 so much to do, that it seldoms happens to me to 
 have a morning to dispose of. The important 
 command with which am entrusted, and the con- 
 stant watch I am obliged to keep over the fac- 
 tious of all parties, completely engrosses my time. 
 I suppose in England our political situation 
 excites great attention." 
 
 Arundel said that it was the general topic of 
 conversation, adding that one of his own induce- 
 ments to visit Paris had been the desire to study 
 the regeneration of a great nation on the spot ; 
 and that he could not but think himself very 
 fortunate in having been furnished with the 
 means of becoming acquainted with one of the 
 principal actors, and one whose reputation stood 
 so deservedly high with all parties as that of the 
 Marquis de la Fayette."
 
 ARUNDEL. 207 
 
 "Whether it stands deservedly high,' 1 said 
 the Marquis, with a complacent smile, <J it would 
 ill become me to determine ; but the fact is, they 
 want me — I am necessary to them — they cannot 
 do without me. We are too young, as children 
 of freedom, in France, to understand even the 
 forms, much less the full value of liberal institu- 
 tions ; and therefore I may say, without vanity, 
 it is fortunate that there is some one who 
 has witnessed and assisted in calling into exist- 
 ence a free state, and who may therefore fairly 
 be supposed thoroughly to understand the sub- 
 ject in all its bearings." 
 
 Arundel could hardly repress a smile, but he 
 contrived to reply with becoming gravity, that 
 it was indeed fortunate ; w but," added he, " do 
 you not consider the numerous parties into which 
 the kingdom is divided, as likely to present serious 
 obstacles to a speedy and satisfactory adjustment 
 of a constitution ? " 
 
 " No doubt," said the Marquis ; " but they 
 are more formidable in words than deeds, and I 
 have my eye on them. The Duke of Orleans, 
 for instance, who has incontestibly great influ- 
 ence, and who, I believe, would willingly confis- 
 cate all the advantages of the revolution to his 
 own profit, dares not act. He knows that the
 
 208 ARUNDEL. 
 
 National Guard are devoted to me, and that I 
 am acquainted with all his manoeuvres. I do not 
 believe there are a hundred men in Paris who 
 would act in opposition to my wishes ; you must, 
 of course, understand me as speaking of the 
 respectable part of the community — I mean the 
 bourgeoisie, or middle classes. The rabble, 1 
 dare say, hate me, as they do every one who 
 seeks to enforce order ; and as for the royalists, 
 or those who are pleased to style themselves so, 
 par excellence, I need not tell you that I am not 
 exactly in the odour of sanctity with them. In 
 the National Assembly, Mirabeau is the only 
 man who can be considered as the head of a par- 
 ty, and he probably aims at nothing more than 
 some lucrative place. The Court are the most 
 difficult to deal with — they shew me no confi- 
 dence; if they would take my advice, every dif- 
 ficulty would vanish ; but they must come to me 
 sooner or later, and I will save them in spite of 
 themselves." 
 
 " I can fancy no situation more flattering to a 
 man of patriotic feelings than yours," said 
 Arundel; "you may with truth be called the 
 champion of liberty in the two worlds." 
 
 il Yes ; I began my career at a very early age, 
 and have remained faithful to the principles I
 
 ARUNDEL. '209 
 
 then advocated. America I consider as ray se- 
 cond country ; all my pleasantest recollections 
 are connected with the years I spent there, and 
 the friends and connections I then formed. I 
 hope to visit it once more before I die. The strug- 
 gle we were engaged in was severe and full of 
 difficulties ; but the result was as glorious as the 
 cause was pure. But I forget myself, Mr. 
 Arundel — the subject cannot be very pleasant to 
 you as an Englishman ; I ought to apologize for 
 having introduced it." 
 
 " Not at all, I assure you," replied Arundel ; 
 " I was too young at that time to understand 
 much about the matter, and now I only consider 
 it as a page of our history, pregnant with in- 
 struction. If we lost our colonies, it was through 
 our own fault, or rather that of our government. 
 But I have always considered that, in the natural 
 course of things, we could not have kept them 
 much longer ; the territory was too large, the 
 population too numerous and enlightened, to 
 continue for any length of time dependent on 
 the mother country." 
 
 " I believe you are right," said Lafayette ; 
 "and probably when time has healed the wounds 
 which have been inflicted by an expensive and 
 unsuccessful war on individual interests and na-
 
 210 ARUNDEL. 
 
 tional vanity, England will draw more real and solid 
 advantages from the extension of her commerce 
 with a wealthy and increasing empire, than she 
 could ever have done by retaining her dominion 
 over discontented subjects, by means of the bay- 
 onet." At this juncture an aide-de-camp came 
 in with some papers, which he laid before the 
 Marquis. " I must beg your pardon, Mr. Arun- 
 del," said he, ' * for leaving you, but my presence 
 is required at the Hotel de Ville. I trust you 
 will excuse me." 
 
 " Certainly," said Arundel ; " I ought to apo- 
 logise for the length of my visit to one with so 
 many important avocations ; but the interesting 
 nature of our conversation made me forget that 
 time is more valuable to you than to an idle man 
 like myself. Assuredly," thought Arundel to 
 himself, as he walked homewards, il M, de la 
 Fayette has a good opinion of himself; but after 
 all, it is not more than everybody else has of 
 him, and he is very agreeable. I think Lord A. 
 judged him too severely." 
 
 After a few days spent in visiting every thing 
 in Paris most attractive to a stranger, he com- 
 pleted all his preparations for leaving that city 
 for Versailles. On the day fixed for his depar- 
 ture, he called on Coralie with a ring he had
 
 ARUNDEL. 211 
 
 bought for her, in conformity with his promise ; 
 but not finding her at home, he left it with a 
 short note, and the same evening found him es- 
 tablished in a small apartment in the Avenue de 
 Paris at Versailles. The following day he 
 walked down to the building where the National 
 Assembly held their sittings, desirous of witness- 
 ing the deliberations of that body, on whom the 
 fate of France depended. When he got there, 
 however, he found the door closed, the morning 
 sitting: being over: and he was in the act of turn- 
 ing away, when he was accosted in tolerable 
 English by a gentleman, who asked him if he 
 could be of any use to him. 
 
 The personal appearance of this individual was 
 alone sufficient to arrest attention. He was some- 
 what above the middle height, and rather corpu- 
 lent. The immense size of his head, rendered 
 still more conspicuous by the prodigious quan- 
 tity of hair he wore, which rather resembled the 
 mane of a lion than the hair of a human being, 
 served to enhance the ugliness of his features; 
 but there was that indescribable air of genius 
 and sagacity spread over his countenance, which 
 one is almost tempted to think incompatible with 
 manly beauty, and which completely neutralized 
 the disagreeable impression a very plain face
 
 212 ARUNDEL. 
 
 would otherwise have produced.* His dress was 
 distinguished by an affectation of research and 
 magnificence, which seemed considerably at va- 
 riance with his air and manner. Such was the per- 
 son who proffered his services to Arundel. Thank- 
 ing him for his offer, Arundel replied, that being 
 only just arrived at Versailles, he was anxious to 
 obtain an entrance into the National Assembly, 
 but that he feared he had chosen his time ill. 
 " The Assembly," said the other, "is now closed, 
 but it will meet again tomorrow. You will ea- 
 sily find a place in the public galleries ; but as they 
 are generally crowded with all sorts of persons, 
 you will not be at your ease ; permit me, there- 
 fore, to offer you this card, which will admit you 
 into a gallery, reserved for the friends of the de- 
 puties, whenever you feel inclined to attend." 
 
 Arundel again thanked him for his civility, and 
 looking at the signature of his card, il Have I 
 the honour," said he, " of addressing the Comte 
 de Mirabeau ? " 
 
 " That is my name," replied the stranger. 
 
 " I am particularly fortunate in this meeting," 
 
 * This is not very complimentary to the human face divine ; 
 but I appeal to all my readers, whether amongst their acquain- 
 tance, they do not almost invariably find the most intellectual 
 expression allied to the plainest features ?
 
 ARUNDEL. 213 
 
 said Arundel ; f < I have a letter of introduction to 
 you from Serjeant Owen, and I had intended 
 doing myself the honour of presenting it to you 
 this afternoon." 
 
 " Any friend of Mr. Owen's will be welcome 
 to my house. I am under considerable obliga- 
 tions to him, and I shall feel most happy in this 
 opportunity of showing that they are still pre- 
 sent to my recollection. When I was in Lon- 
 don some years ago, under very disagreeable 
 circumstances, and was actually obliged to de- 
 pend upon my pen for bread, Mr. Owen treated 
 me more as a brother than a stranger, and I shall 
 not easily forget it. I have several visits to 
 make now, and a good deal of business to attend 
 to ; but if you will dine with me to-day, you will 
 meet a few pleasant companions, and 1 shall be 
 delighted to have a further opportunity of culti- 
 vating your acquaintance." Arundel gladly ac- 
 cepted the offer, and after a few more unim- 
 portant observations, the two new acquaintances 
 separated. 
 
 The dinner-party at the Comte de Mirabeau's 
 gave Arundel an opportunity of seeing some of 
 the most remarkable personages of the day. He 
 was introduced to the Vicomte de Noailles, 
 Barnave, the Marquis de Sillery, M. de Laclos,
 
 214 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Dumont, and some others. At first the conver- 
 sation turned merely upon trifling subjects, as if 
 the presence of a stranger had imposed a res- 
 traint upon the rest of the guests ; but by degrees 
 this wore off, and politics, the all-engrossing 
 subject of the day, were gradually introduced. 
 The first allusion was made by Barnave, with 
 reference to the dinner which the gardes du 
 corps had given a few days before to the other 
 troops at Versailles. " Are we to wait," cried 
 he, "till it pleases the king, or rather the queen, 
 to order us to execution ? I, for one, am not 
 inclined to be offered up quietly as a victim on 
 the altar of despotic vengeance." 
 
 " But who talks about vengeance?" quietly 
 said Dumont. ;t I grant it was very imprudent 
 in the royal family encouraging those drunken 
 orgies by their presence ; but after all there was 
 no crime in it, and — " 
 
 " What!" said Sillery. " No crime ! — the na- 
 tional colours trampled under foot, ' Death to the 
 nation,' given as a toast ; and the next day the 
 queen says publicly, that she was enchanted with 
 the preceding evening." 
 
 "Yes," hastily interposed Laclos; "and at 
 this very moment, no one can go to the palace 
 wearing the tricolour cockade, without being
 
 ARUNDEL. 215 
 
 threatened and insulted. The courtiers do not 
 even conceal their designs, and talk of nothing 
 but dissolving the assembly by force, and deci- 
 mating its members. It is time all this should 
 finish. The king is not capable of reigning — he 
 is completely in the hands of the queen, and her 
 faction : in short, nothing but a mere tool in the 
 hands of the worst enemies of the nation. If 
 we wish to complete the work we have begun, 
 we must set the king on one side, and choose a 
 regent, or lieutenant-general of the kingdom." 
 
 " I have listened to you," said the Vicomte 
 de Noailles, " without interruption, as I was 
 anxious to know with what proposal you would 
 conclude; but I must beg you to understand, that 
 I — and I am sure I am now speaking the senti- 
 ments of my brother-in-law, Lafayette — will never 
 consent to any attempt to depose the king, or 
 even infringe on his just authority. No one 
 can doubt our attachment to the revolution, but 
 if any thing could induce us to abandon it to its 
 fate, it would be a project of that nature." 
 
 " And I, too," cried Barnave, " although I am 
 called at the palace a little Nero, quite agree 
 with de Noailles; nay, more — if I am condemned 
 to live under a despotism, I had rather it should 
 be that of Louis XVI, than that of the Duke of
 
 216 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Orleans. However, I maintain, that the king is 
 not his own master; and we should be justified 
 in any measures we might think it right to take 
 to free him from the thraldom in which he is 
 held by a vile faction." 
 
 " And I," shouted out de Sillery, " cast back 
 in your teeth the insinuations you have thrown 
 out against the Duke of Orleans; if any thing 
 should place him on the throne, his whole study 
 would be how best to ensure the liberties and 
 happiness of the nation." 
 
 " Peace, gentlemen," said Mirabeau, who had 
 continued talking in an under tone to Arundel, 
 apparently inattentive to what was passing at 
 the other end of the table, though, in reality, 
 nothing had escaped him, " peace, and let us 
 not at all events give our enemies the pleasure 
 of thinking that we are disunited and quarrelling 
 among ourselves. We all wish the same thing — 
 a free constitution, though, perhaps, we are not 
 agreed upon the best plan for effecting our ob- 
 ject. There can be no doubt that the king is 
 surrounded by bad advisers. The ministry do 
 not possess his confidence, nor do I much blame 
 him for that. They are a set of incapables. 
 Necker himself is like a clock that is always too 
 slow ; and if measures are not speedily adopted
 
 ARUNDEL. 217 
 
 to prevent it, we shall be awakened some morn- 
 ing with the intelligence that the king has been 
 carried offin the night to the frontiers. I confess, I 
 think it very probable that we shall be obliged to 
 have recourse to a temporary regency till the 
 the constitution is finally settled ; but that is a 
 question which it will be time enough to discuss 
 when the emergency arrives ; in the mean time, 
 to-morrow probably will prove the king's sin- 
 cerity, as he must give his answer on some 
 articles of the constitution which have been 
 presented for his acceptance. But there is an- 
 other point upon which I should like to be 
 enlightened — and that is, the intentions of La- 
 fayette. Perhaps you can explain them, de 
 Noailles ; for at present it is difficult to say 
 whether he is the partisan of the court, or the 
 friend of the people. Three months ago, La- 
 fayette was the most popular man in France ; 
 but this ambiguity of conduct will ruin him. His 
 reputation is no longer what it was ; one would 
 almost think that he had only saute pour mieux 
 reader." 
 
 Every body laughed at this sally ; and even 
 de Noailles, who was a little jealous of his bro- 
 ther-in-law, was at no pains to conceal a smile, 
 while he answered, that Lafayette had not put 
 
 VOL. I. l
 
 218 ARUNDEL. 
 
 him into his confidence, but that from what he 
 knew of him, he felt sure that the people would 
 ever find him their steady and consistent friend, 
 though he would always be ready to oppose any 
 acts of riot or insubordination. 
 
 " Yes," cried the fiery Barnave ; " but let him 
 not hope to intimidate the people by the sword ; 
 we have not attacked the despotism of the mo- 
 narch to fall under that of a military chief ; nor 
 do we seek to destroy a feudal aristocracy to 
 erect that of a municipality in its stead. The 
 people began the revolution, and it is clear to 
 me, that they must carry it through themselves, 
 if they do not wish to fall under the yoke of an 
 army of shopkeepers." 
 
 This observation was listened to approvingly 
 by most of those present ; soon after, the party 
 began to break up, and in a few minutes Arun- 
 del found himself alone with Mirabeau, who had 
 said that he wished to speak to him and Du- 
 mont. 
 
 Ci My friend Owen," said Mirabeau, " has 
 given me an outline of your story, and has begged 
 me to assist you in any way you can point out, 
 or that I can suggest. This request, for the 
 reasons I gave you this morning, is to me a 
 command; and fortunately, it so happens, that
 
 ARUNDEL. 219 
 
 I can at once find a way in which you may ex- 
 ercise your literary talents, with the certainty of 
 a handsome remuneration. My friend Dumont, 
 and myself, are engaged in a sort of journal, 
 containing the proceedings of the Assembly, and 
 other subjects of public interest. Of course I 
 am able to do very little for it, and Dumont will 
 be delighted to have you for a collaborateur ; you 
 will be entitled to a third part of the profits, 
 which are considerable. Take your time to 
 consider about it, and let me know if you ac- 
 cept or not, as soon as you have made up your 
 mind." 
 
 " Nothing can be more handsome than your 
 offer," replied Arundel ; i( or one that in many 
 respects would suit me better ; but if I join you, 
 I must adopt your projects and ideas ; as yet, I 
 know nothing of them, and if I am to judge of 
 them by what I heard this evening, I confess 
 they would not suit me. You see, therefore, 
 that unless you think me worthy of your entire 
 confidence, I must decline your offer at once." 
 
 " Why, Mr. Arundel," exclaimed Dumont, 
 " you must see the impossibility of the Count's 
 making a confident of a man he never saw be- 
 fore." 
 
 il No," said Mirabeau, after a pause ; " Mr. 
 
 l2
 
 220 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Arundel is right, and I will trust him — trust him 
 entirely. I will not insult him, even by asking 
 for a promise of secrecy ; with a man of honour 
 it is not necessary — with a man of a contrary 
 nature it would be useless. There is that about 
 you, which claims my confidence, and you shall 
 have it. I cannot see you to-morrow, as it will 
 be a busy day with me ; but come and breakfast 
 with me the day after, and I will give you every 
 explanation you require." 
 
 With this promise, Arundel expressed himself 
 perfectly satisfied, though he could not help 
 doubting whether any explanation would permit 
 him to attach himself to Mirabeau, being fully 
 determined to have nothing to do with a party 
 whose first object appeared to be the dethrone- 
 ment of the king.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The morning of the following day was en- 
 livened by one of those beautiful October suns, 
 which serve to diminish our regrets for the loss 
 of summer, and prepare us by an easy transition 
 for the rigours of winter. Arundel* determined 
 to take advantage of it to visit the environs of 
 Versailles, and particularly the two Trianons. 
 He was enjoying the delightful shades of the 
 petit Trianon, when, at a turn of the walk, he 
 found himself suddenly in the midst of a party of 
 three ladies, one of whom he recognised as the 
 queen. He made a short apology for having so 
 involuntarily intruded on her privacy, and would 
 have retired, when the queen stopped him. il I 
 am not sorry to meet you here," said she, i( on 
 a spot I have endeavoured to render as like an
 
 222 ARUNDEL. 
 
 English park as possible — at least as far as I can 
 judge of them by description ; and many persons 
 who have been in England assure me, that I 
 have succeeded very tolerably. I should like to 
 hear your opinion, as I have always heard that 
 Arundel castle possesses one of the finest parks 
 in Great Britain." 
 
 Arundel assured her that few spots even in 
 his own country possessed so much beauty in the 
 same space as that in which they then stood ; 
 "but," added he, " probably your Majesty is not 
 aware that Arundel castle is no longer in the pos- 
 session of my family; my father sold it many years 
 ago." 
 
 " I certainly was not aware of that/' replied 
 the queen. " I should have thought, from what 
 I have heard of it, and the drawings I have seen 
 of it, that its owner would never have parted 
 with so magnificent a possession. What can 
 have induced him to take such a step?" 
 
 " He was compelled to it, madame," replied 
 Arundel, "by a heavy accumulation of debt. I am 
 afraid," added he, smiling, et that the splendid 
 equipages of my grandfather at Vienna, which 
 your Majesty was kind enough to speak of with 
 praise a few nights ago, are one of the reasons 
 why I, his representative, am obliged to go on 
 foot,"
 
 ARUNDEL. 223 
 
 u I am very sorry I should have introduced a 
 subject which must naturally be so painful to 
 you/' said the Queen ; i( believe me, it was 
 quite unintentional." 
 
 " I feel," rejoined Arundel, "that it is quite im- 
 possible that the Queen should ever involuntarily 
 give pain to any one; and, in the present instance, 
 certainly I feel none. I may say, like Francis I., 
 we have lost everything except our honour, and 
 as long as that remains untarnished, we have 
 no reason to complain of our lot." 
 
 ei But how is it possible," asked her Majesty, 
 " that your father did not apply to his Sovereign 
 for assistance? — no King would have allowed the 
 head of such a family, and whose members have 
 always, as I have heard, been employed in the 
 public service, to have asked in vain for the 
 means of redeeming his patrimony from the 
 hands of his creditors ?" 
 
 " Madam," answered Arundel, "it is not the 
 custom in England, to apply to the monarch for 
 pecuniary assistance, under such circumstances; 
 nor is there any fund available for this pur- 
 pose." 
 
 i( Ah !" said the Queen, " we manage such 
 things better in France — or rather did, for I sup- 
 pose, if they could, the National Assembly
 
 224 ARUNDEL. 
 
 would deprive the King of what constitutes his 
 greatest happiness, the power of rewarding 
 his faithful servants, and relieving the embar- 
 rassments of his nobles." 
 
 Arundel made no reply; after a minute's si- 
 lence she continued — 
 
 " You say nothing — are you not of my opi- 
 nion, that it is one of the dearest prerogatives of 
 a Sovereign ?" 
 
 " Undoubtedly, Madam ; there can be none 
 dearer to the heart of a King — and I may say 
 without flattery, particularly of such a King as 
 now sits on the throne of France — than the power 
 of rewarding services ; but my father had per- 
 formed no services, and I do not see how a man 
 of honour can lay himself under a pecuniary ob- 
 ligation, even to his Sovereign, particularly — " 
 he hesitated for a moment. 
 
 " Well sir," said the Queen, impatiently, 
 " particularly? — " 
 
 Arundel continued, " Particularly when he 
 knows that the money given to him comes from 
 the pockets of those who probably want it more 
 than he does." 
 
 " 1 see, sir !" said the Queen, rather warmly ; 
 " I need not have warned you the other night to 
 be careful in your choice of instructors. It seems
 
 ARUNDEL. 225 
 
 already made, and to do them justice, they 
 appear to have thrown their seed on a fruitful 
 soil." 
 
 A pause ensued, and Arundel, who felt the 
 embarrassment of his position, wished most 
 eagerly to be dismissed ; but he was not destined 
 to get away so easily. 
 
 (i Will you allow me to ask, sir," said the 
 Queen, at length, " if you have made any acquain- 
 tance since your arrival in France?" 
 
 " Very few, Madam!" 
 
 " And who are they ? Of course, if it is a se- 
 cret, I do not insist upon an answer." 
 
 " I have no secrets, Madam. The only per- 
 sons whose acquaintance I have made are my 
 banker Mons. Martin, his son the Comte de 
 Beauvoisin, Mons. de Lafayette, and M. de 
 Mirabeau, at whose house I dined yesterday, and 
 where I met M.M. de Siilery, Laclos, Barnave, 
 de Noailles, and a M. Dumont." 
 
 " In short, sir," said the Queen, sharply, "I 
 may congratulate you upon having been within a 
 week of your arrival j admitted into the councils 
 of traitors and rebels, who seek to deprive the 
 king of his throne, and me of my life. Oh ! 
 Mile, de Romainville," said she, turning to a 
 lady behind her, " you see the folly of prepos- 
 
 l 5
 
 226 ARUNDEL. 
 
 sessions. You were too rash when you so con- 
 fidently asserted that the name alone of Arundel 
 was sufficient to guarantee the truth and loyalty 
 of the person to whom it belonged." 
 
 " Madam," said a low, sweet voice, close be- 
 hind the Queen, " I spoke according to my con- 
 viction. Mr. Arundel may have dined with rebels 
 without participating in their projects." 
 
 Arundel looked round in the direction of the 
 person from whom these words proceeded, and 
 was astonished to see that it was a young girl, 
 apparently not more than fifteen, who had so 
 courageously undertaken his defence; and in the 
 warmth of his gratitude, he came to the convic- 
 tion that he had never before beheld any being so 
 perfectly lovely. Although so young, her person 
 had already begun to assume the shape and pro- 
 portions of womanhood, and was moulded in the 
 most exquisite and sylph-like form. The contour 
 of her face, and the regularity of her features, 
 were such as a Phidias would have chosen for a 
 model ; her large dark eyes had a languid soft- 
 ness in them, which singularly contrasted with 
 their brilliancy; while her jet black hair, free 
 from the contamination of powder, which was 
 then the prevailing fashion, served to enhance 
 the transparency of her skin, and the marble 
 whiteness of her forehead.
 
 ARUNDEL. 227 
 
 As Arundel gazed upon her, the colour, which 
 had risen to her cheeks when the Queen so sud- 
 denly addressed her, assumed a still deeper hue, 
 and the blood rushed through the violet veins 
 with a violence that threatened to break through 
 such frail restraints. For a moment Arundel 
 forgot where he was, and could have thrown 
 himself at her feet to worship in her a being of a 
 superior order; but recollecting himself, he said: 
 
 " I grieve deeply, Madam, that I should have 
 unwittingly exposed myself to your displeasure ; 
 yet I will venture to say this much, that my un- 
 known defender will never have cause to repent 
 of having pledged herself for my honour and 
 truth. I dined with the Count de Mirabeau, 
 whom I had never seen till that morning, not 
 knowing whom I should meet at his house ; and 
 if he has formed any such projects as those which 
 your Majesty mentioned, I can only say, not 
 only that I am no party to them, but that I 
 should recoil with horror from all participation in 
 them. I might further urge in my extenuation, if 
 any previous part of my conversation has offended 
 your Majesty, that I am the native of a country 
 where all classes by themselves or their repre- 
 sentatives enjoy a share in the government of 
 the State, and where the proudest title of the
 
 5228 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Sovereign, is that of first magistrate of the 
 people. So far, however, from being the friend 
 of traitors or rebels, your Majesty would find 
 me as ready as any of your subjects to sacrifice 
 my life for your safety, should circumstances 
 endanger it ; though I am convinced that it is a 
 case so improbable, that my saying so, must 
 seem like a piece of idle boasting. I have only 
 further to ask your Majesty's permission to with- 
 draw." 
 
 " Stop, Mr. Arundel," said the Queen ; i( you 
 must not leave me in anger. I cannot afford 
 now to add to the list of my enemies through 
 false pride. I believe you, sir; and though, with 
 your principles, I will not ask you to become 
 one of our friends, I cease to rank you amongst 
 our enemies. The Queen of France, if she can- 
 not always avoid lending an ear to injurious 
 reports, is not ashamed to acknowledge and 
 repair her injustice when convinced of it;" and 
 she gave her hand to Arundel to kiss. " And as 
 for you, Gertrude," turning to Mile, de Romain- 
 ville with infinite grace and kindness; " recollect, 
 I consider you as a hostage for the good faith of 
 your countryman." 
 
 The young lady so addressed replied that she 
 cheerfully accepted the charge ; and Arundel
 
 ARUNDEL. 229 
 
 was about to ask how he could be the country- 
 man of Mile, de Romainville, when Mme. de 
 Tourzelles, who was one of the party, told 
 the Queen that the Comte de Fersen was run- 
 ning after them, and making signs to them to 
 stop. In a few minutes he joined them, and 
 as soon as he recovered his breath, he said — 
 
 "I have been seeking your Majesty all over 
 the park. I am just come from Paris; an im- 
 mense multitude of women have assembled, and 
 are on their march to Versailles, under the 
 pretence of asking the King for bread. I did 
 not observe many men amongst them; but alto- 
 gether they are the most atrocious - looking 
 canaille I ever saw. It was with the greatest 
 difficulty I could get out of Paris without being 
 stopped by them. In the Champs Elysees I 
 saw them stop a carriage, and make two well- 
 dressed ladies get out, whom they compelled 
 to join them; and I am told they do the same to 
 every woman they meet, no matter what her 
 condition or age. Your Majesty must instantly 
 return to the palace." 
 
 " Is there any danger, then ?" said Mme. de 
 Tourzelles ; for the Queen, though evidently 
 much agitated, was too proud to ask the ques- 
 tion'.
 
 230 ARUNDEL. 
 
 "It would not be safe for the Queen/' replied 
 the Count, "to meet alone a band of furies, 
 many of whom are excited by the most horrible 
 calumnies against her person. In the palace 
 of course there is nothing to apprehend, in the 
 midst of your guards and faithful servants — even 
 if they are followed, as they probably will be, by 
 a body of men." 
 
 "Where is the King?" said the Queen, at 
 length. 
 
 ft His Majesty is unfortunately shooting at 
 Meudon ; but an express has been sent off to 
 him, and he will probably be at Versailles as 
 soon as we are." 
 
 " Come, then," said the Queen ; " let us lose 
 no time. M. de Fersen, give me your arm — my 
 poor Gertrude, how you tremble, how pale you 
 look; take the arm of Mr. Arundel," — (M. de 
 Tourzel had already got some distance on her 
 way to the palace). 
 
 " Arundel ! " exclaimed de Fersen, turning 
 sharply round ; 6( is that Mr. Arundel ? — has 
 your majesty then forgotten — " 
 
 " Mr. Arundel has explained every thing," in- 
 terrupted the Queen, "to my entire satisfaction." 
 
 " And," said Arundel, piqued by the Count's 
 manner and look, i( her Majesty is the only per-
 
 ARUNDEL, 231 
 
 son on earth to whom that explanation would 
 have been made." 
 
 Fersen was about to reply, when the Queen, 
 taking his arm, moved slowly on. 
 
 (i I confess I am curious to know," said Arun- 
 del, as he offered his arm to Mile, de Romain- 
 ville, " what the Queen meant when she called 
 me your countryman." 
 
 " My mother was an Englishwoman," replied 
 Gertrude. 
 
 <f And how came you to take up the defence of 
 a man who must be totally unknown to you? " 
 
 ie Your name is not unknown to me; and I 
 could not bear to hear you represented as the 
 friend and accomplice of those horrible men." 
 
 " I feel indeed proud of my name," replied 
 her companion, (i since it has procured me so 
 fair an advocate ; still I am at a loss to know on 
 what occasion I could have been so misrepre- 
 sented — who can have an interest in so speaking 
 of me?" 
 
 " Your name was mentioned, as it were, inci- 
 dentally, and I quite forget by whom." 
 
 64 If you would add to the obligations you 
 have already conferred on me, you would try to 
 recollect," said Arundel. 
 
 " Indeed I cannot : and," added she, seeing
 
 232 ARUNDEL. 
 
 him smile incredulously, f< if I could I would 
 not tell you ; it could not do you any good, and 
 might injure us both. Oh ! Mr. Arundel," con- 
 tinued she, after a short silence, "do not go 
 near that wicked party any more ; you do not 
 know what harm it may do you. If you do not 
 join them even, you will be considered as their 
 accomplice if you are seen with them ; and you 
 cannot guess how easily the simplest things may 
 be turned against you, in a court where there 
 are as many envious rivals as there are inhabi- 
 tants. Why would not you offer your services 
 to the Queen, when she so evidently wished you 
 to do so? " 
 
 i! In the first place," replied Arundel, " I do 
 not remember any expression of her majesty's 
 that seemed to invite me to do so ; in the next, 
 it would be ridiculous in so insignificant a per- 
 son as myself to imagine my services worth offer- 
 ing; and, lastly, to tell you the truth, I could 
 not conscientiously embrace the interests of a 
 party that seem to me determined to employ 
 force to reimpose a despotism on France, from 
 which she is hardly yet delivered, any more than 
 I would join a faction that seeks its own aggran- 
 dizement by the subversion of the throne. But 
 you, Mile, de Romainville, who seem to have so
 
 ARUNDEL. 233 
 
 just a notion of a court, how can you wish to en- 
 list me as a member of it ? — and how is it that 
 you, so young, are left alone in such a danger- 
 ous situation?" 
 
 " My father, the Marquis de Romainville, has 
 been absent for many months from Paris, on bu- 
 siness ; and the Queen was kind enough to take 
 charge of me during his absence, and insisted upon 
 my residing at Versailles, though he rather wished 
 me to remain in a convent till his return. It is 
 perhaps selfish in me to desire to see you attach 
 yourself to the court ; but I love the Queen too 
 sincerely not to wish to see her surrounded by 
 those she can depend upon. I do not under- 
 stand these matters much, but I can see that my 
 kind mistress and benefactress is often induced 
 to take steps against her own judgment, by the 
 importunities of those, who, I much fear, consult 
 only their passions or their interests. One real 
 friend would be worth the whole host of cour- 
 tiers, by whom she is surrounded." 
 
 " When I listen to you," said Arundel, ei lam 
 obliged to turn round and look at you, to be quite 
 sure that I have not a hoary-headed statesman 
 hanging on my arm, instead of a beautiful young 
 lady. Your years are few, but your observations 
 are older than your years."
 
 234 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " One grows old fast at court," was the reply ; 
 " but see, there is the palace ; it is not yet too 
 late to alter your decision — let me tell the Queen 
 she has one friend the more — how happy it 
 would make me." 
 
 " A dangerous temptation that; and if I resist 
 it, judge of my sincerity when I say, that her 
 friend, if I may venture, without presumption, to 
 use the word, I shall ever be — the partizan of 
 the court never." 
 
 " Never ! " repeated Gertrude, with some- 
 thing like a sigh ; "in a few minutes we part, 
 probably never to meet again, for our paths 
 through life must be widely different; but let 
 me warn you — and do not laugh at me for pre- 
 suming to do so; think you hear rather the voice 
 of a sincere friend — do not take part in any wild 
 revolutionary project; believe me, you will be 
 involved in the ruin than is even now hanging 
 over the heads of the traitors. The King has 
 the power, and he will use it ; not, as you said, to 
 establish despotic power, but to punish his rebel- 
 lious subjects." 
 
 So thought the court, even on the 5th of Oc- 
 tober. Arundel was much struck with the ear- 
 nestness of her manner ; but though burning to 
 do so, from motives of delicacy, refrained from
 
 ARUNDEL. 235 
 
 pressing for information as to the designs of the 
 royalists. He endeavoured to answer with an 
 air of gaiety : " I hope, Mademoiselle, that you 
 will be a false prophetess, at least in one part of 
 your prediction — that which forbids me all hope 
 of ever seeing you again ; if I am excluded from 
 court, at all events, I trust, when your father 
 returns, I may be allowed to pay my homage 
 to my fair countrywoman at his own house." 
 
 " Oh, never ! " exclaimed Gertrude ; i( the 
 mere fact of your having dined with Mirabeau 
 would be sufficient to make him shut his doors 
 against you for ever." 
 
 * I see you are determined, if possible, to 
 drive me to despair ; but I warn you, I am very 
 sanguine, and not easily discouraged. Only one 
 thing could do that, and that would be your 
 forbidding me your presence." 
 
 " That is very prettily said, though not quite 
 new," replied Gertrude, coldly ; ' ' but you forget 
 that young as I am, I form part of the court, 
 and am condemned to hear a hundred things of 
 the same sort every day." 
 
 (i Perhaps so ; but never with the same sin- 
 cerity, though probably better turned, and more 
 French, which, no doubt, pleases you ear better
 
 236 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 than the language of one you deigned to call 
 your countryman." Arundel spoke with some 
 asperity, for he was piqued at being thus, as it 
 were, repulsed by a little girl of fifteen. 
 
 (( Nay, do not be angry with me," said Ger- 
 trude, " for shewing you that you were losing 
 your time in paying me compliments. The 
 language of my country — I mean to say your 
 language — the English language, is my favourite, 
 and I have given you a good proof of it, I think, 
 in talking so much in it ; for which I should fear 
 to appear very forward, were I not convinced 
 that you will not so misjudge me. Is it not so?" 
 and she pressed her hand slightly on the arm she 
 was holding. Arundel could not resist the 
 temptation of kissing it, but so lightly that 
 Gertrude either was not, or appeared not be 
 aware of it. 
 
 In the mean time the Comfce de Fersen had 
 been warmly expostulating with the Queen, on 
 the imprudence of having held a conversation of 
 such length with Arundel — a man who it was 
 well known, as he affirmed, was the friend of 
 Mirabeau and Lafayette, and probably the con- 
 fident of their dangerous schemes, if indeed he 
 was not, as there was reason to believe, the 
 emissary of the revolutionary party in London.
 
 AHCNDEL. -237 
 
 The Queen at first was partly of his opinion ; 
 but not liking to be taken to task in this manner, 
 defended her conduct with tenacity, and like 
 most women, certainly like all queens, increased 
 in obstinacy as the accuser increased in vehe- 
 mence, till she ended by warmly espousing the 
 cause of Arundel himself, and imposing silence 
 on de Fersen in an imperious manner which he 
 was little accustomed to. Perceiving the bad 
 policy of his conduct, he endeavoured to turn off 
 what he had been saying, by imputing it to an 
 unbounded zeal for the royal family ; while he 
 promised himself in his heart, to be revenged on 
 the man who^had exposed him to so disagree- 
 able a rebuke. 
 
 By this time, they had reached the private en- 
 trance to the palace ; and Mile. Romainville 
 and Arundel coming up, the latter would have 
 retired, but the Queen told him in the manner 
 she knew so well how to render inexpressibly 
 fascinating, that it would be height of ingrati- 
 tude in her to dismiss her knight so cavalierly, 
 and desired him to follow them to the private 
 apartments. They had not been long here, be- 
 fore they were joined by the King, who had 
 returned from Meudon on the first intelligence 
 which had reached him of the march of the
 
 238 ARUNDEL. 
 
 mob on Versailles. He seemed vexed and an- 
 noyed : " How tiresome this is," said he, " to 
 be interrupted in the midst of my sport, and I 
 was never better disposed to enjoy it. What is 
 the meaning of all this ? I have not bread to 
 give these poor women. Why does not the 
 National Assembly manage these things better ? 
 — they seem inclined to meddle with every thing; 
 the least they can do is to take care that there 
 is an abundance, of provisions for the capital." 
 
 iC Had you not better, sir/' replied the Queen, 
 "see the ministers? — they are assembled in the 
 palace, and are only waiting your presence, to 
 begin their deliberations." 
 
 " I wish they had left me in peace at Meudon, 
 and settled it amongst themselves," said Louis. 
 " Really one would think that all Paris was 
 coming to attack us, instead of a few poor starving 
 women ; : ' and with these words he left the room. 
 
 By this time, the female army had arrived at 
 Versailles. Early in the morning, a spirit of 
 exasperation had manifested itself all over Paris, 
 caused principally by the absolute impossibility of 
 procuring bread or the commonest necessaries 
 of life ; and this broke out into open insurrection, 
 when reports arrived from Versailles of the events 
 of the few preceding days, and the manner in
 
 ARUNDEL. 239 
 
 which the inhabitants of the palace affected to 
 treat the National Assembly, and those who 
 wore the colours of the nation. A young girl, 
 belonging to the markets, seized upon a drum, and 
 having speedily collected a great number of her 
 companions, proceeded at their head to the Hotel 
 de Ville, uttering loud cries for bread, and threat- 
 ening vengeance on the authorities, if their 
 demands were not instantly complied with. At 
 every step they took, their numbers increased ; 
 and being joined by a body of men armed with 
 pikes, they forced the guard at the Hotel de 
 Ville, and seized upon all the arms which were 
 collected in the magazine. Intoxicated with 
 this success, they then attempted to set the 
 building on fire, when a man of the name of 
 Maillard, who had been distinguished amongst 
 those who had attacked and taken the Bastille, 
 threw himself among them at the peril of his 
 life, and succeeded in preventing them from 
 carrying their intentions into execution. At 
 last, in the midst of the uproar and confusion, 
 a voice was heard, proposing that they should 
 go to Versailles, and ask the king himself for 
 bread. This proposal was adopted by acclama- 
 tion. The municipality in vain attempted to 
 dissuade them. The tocsin was sounded all
 
 240 ARUNDEL. 
 
 over Paris, the drums beat to arras, the national 
 guards assembled, but refused to interfere. In 
 this dilemma the civic authorities begged Mail- 
 lard, who appeared to have some influence over 
 them, to put himself at their head, and endea- 
 vour to keep them as quiet as possible during 
 their march. He was joyfully accepted as their 
 leader; and in this manner, with drums beating, 
 flags flying, and accompanied by the pikemen 
 who had joined them, they began their march 
 to Versailles, to the number of 8000, which 
 was every moment increased by those who, 
 either willingly, or by compulsion, entered their 
 ranks. Thanks to the intelligence and energy 
 of Maillard, they arrived at Versailles without 
 having committed any depredations on the way. 
 This was about three o'clock, and he then per- 
 suaded them to lay aside every appearance of 
 hostility, and assume rather the guise of suppli- 
 ants than that of an invading army. He pre- 
 sented himself at the bar of the National 
 Assembly, accompanied by a deputation of fifteen 
 women, and explained the motives that induced 
 them to come, appealing to the humanity of the 
 deputies to take some steps for their immediate 
 relief. The National Assembly, no doubt anxi- 
 ous to get rid of such petitioners, voted in all
 
 ARUNDEL. 241 
 
 haste an address to the King ; and desired the 
 president to take it up to him without delay. 
 The deputation insisted upon accompanying him, 
 and to the number of five, were admitted into 
 the royal presence, where they were received 
 with the greatest kindness and affability, and the 
 King instantly signed an order for the transport 
 of corn to Paris. They then retired to join 
 their companions, and the King returned to the 
 apartments of the Queen, whither he desired the 
 ministers to follow him. Arundel was still 
 there, her Majesty having expressed a wish for 
 him to remain, till all chance of disturbance was 
 over; an injunction he the more readily obeyed, 
 because he was himself most anxious to see the turn 
 matters would take, and not sorry to have this 
 occasion of proving the sincerity of his profes- 
 sions : perhaps, also, there existed a lurking 
 feeling that made him unwilling to leave the 
 presence of Mile, de Romainville — but what that 
 feeling was, it would have been a difficult task 
 to analyze or explain. Love it certainly was 
 not, could not be — for a girl of fifteen, whom he 
 had not known more than two hours ; it could 
 only be a feeling of compassion, at seeing one 
 so young, so unprotected, placed in a situation 
 of such difficulty, possibly of danger — at least, 
 vol. i. m
 
 242 ARUNDEL. 
 
 so he argued to himself. But he had not much 
 time to pursue this train of thought; for the 
 King, followed by some of the ministers and 
 courtiers, entered the apartment. " Well," said 
 he, il I have seen them, and they are gone 
 away quite satisfied. Certainly, if all my sub- 
 jects resembled them, my crown would be a light 
 one. One of them, a remarkably pretty, mo- 
 dest-looking girl, actually fainted away, as soon 
 as she got into my presence; and the rest seemed 
 too much frightened to speak, till I encouraged 
 them." 
 
 " That," said the Due de Fronsac, " is the na- 
 tural effect of the majesty which encircles the 
 person of the King. The fiercest demagogue of 
 the Palais Roval would become mute in the 
 royal presence." 
 
 The Queen made a gesture of contempt, and 
 said, " At all events we had better not rely too 
 much on this magical power. What steps have 
 been taken to repress any insurrection or riot, 
 in case such should break out ? " 
 
 " Madam," said M. de Montmorin, the mi- 
 nister for foreign affairs, "the garrison of the 
 town are under arms, and every precaution has 
 been taken to enable us to repel any attack, by 
 force, should such be attempted ; but I do not
 
 ARUNDEL. *243 
 
 anticipate any disturbance, and we have received 
 a message from M. de La Fayette, stating that 
 order is completely reestablished at Paris. There 
 was a slight affray, a short time ago, between a 
 few Gardes du Corps and some of the canaille, 
 but it was easily appeased. The weather too is 
 in our favour," (it was beginning to rain in tor- 
 rents); " the mob, worn out with fatigue, and 
 drenched to the skin, are thinking more of find- 
 ing shelter and getting food than of any attempts 
 at riot. The Comte d' Estaing also assures us 
 that we may depend upon the National Guard 
 of Versailles to a man." 
 
 "If we have nothing but the assurances of M. 
 d' Estaing to depend upon," replied the Queen, 
 m I should not feel very comfortable. I cannot 
 bear that man ; I am sure he is false and trea- 
 cherous : but I own the rest of the measures 
 you have taken completely reassure me. I will, 
 therefore, — " 
 
 Here she was interrupted by the sudden en- 
 trance of Madame de Tourzelles, who exclaimed, 
 " Oh, madam, we are lost ! — Lafayette is march- 
 ing here at the head of the whole national 
 guard of Paris, with the avowed intention of 
 destroying us all. M. de Varicourt is just re- 
 turned from Paris, and has brought the news; 
 
 M 
 
 •)
 
 244 ARUNDEL. 
 
 he is waiting in the CEil de Boeuf, in case the 
 King wishes to see him." 
 
 Montmorin did not wait for the King's orders, 
 but rushed out, and speedily returned with the 
 Garde du Corps. From his account, it appeared 
 that he had seen the national guard, under the 
 command of Lafayette, leave Paris with the 
 purpose of marching to Versailles ; but what 
 their intentions were he had not heard, as he 
 had returned, with all possible despatch, to warn 
 the court of what was passing. 
 
 For some moments after he had finished his 
 recital, nothing was to be heard but loud excla- 
 mations against Lafayette's treachery, after hav- 
 ing sought to lull them into security by his 
 message relative to the tranquillity of the capital. 
 The Queen was particularly vehement, and in 
 her anger she turned to Arundel and said, " You 
 see, sir, the loyalty and honour of your friend, 
 M. de Lafayette. He endeavours to put us off 
 our guard, that he may the more easily accom- 
 plish his rebellious purposes." 
 
 i( Madam," said Arundel, calmly, v Lafayette 
 is no friend of mine. I do not give that title to 
 a man I have seen but once in my life, and that 
 only for half-an-hour ; but it does not appear to 
 me to be by any means certain that his approach
 
 ARUNDEL. 245 
 
 here is to be considered as an act of hostility. He 
 may have thought it advisable to follow the mob 
 who arrived this morning, in order to prevent 
 their committing any excess. If I might pre- 
 sume to advise, it would be to send some one 
 to him to learn his intentions." 
 
 Ct Mr. Arundel says right," cried Montmorin ; 
 " who shall we Bend ? " 
 
 No one answered. iC Send one of the pi- 
 queurs," said the Due de Fronsac. 
 
 " That would be but bad policy," said Arun- 
 del ; " the Marquis would certainly take it as an 
 insult, and it is not wise to make an enemy of 
 the man on whom so much depends. If there 
 is no one else to go, I shall be most happy to 
 undertake the task, if the King will accept my 
 services. I will see Lafayette, and return with 
 all possible speed to inform you of his intentions." 
 
 After a short deliberation, his offer was ac- 
 cepted; and being provided with a horse, he set 
 out on his mission. 
 
 " He will never return," said the Count de 
 Fersen, as soon as the door closed on him ; " I 
 must say it was an act of imprudence, allowing 
 him to go and expose the situation in which we 
 are to that arch -traitor Lafayette." 
 
 This observation was addressed, apparently, to
 
 246 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Monsieur de Montmorin, but a glance at the 
 Queen shewed for whom it was intended ; neither 
 of them, however, made any answer — both, per- 
 haps, at this insinuation, beginning to doubt 
 the wisdom of the step they had taken. Ger- 
 trude, however, again stood forth the champion 
 of the absent. " If he does not come back, sir," 
 said she, " it will be because he has fallen a 
 victim to his zeal, which prompted him to go on 
 so dangerous a mission, and which without him 
 probably would never have been undertaken ; 
 for I must say, everybody else seemed to think 
 it more agreeable, if not safer, to remain here. 
 Oh ! Madam," added she, turning to the Queen. 
 " can you allow any one who is risking his life 
 in your service to be thus accused in your pre- 
 sence ? " 
 
 ki No, my child," replied the Queen, in a low 
 voice ; "I am as convinced as you are of Mr. 
 Arundel's good faith, but I hope you exaggerate 
 the perils to which he is exposed. Dry your 
 tears; I shall almost be tempted to think you 
 are in love with this hero of yours. Nay, you 
 need not blush so violently. Come with me; I 
 am going to the apartments of the Dauphin, and 
 want you with me." 
 
 While this discussion was going on in the
 
 ARUNDEL. 247 
 
 palace, the object of it proceeded on his road, 
 though not without considerable difficulty and 
 interruption. Fortunately he had furnished 
 himself with a cockade of the national colours, 
 of which he took care to make a conspicuous 
 display. This, and the fact of his being an 
 Englishman, (for at that time Englishmen were 
 in high favour in France), which was easily per- 
 ceived by his accent, afforded him an effectual 
 and necessary protection from the mob through 
 which he had to pass. Twenty times was he 
 stopped and questioned by straggling parties of 
 men, armed with pikes, axes, and even blud- 
 geons, with whom the road was covered ; and it 
 required all his address to evade their questions, 
 and extricate himself from their hands. At 
 length he reached the advanced guard of the 
 Parisian army, which was advancing with all the 
 precautions commonly used in an enemy's coun- 
 try. On his demand he was immediately con- 
 ducted to the General, who had halted for a few 
 minutes on the high road, in the midst of the 
 rain and darkness, to rest his wearied troops. To 
 him he explained the object of his coming. 
 Lafayette was in despair when he heard the 
 interpretation put upon his conduct. 
 
 " When I sent off my messenger," said he, " I
 
 248 ARUNDEL. 
 
 had just succeeded in persuading the national 
 guard to disband and retire to their homes. Judge 
 of my feelings, when I heard, half-an-hour after- 
 wards, that they were still assembled, and deter- 
 mined to march to Versailles. I went back 
 immediately, and harangued them, but, for the 
 first time, in vain. They were surrounded by a 
 multitude of pikemen, who drowned my voice, 
 and excited them to persist in their determi- 
 nation — you see we are still accompanied by 
 them. Whether there has been any secret agency 
 at work, I cannot tell ; though I confess, I have 
 my suspicions. In this dilemma I sent to the 
 municipality, entreating them to interpose their 
 authority. The only answer I received was an 
 order to put myself at the head of the troops, and 
 lead them to Versailles. Seeing they were de- 
 termined to go, I thought I could do nothing 
 better than obey, and fortunately my compliance 
 has restored my authority and influence over 
 them. You may assure the king, that they are 
 animated by the best spirit; and so far from his 
 having anything to apprehend from them, I will 
 answer with my head for their fidelity, should 
 there be any attempt at a riot, or any attack 
 against the palace. The most prudent step for 
 his Majesty to take, will be to keep the household
 
 ARUNDEL. 249 
 
 troops out of sight, and not to show any signs 
 of distrust. I do not think I can he at Versailles 
 before eleven o'clock, the weather is so bad, and 
 the troops are tired and wet. En attendant, I 
 will send one of my aides-de-camp with you, to 
 lay at the feet of his Majesty the assurances of 
 my loyalty and devotion to his service. Indeed, 
 I had already given my instructions for that 
 purpose to the Comte de Beauvoisin, who will 
 accompany you." 
 
 i( With pleasure," exclaimed the officer alluded 
 to ; '•' I shall be able to renew my acquaintance 
 with Mr. Arundel, who, I am afraid, has forgot- 
 ten me." 
 
 " Not at all," cried Arundel ; " the events of 
 the last few days must be my excuse for any 
 seeming neglect ; but let us set forward — we can 
 talk on the way, and I am anxious to allay the 
 uneasiness at the palace." 
 
 After a few minutes' private conversation with 
 Lafayette, de Beauvoisin and Arundel mounted 
 their horses, and were soon on their way to Ver- 
 sailles. 
 
 " Well," cried the former, as they gallopped 
 along, " we little thought where our next meet- 
 ing would be, when we parted last. No more 
 petits soupers, I am afraid, for some time to- 
 rn 5
 
 250 ARUNDEL. 
 
 come ; this cursed soldiering takes up all ray 
 time. Lafayette made such a point of it, that 
 I could not refuse belonging to his staff. Be- 
 side, after all, it is pleasanter than mounting 
 guard with a musket on my shoulder. But I 
 am sick of it all, and if it is to last much longer 
 I shall wish the revolution at the devil. How- 
 ever, I have one compensation; I suppose you 
 know the Due de St. Maurice has emigrated, 
 and taken his daughter with him; I sincerely 
 hope he will never come back." 
 
 " Well, for an accepted lover that is not very 
 gallant/' said Arundel, laughing ; " but come, 
 do let us get on as fast as we can — the court are 
 in dreadful anxiety." 
 
 Ci Well, and if they are," replied the Count, 
 "they have brought it on themselves. I have no 
 pity for their ridiculous terrors — at this moment 
 I dare say they are devoting us all most cordially 
 to the infernal gods ; I wish this rain fell on 
 them instead of us, but come — " seeing his com- 
 panion's impatience — " I will take compassion on 
 you, and ride as fast as I can; though I suppose, 
 if the truth were known, it is some fair flower 
 that blooms at Versailles, that is the cause of 
 all this hurry — Ha ! have I hit you ?" 
 
 " Not exactly ; I never was admitted to the
 
 ARUNDEL. 251 
 
 presence of the royal family till this morning, 
 except when I was presented, and it was quite 
 accidental my being there to-day. They had no 
 one else to send, so I offered myself." 
 
 ie Ay, so I suppose," rejoined de Beauvoisin ; 
 "the courtiers knew better than to venture their 
 precious persons amongst our Parisian friends. If 
 you had been killed or detained, I do not sup- 
 pose any great lamentations would have been 
 made, for I hear you are no extraordinary 
 favourite at the palace ; of course 1 except the 
 lady of your thoughts, for I am sure you have 
 one, although you parried my question so skil- 
 fully. Well, I ask no questions, I depend upon 
 my own sagacity to find it out ; and what is more, 
 I will keep your secret, though you do not de- 
 serve it; I will not even tell it to Coralie. By-the- 
 bye, what have you done to that same Coralie ? 
 You must have given her a philter, or love pow- 
 der; she can talk of no one else — she absolutely 
 raves about you to such a degree, that her 
 fermier general, who is the most passive of men, 
 at last got bored with it, and had serious inten- 
 tions of begging you to take her into the coun- 
 try for a fortnight or three weeks, till her love 
 fit was over ; you have bewitched her, that is 
 certain. I wish you would give me your receipt."
 
 252 ARUNDEL. 
 
 "I am afraid I have none to give," replied 
 Arundel ; (i unless it be, that I treated her with 
 great rudeness." 
 
 " Not a bad way either, in some circumstan- 
 ces," said the Count ; " but see, we are ar- 
 rived. You had better present yourself first, and 
 announce my advent." 
 
 Arundel was soon in the presence of the royal 
 family, and having given an account of his mis- 
 sion, de Beauvoisin was sent for. While he was 
 executing the commission he had received from 
 his chief, Arundel approached Mile, de Romain- 
 ville, who had returned to the apartment with 
 her royal mistress. 
 
 ' c Thank God !" cried she, " you are returned 
 in safety. Did you meet with no interruption?" 
 
 ie With none of any importance — with none but 
 what are a thousand times repaid by your deem- 
 ing me worth a thought. I did not dare to hope 
 that I had left one person here, who could con- 
 sider my safety of the slightest consequence." 
 
 " I assure you, Sir," said the Queen, who had 
 approached unobserved, " you do us injustice ; 
 at least, I will answer for myself and Gertrude. 
 But tell me candidly what you think of the Mar- 
 quis de La Fayette's dispositions, for of course 
 we cannot expect to learn them from his aide- 
 de camp."
 
 ARUNDEL. 253 
 
 « Madam, I am convinced the message he 
 sent the King was spoken in the sincerity of his 
 heart, and I presume he knows how far he can 
 rely upon the fidelity of his army : yet I cannot 
 forget that he reckoned falsely on his influence 
 over them this morning, and they are accom- 
 panied by bands of men over whom he has not 
 the slightest controul. I confess I wish your 
 Majesty and the royal family had not remained 
 to-night at Versailles." 
 
 " Are you not aware — " rejoined the Queen; 
 u Oh ! I remember, it was after your departure ; 
 we attempted to leave the palace, and the car- 
 riages were forced to return by the National 
 Guard of Versailles, whom the Count d'Estaing 
 assured us we might depend upon to a man. 
 Alas ! alas ! all we do seems to be done a quar- 
 ter of an hour too late. But what can they do ? 
 — surely they will never venture to attack the 
 palace; though why should they not? — they may 
 venture everything. I am to be the victim. 
 Mirabeau but too plainly announced that, when 
 he proposed to declare the person of the King 
 alone inviolable. They try to persuade the 
 people that my heart is not French. Ah ! if they 
 could but see it !" 
 
 Arundel could not but acknowledge to himself
 
 254 ARUNDEL. 
 
 that she was in the right, when she supposed 
 that she might be the victim of a successful attack 
 on the part of the mob. He replied however cau- 
 tiously. 
 
 " That your Majesty has enemies, is, I am 
 afraid, too true ; though 1 cannot, I will not 
 believe, that they would dare to attempt any 
 violence against your person ; still, it would per- 
 haps be more prudent to retire from Versailles, 
 till this popular effervescence is calmed. If the 
 Queen will trust herself to my guidance, I will 
 answer with my life for bringing her in safety to 
 Rambouillet, or any other place she may choose 
 to name ; but no time must be lost, and I must 
 be invested with full authority to enable me to 
 make the necessary preparations." 
 
 The Queen stood a moment silent, as if lost 
 in thought; Gertrude conjured her to adopt 
 Arundel's advice, and trust to him. " What !" 
 exclaimed she, at length, "and abandon the 
 king and my children in that moment of peril? 
 Never!— 1 had rather die a thousand deaths! 
 No !" and her eye flashed fire as she spoke, •* I 
 am Queen of France, and if I am selected as a 
 victim, it shall never be said that I attempted to 
 save myself by means unworthy of my high sta- 
 tion, or by a base dereliction of my duty. Mr. 
 Arundel, I thank you, but I cannot accept your
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 255 
 
 generous offer. You have this night acquired 
 claims to my gratitude and esteem which it will 
 not be easy to acquit; but I trust the day will 
 come, when I may be able to show that I know 
 how to acknowledge your services. You must 
 not leave me without some token of my friend- 
 ship. My love/' said she, turning to Mile, 
 de Romainville ; " you must assist me, for I have 
 nothing to offer Mr. Arundel ; give him that ring 
 I gave you yesterday, and I will replace it to- 
 morrow. It will be doubly acceptable when 
 coming from the hands of one who has shewn 
 herself so warm a friend and so able a cham- 
 pion. In happier days we ,will endeavour to re- 
 deem it ; till then, keep it as a pledge of our in- 
 tentions." 
 
 " Madam," replied Arundel , (i I am already 
 rewarded far beyond my deserts by the gracious 
 manner in which your Majesty is pleased to 
 speak of my very slight services, and the oppor- 
 tunity you have afforded me of reconquering your 
 good opinion. This ring, thus bestowed, is 
 more precious in my eyes than the highest ho- 
 nours in the power of royalty to confer ; and I 
 should feel lowered in my own opinion, as I un- 
 doubtedly should be in that of your Majesty, 
 were I to aspire to any further recompense."
 
 256 ARUNDEL. 
 
 "I see," said Marie Antoinette, " that your 
 pride is flattered by the idea of keeping the 
 Queen of France your debtor. I will say no 
 more now on that subject ; but you must stand 
 in need of repose and refreshment; you look 
 dreadfully tired — we will detain you no longer, 
 and I wish you could contrive to take the Comte 
 de Beauvoisin with you ; he is only a restraint 
 upon us here." 
 
 " I assure you, Madam," said Arundel, " I 
 stand in no need of repose ; but, with your per- 
 mission, I will watch for Lafayette's approach, 
 and bring you the news of it." 
 
 A nod from the Queen assented, and having 
 made a sign to de Beauvoisin, who was standing 
 by himself, (all the courtiers having withdrawn 
 from his vicinity, as they would from that of a 
 man infected with the plague,) they retired to- 
 gether.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The two friends proceeded a short distance in 
 silence; but as that was a state of things most 
 repugnant to the Count's nature, he broke 
 through the restraint imposed upon him by his 
 companion's taciturnity, by exclaiming: "Well, I 
 congratulate you ; your amours cannot but go 
 on smoothly, when you have a Queen to protect 
 and assist them ; may I venture to ask the name 
 of the lady ?" 
 
 tf If you mean the name of the young lady 
 who was standing near the Queen, while she 
 was conversing with me, it is Mile, de Romain- 
 ville. As for your other remarks, you will see the 
 absurdity of them, when I tell you that she is a 
 mere girl — not more than fifteen, I should ima-
 
 258 ARUNDEL. 
 
 gine, and that I never saw her before this morn- 
 ing." 
 
 "And you are what? — one-and-twenty, I should 
 suppose. Six years difference of age is not too 
 much, and in another year she will be a woman ; 
 I hope you will ask me to your wedding." 
 
 " I have already told you," said Arundel, im- 
 patiently, " I never saw her before this morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " Ah! indeed !" pursued his tormentor; "you 
 have lost no time then. It is indeed the veni, 
 vidi, vici, of Caesar; for you will not persuade me 
 that a lady gives a gentleman a ring from her 
 own finger, when he is indifferent to her." 
 
 " That was. done," said Arundel, " at the ex- 
 press desire of the Queen, who wished to bestow 
 on me some token of her favour, in return for 
 what she is pleased to consider my services. But 
 enough of this — I have no objection to your mak- 
 ing me the object of your raillery, as long as you 
 find any amusement in it; but I must beg you will 
 not introduce the name of a lady for whom I 
 certainly feel nothing like love; but who has shewn 
 herself worthy of my respect and esteem." 
 
 " Oh ! if it is so serious a business," rejoined 
 the Count, in an altered tone, " I have done; 
 this much let me add — I am truly sorry to find
 
 ARUNDEL. 259 
 
 thetthe Queen has been so successful in drawing 
 you into her nets ; and if it is not too late, con- 
 sider well what you are about. Remember the 
 use Catherine de Medicis made of her maids of 
 honour. In the meantime I must leave you, 
 for the General desired me to go to the Hotel de 
 Noailles, and order an apartment to be prepared 
 for him." 
 
 Arundel wished him good night rather coldly, 
 and returned slowly to his own lodgings, half 
 pleased, half annoyed at the events of the day. 
 He could not conceal from himself, that the 
 feelings with which Gertrude had inspired him 
 were widely different from any thing he had ever 
 felt before, and the more he endeavoured to reason 
 himself into a state of indifference towards her, the 
 more deeply did her image engrave itself upon his 
 heart. Her rare beauty — the ineffable and touching 
 look of gentleness that pervaded her features — 
 the tinge of melancholy that was slightly per- 
 ceptible on her youthful countenance — the soft, 
 mellow tones of her voice — and above all, the 
 courage with which she alone had undertaken 
 his defence, while yet unknown to her — all re- 
 produced themselves to his excited imagination 
 in rapid succession, and he again felt the thrill
 
 260 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 of emotion which had vibrated through his frame 
 when he had received from her hands the ring 
 she had worn. A new existence appeared to 
 open upon him, in which Mile, de Romainville 
 always occupied the most prominent station. 
 But then again the picture would change ; the 
 dark, uncertain future, showed itself in the most 
 gloomy colours. Chance alone had made him 
 acquainted with Mile, de Romainville ; and in all 
 probability, a deep, an impassable barrier, would 
 in a few hours be again interposed between 
 them. Perhaps there was a way of avoiding 
 this, by devoting himself to the court — but the 
 thought lasted but for a moment ; De Beau- 
 voisin's parting warning came across his mind, 
 and he shuddered to think how much he had 
 already been compromised by circumstances, 
 over which he had had no control. In his 
 heart he could not but acknowledge that there 
 might be some foundation for his friend's sus- 
 picions; and he could not help fearing that the 
 attraction he felt towards Gertrude had been 
 remarked by the Queen, and that she might 
 endeavour to use it for her own purposes. This 
 idea partly restored him to his senses ; and he 
 determined, as soon as the present crisis was 
 passed, to expose himself no more to such temp-
 
 ARUNDEL. 261 
 
 tations, which, if yielded to, could only end in 
 the misery of one at least of the parties con- 
 cerned : as even if Gertrude participated in his 
 feelings, it was out of the question to suppose 
 that her father would bestow her upon one who, 
 in his eyes, could be little better than an indi- 
 gent adventurer, and whose political sentiments 
 were so totally opposed to his own. 
 
 Such were the resolutions of Arundel— resolu- 
 tions which, at one-and-twenty, are so easily 
 made and so seldom kept ; and in his case they 
 were more than counterbalanced by a latent 
 though unacknowledged hope, that some unfor- 
 seen occurrence might occur, which would justify 
 him in breaking through them. He was also 
 annoyed that another should have ventured to 
 rally him upon feelings which he endeavoured 
 to conceal even from himself. The indefinable 
 sensation which he felt for Gertrude, and which 
 as yet could hardly be called love, was still such, 
 that he considered it as a profanation to have it 
 even suspected, much more to have it openly 
 alluded to. Love, such as he was capable of 
 feeling, is too delicate a blossom to brook ex- 
 posure to the gaze of the world; more especially 
 in one whose reserved nature would have pre- 
 vented his confiding his secret to the ears of his
 
 262 
 
 ARUNDEL. 
 
 dearest friend. He had even found it difficult 
 to restrain himself from answering de Beau- 
 voisin's ill-timed badinage with more asperity 
 than the circumstances of the case would have 
 justified. 
 
 Such was the current of his thoughts, as he 
 slowly sauntered homewards after the Count had 
 taken leave of him ; but they were soon turned 
 into another direction. As he passed through 
 the crowds of men and women, with whom the 
 town was filled — some of them lying down pell- 
 mell in the mud together, trying to sleep off the 
 effects of intoxication — others, collected in 
 groups, haranguing and disputing together — 
 the dangers of the day appeared to him to 
 be no means over ; he became more and more 
 anxious for the appearance of Lafayette and the 
 Parisian army, and till their arrival he deter- 
 mined to remain in the neighbourhood of the 
 palace, that he might be able to give the alarm 
 on the first symptom of any disturbance. 
 
 Having changed his clothes, and eaten some 
 supper, of which he stood in great need, in about 
 an hour he again sallied forth, and directed his 
 steps to the Place d'Armes. By this time it 
 was quite deserted, although the weather was a 
 little better; and by the lights which flickered in
 
 ARUNDEL. 263 
 
 the different guard houses, he saw that they 
 were crowded with women, some endeavouring 
 to get a little sleep on the benches and even 
 floor, while others were drinking and conversing 
 with the soldiers, with whom they seemed to be 
 upon the best possible terms. All being quiet 
 in this quarter, he went round the palace, and 
 entered the garden. He found himself, before 
 he was aware of it, near the great piece of water, 
 when he thought he saw two persons approach- 
 ing in the contrary direction ; and not wishing to 
 meet any one whose questions he might find 
 it difficult to answer, he stepped into a shed 
 which served as a sort of boat house, but was 
 then filled with orange trees in their large tubs, 
 which had been removed there on the approach 
 of winter. Presently he heard the sound of 
 voices close by, and he had only time to en- 
 sconce himself behind the row of trees, when 
 two persons entered the shed. 
 
 " Are you quite sure," said one of them, 
 " that you explained clearly the place of our 
 meeting?" 
 
 " Quite sure,'" replied the other. " We were 
 walking here together, and agreed upon this 
 place as the least liable to interruption ; but it is 
 hardly yet the hour, and he is not famous for 
 being before the time."
 
 264 AltUNDEL. 
 
 " Surely," said the first speaker, " he will 
 never venture to keep me waiting. I know he 
 thinks himself a great man, but not quite enough 
 for that, I hope." 
 
 " Certainly not designedly,'' replied his com- 
 panion ; "but the weather is so bad, or he may 
 have had people with him whom he could not 
 get rid of: there are a thousand reasons which 
 may excuse this delay." 
 
 The other made no answer, but began walking 
 to and fro, as fast as the uncertain light of the 
 moon, which was endeavouring to break through 
 the clouds, allowed him to do, amongst the 
 various obstacles with which the floor was 
 crowded. In the mean time, Arundel felt any- 
 thing but comfortable at the idea that he was 
 about to be the involuntary witness of a scene, 
 which all he had hitherto heard convinced him 
 would make him acquainted with some dangerous 
 secrets. He did not choose to expose himself, 
 unarmed as he was, to the risk of announcing 
 his presence to two men who were totally un- 
 known to him ; and certain that such a time and 
 place would not have been selected for a con- 
 ference having any praiseworthy object in view, 
 he reconciled himself to the idea of playing the 
 eaves-dropper, in the hope that he might learn
 
 ARUNDEL. 265 
 
 something of consequence to the safety of the 
 inmates of the palace. He had contrived to 
 crawl under some matting which lay against the 
 wall, and was trying to make himself as comfort- 
 able in his hiding-place as possible, when his 
 attention was arrested by an incident which 
 seemed to concern him more particularly. 
 
 " A propos," said the taller and larger man of 
 the two, and who had already spoken so as to 
 show himself to be the superior, " have you yet 
 been able to find out anything about this 
 Arundel?" 
 
 i; Only so far as this," replied his companion : 
 " he met the Queen in the Little Trianon to-day, 
 probably by appointment, and has been at the 
 palace the whole day since, except for about two 
 hours, during which he went upon some mission 
 to Lafayette, whom he saw, and then returned 
 immediately to Versailles." 
 
 " And do you call that nothing?" cried the 
 other. " Does it not prove that he is devoted to 
 the court, and consequently my enemy ? — and this 
 too, the very man whom the English deputies 
 assured us we might thoroughly depend upon! 
 However, it is fortunate that we have detected 
 him in time; he had better mind what he is 
 about, for if he attempts to play the spy, and to 
 
 VOL. i. n
 
 266 ARUNDEL. 
 
 obtain access to the Palais Royal through his 
 letter of introduction to Mme. de Genlis, he 
 may depend upon it that he shall never return 
 to England to boast of his treachery. I will 
 send some of my friends to talk to him, eh?" 
 and he gave a sort of chuckle, as if he had hit 
 upon some droll idea, but which failed to excite 
 a corresponding feeling in Arundel, who felt not 
 a little anxious to know who it was that seemed 
 to be so much, interested about him. This, 
 however, was a problem not so easily solved ; 
 and while he was passing over in his mind every 
 person with whom he was acquainted even by 
 name, a third person entered, whose voice he 
 instantly recognized. 
 
 c; You have kept us waiting," was the saluta- 
 tion with which he was greeted. 
 
 " It could not be helped," was the only expla- 
 nation vouchsafed. " Indeed, I hardly know 
 why I come at all, when I find all my advice dis- 
 regarded, and all my plans set on one side." 
 
 " What is the meaning of this, sir?" said the 
 tall man, haughtily ; (i I am not used to this 
 tone, nor will I suffer it." 
 
 " Excuse me, sir," said the new comer ; " I 
 had no intention of ofFending you ; but what I 
 want to hear explained, is the reason for this
 
 ARUNDEL. 267 
 
 invasion of Versailles, when I warned you we 
 should not be ready for such a step for the next 
 two weeks. I tell you fairly, it has done your 
 cause a damage which it will be difficult to 
 repair." 
 
 " Entirely accidental, I swear to you ; the in- 
 surrection of the market-women was purely their 
 own impulse. When I saw they were fairly off, 
 I confess I thought it would be as well to support 
 them with our pikemen. I did not reckon, cer- 
 tainly, on their being followed by the National 
 Guard, still less on the resolution of Lafayette 
 to put himself at their head. Had I known this 
 in time, I think I should have revoked the orders 
 I had given to prevent the royal family from 
 making their escape." 
 
 "What!" cried the other; Ci was that your 
 doing ?" 
 
 " Undoubtedly." 
 
 " And do you not see, that by so doing you 
 have destroyed your best hopes, and actually put 
 away from you the crown, which its present pos- 
 sessor, by his flight, in a manner forced upon 
 you ? If the king had fled from Versailles but 
 two leagues, I would have staked my head that 
 you should have been declared Lieut. -General 
 of the kingdom- before sun-rise, and frcm that to 
 
 n2
 
 268 ARUNDEL. 
 
 the throne is an easy step. But I know, as well 
 as you do, what made you act thus ; you were 
 afraid your revenge would have remained ungra- 
 tified. Now mark my words. Not a hair shall 
 fall from the head of any one of the royal family. 
 Too much blood has been spilt already ; though 
 I trust that the disgraceful scenes which are 
 perhaps inseparable from the first outbreak of a 
 great popular revolution, will not be repeated; 
 at least as far as my power and influence extend, 
 they shall be repressed with all the vigour of the 
 law ; and I will separate myself without a mo- 
 ment's hesitation from those who plan and en- 
 courage them. But enough of this ; you know 
 I am a man to keep my word for good and for 
 evil. We must now consider what is best to be 
 done at the present moment. This premature 
 attempt has done you, as I before said, no good ; 
 but if followed up boldly and without loss of time, 
 the mischief is not irreparable ; if neglected, to- 
 morrow it will be too late. You must show 
 yourself at once to the people, and excite them 
 to march on the palace. In the meantime I will 
 take care to warn the royal family of the danger, 
 through an unsuspected agent, and tell them 
 that their friends, though unable to stop the 
 movement, have yet contrived to keep the coast
 
 ARUNDEL. 269 
 
 clear, if they will seek safety in instant flight. If 
 we once succeed in getting them out of Versailles, 
 the day is our own." 
 
 The person addressed preserved a moody 
 silence. " Come, sir," said he who had just 
 spoken, " this is the moment for courage and 
 decision; you must show yourself at once to 
 your friends on the Place d'Armes." 
 
 " What ! with Lafayette and his army within 
 half an hour's march of Versailles ? No, thank 
 you. Pas si bete, mon ami." 
 
 U I will undertake to get hold of Lafayette, 
 and keep him out of harm's way till all is over ; 
 and without him, his army is more likely to assist 
 than to oppose us." 
 
 " No, no, we must put it off; the opportunity 
 is lost this time ; we must wait till it offers itself 
 again." 
 
 " Sir, I repeat to you, the opportunity never 
 will offer itself again. You are to-night popular 
 and beloved — the chief of a powerful party — 
 looked up to as one of the principal bulwarks of 
 the revolution; to-morrow's sun will see you 
 either the Lieut. -General and Regent of the 
 kingdom, or an insignificant individual, despised 
 alike by friends and foes." 
 
 " You forget yourself, sir," angrily replied
 
 270 ARUNDEL. 
 
 he to whom this sharp remonstrance was ad- 
 dressed ; " when I admitted the Comte de Mira- 
 beau to my counsels, it was with a view to profit 
 by his advice, if I approved of it, not to submit 
 to his dictation, My mind is made up. I will 
 attempt nothing more here to-night, and in half 
 an hour I shall be on my road to Paris." 
 
 " Is that your positive determination, sir ? — 
 your last word ?" said Mirabeau. 
 
 « It is." 
 
 " Then hear mine. You are no doubt rich 
 and powerful enough to be satisfied with your 
 present station ; perhaps you despise the pomps 
 and vanities of the world enough to reject a 
 crown within your grasp ; but I am neither rich 
 nor powerful enough to attach myself to the for- 
 tunes of so philosophical a prince; let it be 
 clearly understood, therefore, that from this mo- 
 ment, I have nothing more to do with the councils 
 of your Royal Highness, and that all bonds of 
 alliance between us are severed for ever ;" and 
 with these words he turned upon his heel, and 
 left the spot without further remark ' 
 
 A dead silence ensued for some time, when at 
 length the shorter of the two said to his com- 
 panion, " For God's sake, sir, allow me to run 
 after him, and endeavour to make him hear 
 reason."
 
 ARUNDEL. 271 
 
 " No," replied the other, " let him go ; we 
 can do very well without him; and to tell you 
 the truth, I am not sorry to get rid of him. I 
 am sick of his insolent domineering spirit. He 
 seems to forget that I am born to command and 
 he to obey ; and then the madness of his advice, 
 to wish me to put myself at the head of a revolt, 
 with an army at hand to crush it ! No, indeed, I am 
 not yet weary of wearing my head on my shoul- 
 ders. But let him beware of betraying me ; he 
 will be one more to recommend to the attentions 
 of my friend Jourdan ; and now let us get out of 
 this cursed place as fast as we can. I am in 
 haste to reach Paris, and get out of the way in 
 case any disturbance takes place. They would 
 be sure to accuse me of being the instigator 
 of it." 
 
 It was not till the sound of their footsteps was 
 lost in the distance, that Arundel ventured forth 
 from his concealment; his mind overwhelmed 
 by the importance of the disclosures which he 
 had heard. He had immediately recognized the 
 Comte de Mirabeau in the last comer ; nor was 
 it difficult for him to guess the other, whom he 
 had heard more than once addressed as Prince 
 and Royal Highness. One only of the royal 
 family would have been capable of entering into
 
 27*2 ARUNDEL. 
 
 a conspiracy of such a nature. The threats that 
 had been uttered against himself he treated with 
 indifference, now that he knew from whom they 
 proceeded. " Forewarned, forearmed/' thought he 
 to himself; " at all events I will take good care not 
 to put myself unnecessarily in the way of seeing 
 them realized." He also congratulated himself 
 not a little on his having been prevented, by 
 fortuitous circumstances, from presenting his 
 letter of introduction to Mme. de Genlis, and 
 promised himself to consign it to the flames as 
 soon as he returned home. One satisfaction, 
 however, he had derived from the result of the 
 conversation he had just heard, and that was the 
 great improbability of any attempt at disturbance 
 being made that night. The person principally 
 concerned had positively declined giving his co- 
 operation, and it was very unlikely that any 
 fresh plan could be concerted and carried into 
 execution at so short a notice. With his mind 
 much relieved by this conviction, he took his 
 way back to Versailles, which he found in the 
 greatest confusion. 
 
 It was then about twelve o'clock at night ; and 
 a mob of pikeinen, who preceded the Parisian 
 army, had just entered and dispersed themselves 
 over the town, in search of provisions and wine.
 
 ARUNDEL. 273 
 
 In a few minutes, Lafayette himself appeared, 
 surrounded by his staff; and after giving the 
 necessary directions for the troops who followed 
 him, he took his way to the National Assembly, 
 which was still sitting. Arundel stepped up to 
 him, and asked him if he had any message to 
 send to the palace. 
 
 " Tell them," said the Marquis, " that as soon 
 as I have reported my arrival to the Assembly, 
 I will come there myself; but I must first see 
 that proper measures are taken for quartering 
 and feeding the troops, who are wet and tired." 
 
 With this message Arundel proceeded, as 
 fast as he could, to the royal apartments ; 
 but he found that the news of Lafayette's 
 arrival had preceded him. The council was 
 assembled, and deliberating upon the best 
 steps to be taken. As is not unusual in such 
 cases, a variety of different opinions were 
 started and discussed, and none adopted. Some 
 were for arresting Lafayette as soon as he made 
 his appearance, and keeping him as a hostage 
 for the peaceable behaviour of his army and the 
 populace. Others again were for giving up to 
 him the command of all the troops at Versailles, 
 and trusting implicitly to his loyalty and honour. 
 
 In the midst of these conflicting opinions, 
 
 n5
 
 274 ARUNDEL. 
 
 which were debated with the noise and confusion 
 so natural to men of every class when in a state 
 of fear and excitement, and which even the pre- 
 sence of royalty could not restrain, the Queen 
 beckoned to Arundel to come to her. 
 
 " Really," said she, "if our situation were such 
 as to allow of mirth, one could not but be amused 
 at this discussion, as if they were not aware that 
 it is too late to take any decided step. It puts me 
 in mind of the council held by the Elector of 
 Saxony, the day after Charles XII. paid him 
 a visit at Dresden, to consider whether they 
 ought not to have detained him when he was in 
 their power. You have shown that you possess 
 a cool head, and what is most wanted here, 
 decision : what is your opinion ?" 
 
 " To detain Lafayette, Madam," replied 
 Arundel, "besides the indelible stain it would 
 cast upon the honour of the King, would not 
 only be useless, but mischievous. I have good 
 reason to believe that there are some who flatter 
 themselves, that if he was out of the way they 
 could make use of the National Guard for their 
 own purposes ; and I need not tell your Majesty, 
 that those purposes are anything but friendly to 
 the King or the royal family. The small number 
 of troops on whom you can depend, would not 
 resist for ten minutes the multitudes who would
 
 ARUNDEL. 275 
 
 attack the palace, accompanied, as they are, by 
 a formidable train of artillery. If this move- 
 ment has been combined, and is the result of a 
 conspiracy, I am convinced not only that the 
 march of the National Guard formed no part of 
 it, but that their presence must have disconcerted 
 the plans of its authors. I think, therefore, that 
 your safety depends entirely upon Lafayette ; 
 and I need not add, how desirable it is that he 
 should be honourably received, and treated with 
 perfect confidence." 
 
 The Queen had no time to reply; for at this 
 moment the doors were thrown open, and the 
 person who had been the subject of this discussion 
 entered, accompanied by his officers and a few 
 deputies. As he approached the Monarch, he 
 said, " Sire, I am come to bring my head to 
 save that of your Majesty. If my blood must 
 flow, let it be rather in the service of my King, 
 than by the ignoble and uncertain light of lamps 
 on the Place de Greve." 
 
 To this speech the King made a most gracious 
 reply ; but some of those by whom he was sur- 
 rounded could not refrain from insulting and in- 
 jurious comments on the Marquis's conduct, 
 which, though made in an affectedly low tone of 
 voice, were yet sufficiently loud to reach the ears
 
 276 ARUNDEL. 
 
 of him they related to. He did not condescend, 
 however, to take any farther notice of them 
 than to say, "If your Majesty will deign to give 
 me an audience in presence of the Queen and 
 your ministers, I should like to explain the con- 
 duct I have held on this occasion ; and submit 
 to your approbation the further measures which 
 I think it necessary to adopt." To this request 
 the king acceded, and accompanied by those who 
 had been named, retired to an inner apartment. 
 
 Arundel remained amongst the other courtiers, 
 who were excluded from this secret conference, 
 and found himself surrounded by a number of 
 persons who were utterly unknown to him, and 
 seemed to eye him with no very friendly looks. 
 At length he was accosted by the Comte de 
 Fersen, with these words : " Allow me to ask, 
 sir, what was the meaning of the words you ad- 
 dressed to the Queen, but which were evidently 
 intended for me, this afternoon, in the gardens 
 of the Trianon ? I presume you have not for- 
 gotten them." 
 
 " So far from it," said Arundel, " that I shall 
 be happy to repeat them. I said then, what I 
 say now, that the explanation I made to the 
 Queen would not have been made to any other 
 living soul; and if it will give you any particular
 
 ARUNDEL. 277 
 
 satisfaction, I will add, least of all to the Comte 
 de Fersen." 
 
 " That is enough," cried the other; "you are 
 a gentleman, and of course you must be aware 
 there is but one way of atoning for such lan- 
 guage ; will you favour me with your address?" 
 
 Arundel gave it him, saying, " If you think 
 you have any cause of quarrel against me, be 
 assured I will not balk your inclination. At 
 the present moment, sir-, I suppose you are as 
 anxious as I am to devote yourself to the service 
 of her Majesty, and therefore I will propose to 
 you, to let our animosity sleep, at all events, till 
 this danger is past." 
 
 " You say right," replied the Count; "we 
 must now think of nothing but how best to serve 
 those who have so much need of our assistance. 
 For the present, therefore, let our quarrel rest." 
 
 A page here entered the room, with the infor- 
 mation that the council was over, and that their 
 Majesties had retired for the night. This wa3 
 soon after confirmed by Lafayette, who added, 
 that the King had desired him to occupy, with 
 the Parisian Guard, the posts formerly held by 
 the Gardes du Corps ; and that in consequence 
 he was invested with the military command of 
 the palace; " And now, gentlemen," said he, " I
 
 278 ARUNDEL. 
 
 advise you to retire ; everything is tranquil, and 
 I am alone responsible for the safety of the 
 royal family; you may, therefore, go to your 
 heds in perfect security." 
 
 " Not the very best guarantee," whispered de 
 Fersen to the Due de Fronsac ; " but I suppose 
 we cannot do better than take his advice ;" and 
 so saying he quitted the room, and soon after 
 the palace was deserted by all who had not 
 apartments in it. 
 
 " If you have not a lodging at Versailles, Mr. 
 Arundel," said Lafayette, as they went down 
 stairs together, " I shall be very happy to give 
 you a bed at my brother-in-law's, the Prince de 
 Poix, where I have taken up my quarters." 
 Arundel thanked him ; but said, he had an 
 apartment of his own. 
 
 " In that case, good night; to-morrow I shall 
 march back to Paris, as soon as , I have seen 
 all this mob out of Versailles ; and I shall be 
 very happy to see you at my hotel whenever you 
 feel disposed to honour me so far." 
 
 Arundel reached his house completely worn 
 out with the various events of the day, and the 
 emotions they had given rise to. But weary as 
 he was, he could not sleep ; he paced up and 
 down his room for some time, in a state of tu-
 
 ARUNDEL. 279 
 
 raultuous agitation, endeavouring in vain to re- 
 trace the history of that eventful day as it had 
 occurred; at length, quite exhausted, he sank 
 down upon his sofa, and fell into a restless 
 slumber, which fatigued more than it refreshed 
 him. Again he saw in his dreams those en- 
 chanting features which had so captivated his 
 imagination ; again he received from her hands 
 the ringf — the reward of truth and honour. Then 
 again his dream took another shape. He and 
 Gertrude were kneeling before the Queen, who 
 was in the act of joining their hands, when an 
 old man stepping in between them, tore them 
 asunder, and fired a pistol at Arundel's head ; a 
 fearful scream was heard, and he felt himself 
 sinking into some vast abyss with fearful rapidity. 
 That scream was still ringing in his ears when 
 he awoke. The day was beginning to break. He 
 rose and walked to the window, which he threw 
 open to cool the feverish agitation of his spirits. 
 " Thank God," said he to himself, "it was 
 but a dream; — but how like some frightful 
 reality ! I could have sworn that pistol was 
 fired close to my head." At that instant he 
 heard two or three shots in the direction of the 
 palace. The stillness of the night made them 
 seem much nearer than they really were.
 
 280 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Arundel listened for a moment, when a low 
 moaning sound came booming through the 
 heavy morning air, similar to the sullen roar 
 of the waters at the approach of a gale of wind. 
 There was no mistaking it; — it was the noise of 
 a multitude in motion. Hastily he threw him- 
 self out of the window, which was on the ground 
 floor, and flew rather than ran towards the 
 palace. As he got nearer, the scene of con- 
 fusion and horror was enough to appal the 
 stoutest heart. 
 
 The vast Place d'Armes and the courts of the 
 palace were filled with crowds of men and 
 women, resembling cannibals rather than civi- 
 lized beings, brandishing pikes, sabres, scythes, 
 and, in short, any weapon they had been able to 
 lay their hands on, inflamed by drink, and avow- 
 ing a thirst for blood which nothing could allay. 
 Far in advance, and close to the palace, Arundel 
 saw something raised on high, which at first he 
 could not distinguish ; but as he approached, he 
 turned away his eyes with disgust at perceiving 
 it to be a human head still dripping with gore, 
 stuck on a pike, and apparently serving as a 
 banner and rallying point for the insurgents. 
 At this moment the drums of the Parisian army 
 beat to arms, the tocsin sounded, and Lafayette
 
 ARUNDEL. 281 
 
 rode furiously into the midst of the assailants. 
 Arundel was too far off to hear what passed; 
 but he plainly saw Lafayette's horse turned 
 round by some men and led out of the crowd, 
 notwithstanding the resistance of his rider, to 
 whom no personal violence was offered. At 
 this juncture a few of his troops came up, and 
 disengaged their General. Arundel, who had 
 been in vain endeavouring to force his way 
 through the mob, now hastened up to Lafayette, 
 in the hopes of obtaining some explanation. As 
 soon as the Marquis saw him, he rode up to 
 him. " There is no time to lose in conversation," 
 cried he ; " endeavour to get into the palace ; 
 try the garden side — any side — only for God's 
 sake get in ; tell them to hold out only ten 
 minutes, and I shall have got together men 
 enough to clear the palace of these assassins. 
 Fly — the safety of the royal family and my 
 honour are equally at stake." 
 
 Arundel did not stop to answer, but ran round 
 to the entrance near the chapel ; this was closed, 
 but he was fortunate enough to find a window, 
 through which he gained admittance by break- 
 ing the glass ; but even when within, he was 
 quite as much at a loss how to guide his steps 
 through that vast building, so as to arrive at
 
 282 ARUNDEL. 
 
 those whom it was so important he should see. 
 Taking chance as his guide, he ascended a 
 small turning staircase, and as soon as he had 
 come to the first landing-place, at the end of a 
 long corridor, he heard the tumultuous roar of 
 the mob at no great distance from him, and oc- 
 casionally a musket-shot was heard in the in- 
 terior of the palace. It was evident the assailants 
 had succeeded in forcing an entrance, and were 
 in possession of part of the building. What 
 would become of its inmates ? — what might be 
 the fate of Gertrude ? Maddened with the 
 thought, that perhaps at that moment she was 
 exposed to death in one of its most dreadful 
 shapes, he tried several doors, but they were all 
 fastened, and resisted his most strenuous efforts 
 to open them. As he rushed down the corridor, 
 he perceived the last door open, and the room 
 filled with the lowest rabble: he pressed forward, 
 and was soon in the midst of them. Their pro- 
 gress seemed to be arrested by some obstacle 
 which the crowd prevented his discerning. A 
 low convulsive scream, hardly audible through 
 the tumult, struck upon his ear. With frantic 
 violence he dashed the crowd on one side, and 
 reached the end of the room. What a sight of 
 horror struck his eyes ! — the door communicating
 
 ARUNDEL. 283 
 
 with the next room was open ; in the door- way 
 lay the body of a Garde du Corps, but so muti- 
 lated, so defaced by the innumerable wounds he 
 had received, that nothing but the torn remnants 
 of his uniform indicated that the body was that 
 of a human being. On the other side the door 
 were four or five Gardes du Corps, all of them 
 streaming with blood, but still presenting, with 
 unshaken courage and devotion, the impene- 
 trable barrier of their bayonets to their infu- 
 riated assailants. 
 
 All this Arundel's eye took in at a glance ; 
 but the object that arrested his attention, 
 and for an instant froze the blood in his 
 heart, was the spectacle of a female, with 
 nothing on but her night-dress, struggling in 
 the hands of two ruthless assassins, one of whom 
 had his left hand twisted in her black hair, 
 whilst with the other he was endeavouring to 
 draw a large butcher's knife from his girdle, 
 which operation was rendered somewhat difficult 
 by the pressure of those around him. She had 
 obviously endeavoured to escape through the 
 door ; but those w 7 ho guarded it on the other side 
 knew that to have attempted her rescue, or for a 
 moment to have withdrawn their bayonets so as 
 to have allowed her a passage, would have been 
 to open it to the populace, and given up the last
 
 284 ARUNDEL. 
 
 remaining barrier between them and the royal 
 family. Stern and inexorable duty condemned 
 them to see the victim slaughtered at their feet, 
 without daring to make an effort in her defence. 
 Arundel stood motionless but for a second. In 
 another, he had dashed to the ground the ruffian 
 who held her ; the rest gave back a few steps, 
 more from astonishment than from any other 
 motive. The opportunity was gained, the bay- 
 onets were raised for a second, and Arundel 
 almost threw her he had saved through the door; 
 but his own life must pay the penalty of his 
 daring. The exertion he had made prevented 
 his taking advantage of the same opportunity of 
 escape, and the Gardes du Corps, faithful to 
 their trust, had seized the moment to close the 
 door. Arundel saw that he was lost — that no- 
 thing short of a miracle could save him ; but in 
 that moment of despair — and where is the man 
 who would not shudder at the thought of such a 
 death as now awaited him ? — one thought alone 
 was fixed in his mind. He had had but one 
 glance at her features, but that told him his 
 prayer had been heard. Gertrude was saved ; 
 she owed her life to him ; and his name, which 
 she had breathed out as he cast her from him 
 into safety, proved to him that he had been
 
 ARUNDEL. 285 
 
 recognized. He had not, however, much time for 
 these reflections. " Kill the traitor ! Death to 
 the aristocrat !" resounded on all sides. In an 
 instant he was overpowered by numbers, and his 
 arm pinned to the wall by a pike. The man 
 whom he had felled to the ground, came slowly 
 forward, apparently much hurt by his fall, and 
 claimed as a reward the pleasure of putting the 
 aristocrat to death. 
 
 This just demand was admitted by acclama- 
 tion, and the ruffian had already bared the 
 bosom of his victim for the fatal stroke, when a 
 voice was heard in the crowd, exclaiming, that 
 the knife was too easy a death for the traitor; 
 " There is a lamp in the corridor — we will hang 
 him there as an example to the Austrian of what 
 her favourites have to expect at the hands of the 
 nation !" This proposal met with unanimous ap- 
 plause ; the fatal cry, a la lanterne, resounded on 
 every side. A rope was speedily procured, and 
 being placed around Arundel's neck, they began 
 dragging him along. The excruciating pain of 
 his wound, rendered still more dreadful by the 
 violence with which the pike had been wrenched 
 out of it, almost mastered his resolution ; still 
 he uttered not a word — not a groan ; the tight- 
 ening of the cord round his neck, by which he
 
 286 ARUNDEL. 
 
 was drawn forward, almost produced strangula- 
 tion, and the death- drops already stood on his 
 brow ; when suddenly the rope was relaxed, the 
 triumphant shouts of the murderers were changed 
 into cries of terror and imprecations — and in a 
 moment the Count de Beauvoisin, clearing the 
 room at the head of a detachment of grenadiers, 
 rushed up to Arundel, and received him fainting 
 in his arms. ■ 
 
 The pain he. was in, however, did not long 
 permit him to remain in a state of insensibility. 
 When he came to himself, he found himself 
 lying on a bed, with a surgeon binding up 
 his arm, and an elderly woman supporting 
 his head. In answer to his enquiries, he found 
 that he was m a room in the palace, the surgeon 
 being one attached to the service of the royal 
 family, and his female attendant one of the 
 servants belonging to the Queen's household. 
 In a few minutes de Beauvoisin returned; and 
 the surgeon having completed his investigation, 
 hastened to say, that the wound presented no 
 dangerous symptoms; but that probably it would 
 be some time before the use of the arm was 
 completely re&tored, owing to the laceration of 
 the muscles ; in the meantime, he had bled his 
 patient, who must be kept perfectly quiet, and 
 not think of leaving his bed for some time.
 
 ARUNDEL. 287 
 
 " Well, I think you will allow, according to 
 your English proverb," said de Beauvoisin, who 
 had approached the bed, and taken one of 
 Arundel's helpless hands, " that a friend in need 
 is a friend indeed. I was not much too soon." 
 
 u My dear friend," said Arundel, faintly, " for 
 such indeed you have shown yourself — I am too 
 nervous for even your jokes ; for God's sake tell 
 me, is every body safe? What has happened?" 
 
 " Every body is safe, except four or five of the 
 unfortunate Gardes du Corps, and the insurgents 
 are turned out of the palace," replied the Count. 
 " How it began, no one can tell; and it will pro- 
 bably require a longer and calmer inquiry to 
 ascertain the origin of the insurrection, than we 
 are at this moment capable of instituting. As 
 far as I can make out, the first shot was fired by 
 a Garde du Corps, irritated at some abusive 
 language which the mob addressed to him. If 
 that is so, poor fellow, he has paid dearly for his 
 imprudence, for he fell the first victim. Now, 
 however, all is quiet, and I may say the people 
 are quite contented and happy. As soon as we 
 had cleared the palace, the King appeared upon 
 the balcony, with the Queen and Dauphin, and 
 attended by the Gardes du Corps, wearing enor- 
 mous cockades of the national colours. He was
 
 288 ARUNDEL. 
 
 received with tremendous shouts of ' Vive le Roi. r 
 accompanied by repeated demands that he should 
 go to Paris. Upon this, he said, in his usual 
 debonnaire way, c You wish for me at Paris ; 
 very well, I will go there with my wife and 
 children.' Then, for the first time, we heard 
 cries of s Vive la reine /' and my gallant com- 
 mander, who had been doing the civil to the 
 poor frightened Gardes du Corps, came forward, 
 and, dropping upon one knee, kissed her hand." 
 
 " Indeed ! and how did the Queen like that?" 
 
 " Why, you know that Kings and Queens are 
 actors born and bred, and she received the 
 homage paid her with a very good grace ; 
 though I suppose in her heart she liked it about 
 as well as the devil likes holy water, to use 
 rather a vulgar expression." 
 
 " You will oblige me much by not making use, 
 in my presence, of any expressions disrespectful 
 to the royal family," said Arundel, gravely. 
 
 " I assure you I meant no disrespect. You 
 know I am not fond of them ; but God forbid that 
 I should say anything, in their present situation, 
 that could sound like an inclination to insult 
 them or triumph over them. They may rely 
 upon my forbearance — but further than that I 
 will not go. My dislike of the court and all
 
 ARUNDEL. 289 
 
 belonging to it is unabated. You are delighted 
 with them, and that is very natural. Your ac- 
 quaintance with them has begun at a moment 
 when they feel the necessity of making friends, 
 and are ready to dispense their smiles and favours 
 on all whom they think it possible to cajole. 
 But my knowledge of them dates from a more 
 distant period, when the nation was ruled 
 by a handful of insolent, upstart favourites, who 
 dissipated the public treasure, and consigned 
 those who ventured to expostulate to the Bastille 
 or Vincennes. Yet, in spite of all these recol- 
 lections, I am magnanimous enough to feel com- 
 passion for Marie Antoinette — not as a queen, 
 but as a woman — and I will confess, her courage, 
 herhighmindedness, compel my admiration. Not- 
 withstanding all the horrors of this night, her de- 
 meanour was as calm and dignified as if she had 
 been all the morning preparing in tranquillity and 
 happiness to play her part before the people ; and 
 yet not much more than an hour had elapsed, 
 since she was obliged to quit her bed in the dress 
 she then had on, and fly for protection to the 
 king's apartments, after seeing a garde du corps 
 killed at her door by the demons and furies who 
 sought her life." 
 
 " Good heavens ! what a scene ! " exclaimed 
 vol, i. o
 
 290 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Arundel ; " and for her, too, the daughter of an 
 empress, the wife of a king ! But how did the 
 ruffians get in? There must have been the 
 grossest negligence or treachery. Lafayette ac- 
 cepted a great responsibility, and how has he 
 discharged it?" 
 
 "Hush ! hush ! — not a word against my chief: 
 he had nothing to do with the interior of the 
 palace ; there the Gardes du Corps kept their 
 posts as usual, and either a window or a door 
 must have been forgotten or left open. He did 
 all he could, all that prudence suggested, 
 and that, although he was so worn out with 
 fatigue that he could hardly reach the Hotel de 
 Noailles without falling asleep on his horse. But 
 I am talking when I ought to be acting ; I was 
 desired to see if you were well enough to receive 
 a visit, and report accordingly. What do you say? 
 — do you feel equal to it ?" 
 
 "Who is it?" 
 
 " Nay, that I am forbid to say. I believe, 
 however, it will not be disagreeable to you ;" 
 and a smile played upon his countenance. Arun- 
 del felt sick with emotion, as turning his head 
 round so as to conceal his face, he faintly said ; 
 " Yes ! I can see any one." 
 
 " Come, my good fellow," said the Count ;
 
 ARUNDEL. 291 
 
 " if the mere mention of a visit is to agitate you 
 thus, I am sure you are not fit to bear the visit 
 itself." 
 
 " De Beauvoisin," cried Arundel, half raising 
 himself on the bed ; w I cannot bear this sus- 
 pense, it is killing me. Is it — ?" and he stop- 
 ped. 
 
 " Yes ! it is Mile, de Romainville," said his 
 friend; "she is going to Paris with the royal 
 family, and wishes to see you before she goes ; 
 I think she may come now :" and without waiting 
 for an answer, he left the room. 
 
 o 2
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Count had not been long absent when 
 the door opened, and the Queen entered, fol- 
 lowed by Mile, de Romainville. " I bring you 
 here," said the former, " a young lady who will 
 not leave Versailles, without being assured, by 
 ocular demonstration, that her preserver is still 
 alive/' 
 
 " Oh Madam !" exclaimed Arundel, " how 
 can you have the courage to think of any one but 
 yourself and your family at such a moment ?' 
 and he made an effort to rise from the bed as he 
 spoke, but the pain of his wound made him 
 fall back almost fainting on the pillow. In an 
 instant both were at his bed side. 
 
 " Mr. Arundel," said the Queen, " if you
 
 ARUNDEL. 293 
 
 again attempt to move, we must both leave the 
 room; as it is, your remark almost deserves that 
 I should do so. Do you think me then so sel- 
 fish, so ungrateful, as to have no feeling for the 
 sufferings of others ? — besides, I consider Ger- 
 trude as part of my family , do you not know 
 that it was her anxiety for me that made her run 
 back into a danger from which she had already 
 escaped. Poor child ! but for you she would 
 have dearly paid for her affectionate devotion ;" 
 and she kissed the forehead of her protege. 
 " Will you not thank Mr. Arundel yourself, 
 Gertrude, for the service he has conferred on us 
 all ?" 
 
 Gertrude made an attempt to speak — it was 
 in vain — she burst into tears. Arundel endea- 
 voured to take her hand, but his arm fell power- 
 less on the bed. 
 
 " Give him your hand, my love," said Marie 
 Antoinette : and she put it into Arundel's. " You 
 must not think the worse of my Gertrude for 
 being unable to express her thanks in words, 
 — what she has gone through is too much for her 
 feelings. When we see you at the Tuilleries, 
 she will tell you it is rather the excess of grati- 
 tude, than the want of it, that closes her lips 
 now — is it not so, my child ?"
 
 294 ARUNDEL. 
 
 Gertrude did not attempt to speak an answer, 
 but the eloquent expression of her eyes gave a 
 fuller assent than words could have done, while 
 a slight and perhaps involuntary pressure of the 
 hand she held, shewed that her heart was no 
 partner in the silence of her tongue. Arundel 
 started as that soft touch thrilled through his 
 veins, and felt that a thousand wounds would 
 have been cheaply purchased at the price of 
 such a rapturous feeling as then animated him. 
 He ventured to return the pressure, and sighed 
 out rather than spoke the name of Gertrude, 
 Their eyes met — Gertrude had understood him — 
 her small hand trembled in his — "My Gertrude!" 
 — she did not withdraw it — " Mine for ever !" and 
 this time, for ever was repeated in that soft low 
 voice he so much loved to hear. Ah ! who can 
 paint, what poet can truly sing the raptures of a 
 first avowal? No one — it is a sensation of more 
 than earthly bliss which is felt, but cannot be 
 described — one of those fleeting emotions, by 
 which poor human nature is raised for an instant 
 above the level of its miserable condition, free 
 from the vile passions and sordid cares which 
 poison our existence, to a state of the purest, 
 most hallowed beatitude. The noble, the 
 heavenly part of our being, for a moment soars
 
 ARUNDEL. 295 
 
 triumphant. Ambition, avarice, all the low 
 grovelling prosperities inherent in the children 
 of clay, sink before it and disappear. Love, 
 that sublime and mystic bond, the connect- 
 ing link which unites our mortal and immor- 
 tal parts — love, so often profaned and desecra- 
 ted ; so much talked of, sometimes felt, but sel- 
 dom understood; love, the purest portion of our 
 essence, asserts his empire, penetrates our hearts, 
 pervades our whole frame, absorbs all our in- 
 tellectual faculties, and takes complete posses- 
 sion of our souls. 
 
 Such was the feeling that filled Arundel's 
 soul. He loved, and was loved — his destiny 
 was fixed; one object, and one alone, seemed 
 to give value to his existence — to deserve 
 her he loved, to win her, and to wear her ; 
 it was not at such a moment that the difficulties, 
 the almost insuperable obstacles to such a 
 consummation, presented themselves to his 
 imagination. Years might elapse, the ocean 
 might roll between them — but time and space 
 were but as trifles in his estimation when com- 
 pared with the prize for which he had to strive. 
 Happy illusions! —happy the age at which we can 
 form them ! Some there are, who, born without 
 passion and without feeling, hold on the even 
 tenor of their way, and without a sigh see whole
 
 296 ARUNDEL. 
 
 generations pass away, as in their turn they 
 drop into the grave unheeded and unwept : but 
 such was not Arundel. His soul of fire required 
 but a spark to raise into an all-devouring flame 
 the passions which hitherto had remained dor- 
 mant and unnoticed in his breast. The impe- 
 rious and ardent longing for mutual affection 
 was now gratified, and became instantly a prin- 
 ciple of his existence, as deeply rooted as that of 
 vitality itself. There are those, no doubt, to 
 whom so sudden, so engrossing a passion, and 
 for one so young, will appear the height of absur- 
 dity. The idea, the possibility, of love at first 
 sight, is grown out of fashion ; but there are 
 others who can understand it, who have felt it, 
 and to them I speak. Love knows no laws, is 
 bound by no regulations, and least of all, would 
 submit to those attempted to be imposed upon 
 it by the decision of a cold-hearted and calcu- 
 lating world. 
 
 In the meantime, the Queen had walked to the 
 window, apparently buried in deep reflection, and 
 seemed to take no notice of what was passing close 
 to her. At length, breaking out of her reverie, she 
 said : "Gertrude, I must carry you away; the car- 
 riages, no doubt, are ready to take us to Paris." 
 
 " And are you really going, Madam, to Paris?"
 
 ARUNDEL. 297 
 
 cried Arundel; "what escort have you — what 
 measures have been taken for your security 
 there, as well as on the journey ?" 
 
 " We are indeed going," replied Marie Antoi- 
 nette, with a sigh. "The King of France is 
 forced to leave the palace of his ancestors at the 
 dictation of a mob. We are going to grace the 
 triumph of the Marquis de Lafayette. What 
 measures he has taken for our protection I have 
 not even asked. After last night, what confi- 
 dence can we place in him 1 Still less can I 
 guess what fate is reserved for us when there. 
 The history of your country, Mr. Arundel, 
 shews us what a monarch, prisoner to his sub- 
 jects, has to expect. Oh ! my husband ! — my 
 children! — would to God that the sacrifice of my 
 life had been accomplished this morning, if it 
 could have insured your happiness, and the 
 tranquillity of the kingdom." And she sobbed 
 hysterically, though no tears came to her relief. 
 Arundel, too much alarmed now to remember his 
 situation, sprang from the bed, and was at her 
 feet in a moment, while Gertrude endeavoured 
 to make her swallow some water. 
 
 " For heaven's sake, Madam," cried Arundel, 
 "endeavour to compose yourself, or rather let 
 
 o 5
 
 298 ARUNDEL. 
 
 me run for assistance." She grasped him con- 
 vulsively, to prevent his stirring; but presently 
 the tears began to flow, and the fit seemed gra- 
 dually to subside. 
 
 " Yes !" said she ; " I see the scaffold before 
 my eyes as plainly as if it was erected in this 
 room. England will not alone have to boast the 
 murder of a king." 
 
 " Oh Madam !" exclaimed Arundel " why in- 
 dulge in such melancholy forebodings — so impro- 
 bable, so impossible to occur ? The people of 
 Paris wish for the presence of their Sovereign and 
 his family, because they consider it as a pledge 
 of tranquillity and plenty. His promise to go 
 there has made them happy and contented. Oh 
 no ! — these are not the times of Cromwell, and 
 Louis the Sixteenth is not Charles the First." 
 
 " Oh !" exclaimed the Queen, " I sometimes 
 wish he resembled him in some points ; at all 
 events, v;e should have been spared this degra- 
 dation. The King, sir, possesses every virtue; 
 he is a good husband, good father, brother and 
 master — but he wants decision. He has a horror 
 of the idea that he might be the cause of a drop 
 of blood being shed, and you see the consequen- 
 ces. To spare the heads of a few traitors, we 
 see our faithful servants butchered at our door ;
 
 ARUNDEL. 299 
 
 but hark ! — there is the signal for our departure. 
 A knock was heard at the door, and the Count 
 de Beauvoisin appeared to announce that all 
 was prepared for her Majesty's departure. 
 
 u As for you, Arundel," continued he, " I have 
 also made preparations for your removal, which 
 I hope the Queen will approve. I have accepted 
 M. de Mirabeau's offer to transport you to a 
 room in his house." 
 
 "lam much obliged to the Comte de Mira- 
 beau," said Arundel ; " but I must beg to de- 
 cline his offer. 1 have my own lodgings here, 
 where I shall be perfectly well." 
 
 " Nay, but hear my reason," said de Beau- 
 voisin ; " depend upon it, it is very well known 
 that you were the person who resisted the mob, 
 and received that wound in consequence. It is 
 said you wounded one man desperately; and it is 
 not improbable that he or his friends will take 
 some opportunity of avenging him. In short, 
 yon are not in safety in your own house; and 
 Mirabeau's will not only be the best place of re- 
 fuge for you now, but when it is known you are 
 his inmate, it will be a very effectual protection 
 hereafter. ' 
 
 i; Mons. de Beauvoisin is right," said the 
 Queen ; " I beg you to accede to his proposal :"
 
 300 ARUNDEL. 
 
 and seeing Arundel look very undecided, she 
 added ; " and if necessary, I order you." 
 
 " Well then, that is settled," said the Count ; 
 " I have a litter ready for you, and I will, with 
 her Majesty's permission, see you safe, and then 
 return to my duties here." The queen assented, 
 and giving her hand to Arundel to kiss, said : 
 
 " Adieu, Mr. Arundel ; I hope to see you at 
 the Tuilleries as soon as your wound allows you 
 to come there. Neither the king nor myself can 
 ever forget your courage and devotion. Ger- 
 trude, take leave of Mr. Arundel, and follow me." 
 De Beauvoisin very discreetly turned away, and 
 Arundel pressed one long burning kiss on the 
 hand that was held out to him. 
 
 " Adieu, Mademoiselle de Romainville," said 
 he ; " I hope soon to be at Paris; till that happy 
 moment, think of me sometimes." 
 
 She clasped his hand in both of hers, and 
 whispered "For ever!" and with her face covered 
 with blushes, ran out of the room. 
 
 " Well, now the adieus are over," said the 
 Count, " 1 will call in my grenadiers with the 
 litter. By-the-bye, I hope they were satisfac- 
 tory ; the adieus I mean, not the grenadiers. 
 She is a little angel, I allow — I wonder what
 
 ARUNDEL. 301 
 
 made her blush so, as she ran out of the 
 room." 
 
 " Who are you speaking of?" said Arundel, 
 angrily. 
 
 " Oh, nobody !" said de Beauvoisin, and he 
 began singing — 
 
 ; Je n'ai pas le coeur de glace, 
 Et mon Lubin m'aimoit tant, 
 Monseigneur, en notre place, 
 Vous en auriez fait autant.' " 
 
 These lines were uttered with so droll an ex- 
 pression of countenance, that Arundel, annoyed 
 as he was, could not help laughing. "Come now, 
 de Beauvoisin," said he ; " you know I cannot 
 be angry with a man who has saved my life, so 
 be generous, and do not teaze me." 
 
 " Very well ; but recollect, it is only a truce 
 till you are well, unless you leave off your mys- 
 teries and secrets with me. Why, Lord ! if I 
 was in love with the Queen herself, I should not 
 be happy till I had deposited my secret in the 
 bosom of some faithful Pylades. I see no fun in 
 a love that is to be hid from all the world ; that 
 would be too egoistical a passion for me. I like 
 to make my friends happy with my happiness."
 
 302 ARUNDEL, 
 
 " Well, but as I happen to have no such 
 secret — " began Arundel. 
 
 "Oh bah !" interrupted the other ; "but come, 
 here is the litter ; so just get in and make your- 
 self as comfortable as you can in it." 
 
 " I feel quite well enough to walk ; and if you 
 will give me your arm, I had rather go on foot," 
 said his friend. 
 
 " Very likely, but you will do no such thing ; 
 just have the goodness to obey orders, and do 
 as I tell you." 
 
 Arundel resigned himself to his fate, and 
 being safely housed, the men lifted him up 
 on their shoulders, and accompanied by the 
 Count, carried him to Mirabeau's house. Mira- 
 beau himself was out, but had left word to 
 have everything prepared for Mr. Arundel's re- 
 ception ; and in a few minutes he was installed 
 in a cheerful, comfortable room, on a sofa, while 
 a respectable-looking old servant arranged the 
 pillows under his head. 
 
 " Monsieur le Comte," he said, "regretted 
 exceedingly that important public business pre- 
 vented his being at home to receive Monsieur 
 himself; but hoped to be back by dinner time. 
 Was there anything Monsieur wished for ? " 
 This being answered in the negative, he left the 
 room.
 
 ARUNDEL. 303 
 
 iC I too must leave you/' said de Beauvoisin ; 
 " Lafayette cannot spare me, or I should have 
 liked so much to have remained with you to- 
 day." 
 
 11 Do tell me before you go, is there any dan- 
 ger to be apprehended for the royal family ? — 
 have all precautions been taken ?" 
 
 " Make yourself quite easy ; it will no doubt 
 be a long and fatiguing day for them, for with 
 this crowd accompanying them, they must go a 
 foot's pace ; but we shall take care to surround 
 the carriage with picked men whom we can rely 
 upon. As for me, I mean not to quit the door 
 of the carriage which contains a young lady I 
 feel very much interested about — a Mademoiselle 
 de Romainville — did you ever happen to see 
 her?" 
 
 " My dear Count, you are very near being a 
 very good fellow ; but you will not be perfect 
 till you leave off that detestable trick of quiz- 
 zing." 
 
 " Indeed ! then I am afraid I shall never retain 
 perfection long ; c'est plus fort que moi; but I 
 will be perfect for a minute, and set your heart 
 at rest, by assuring you in solemn seriousness, 
 that anybody I think you care about, shall be 
 taken as much care of as if you were yourself
 
 304 ARUNDEL. 
 
 present. So good bye, my dear friend; and above 
 all, take care of yourself, and remain quiet, or 
 you will be confined to the house for some time 
 to come — so saith the surgeon." 
 
 " Thank you, thank you a thousand times for 
 your kindness ; shall I see you before I get to 
 Paris?" 
 
 " Most undoubtedly, the first moment I can 
 call my own ; and at any rate you shall hear 
 from me to-morrow. I am afraid it will be too 
 late to-night ;" and so saying, the two young men 
 shook hands, and Arundel was left alone. 
 
 Calm reflection soon succeeded to excitement, 
 and he had leisure to consider the difficulties he 
 had prepared for himself. That they were great 
 he was fully aware, but he did not despair of 
 overcoming them — what lover does ? Still he 
 felt that he had been hurried into taking a step 
 that no one could approve of. He had plighted 
 his faith to a young girl, and had received hers 
 in return, under circumstances which had pre- 
 vented either of them from considering the im- 
 portance and the consequences of such an en- 
 gagement. But now that he was fully aware of 
 the length of time that must necessarily elapse 
 before his hopes were fulfilled, if indeed they 
 ever could be, would he be justified in allowing
 
 ARUNDEL. 305 
 
 Mademoiselle de Romainville to remain under 
 its influence? Honour told him he would not; 
 and although in a moment of passion he had 
 given way to his feelings, he determined, as 
 soon as he could see her, to explain his situ- 
 ation, and release her from all claims she 
 had given him over her. It was not without a 
 violent struggle that he came to this resolution, 
 — his short-lived passion had already taken deep 
 root in his heart ; still he resolved to free the 
 object of it from every tie which might appear 
 to bind their destinies to each other. He would 
 tell her she was free as air, but he could not 
 bring himself to say that he considered himself 
 so too. No ! — the nicest feeling of honour would 
 not require that. He would still cherish his love, 
 his hopeless love ; he would never lose the re- 
 membrance of what already appeared to him but 
 as a dream. It would be the pillar by day, the 
 flame by night, to guide him on his way. Does 
 it detract from his merit that a hope lingered 
 in his heart that the sacrifice would not be 
 accepted ? If it does, it was so natural, so in- 
 voluntarily, that it might well be pardoned 
 him. 
 
 He did not feel more comfortable when he 
 considered the relation in which he stood to the
 
 306 ARUNDEL. 
 
 court. The Queen would, doubtless, after what 
 had occurred, consider him as bound to their 
 cause, and this claim he was by no means pre- 
 pared to admit. He admired her, he pitied her, 
 and would have died to serve her personally ; 
 but the dislike he had always felt to her friends 
 was rather increased than diminished by what 
 he had lately seen of them. Those who were 
 most bound to defend the crown were emigrating 
 in vast numbers; some from the mere ignoble 
 instinct which taught them to fly from the pos- 
 sibility of danger ; others with the avowed in- 
 tention of seeking from foreign powers the 
 means of exciting a war against their native 
 country, and endeavouring, by the assistance of 
 a band of mercenaries, to restore the power and 
 abuses of the ancien regime. Those who re- 
 mained, entertained projects no less culpable, 
 which, but for the unforeseen events of that and 
 the preceding day, would probably have at once 
 plunged the kingdom into the horrors of a civil 
 war. Then again his mind would turn to the ap- 
 proaching interview with Mirabeau, determined, 
 as he was, to come at once to an explanation with 
 him, and to declare the impossibility of any 
 connection existing between them. After the 
 scene to which he had been witness the preceding
 
 ARUNDEL. 307 
 
 night, he could have nothing in common with a 
 man capable of entertaining such projects, who 
 evidently sought only his own aggrandize- 
 ment, without reference to the interests of any 
 one else. 
 
 Whilst he was busied with these thoughts, Mira- 
 beau himself entered his room, and apologizing for 
 his unavoidable absence, took such a warm in- 
 terest in all that had occurred to him, that Arun- 
 del felt he could not use the severe tone of re- 
 monstrance on which he had previously deter- 
 mined. 
 
 " To-day, you know, was the day appointed 
 for my explanations, and your decision," said 
 Mirabeau, as he sat down on the couch be- 
 side him ; " but considering your situation, it 
 will be better, perhaps, to defer them till you are 
 more capable of listening to me." 
 
 " On the contrary," said his guest, "it will 
 be a relief to my mind to have it over ; more 
 especially as I must decline receiving your con- 
 fidence, having fully made up my mind not to 
 accept your offers." 
 
 '* This is indeed an extraordinary resolution ; 
 and one, I confess, for which our last conversation 
 did not prepare me," said the Count. " Is it pos- 
 sible that twenty-four hours of the blandishments 
 of a court, should have wrought so sudden a
 
 308 ARUNDEL. 
 
 change in your opinions and ideas ? If so, I con- 
 fess I shall feel but little regret for the loss of so 
 versatile a collaborator." 
 
 " Not so, I assure you, Monsieur le Comte ; 
 my opinions are still the same, and it is because 
 they are unchanged that I refuse the honour of 
 your confidence." 
 
 " This requires some explanation, which I 
 trust you will afford me, as it seems to imply 
 that your objection is to me personally. I know 
 I am no favourite at the palace, and no doubt 
 you have heard many stories to my prejudice ; 
 but none, I am sure, which I cannot victoriously 
 refute. In justice you cannot refuse to give me 
 the opportunity." 
 
 " I give you my honour," said Arundel, " that 
 nothing I have heard from any one about the 
 court has in the least influenced my determina- 
 tion. I could have wished to be spared entering 
 into an explanation, which it will be painful for 
 me to make, and for you to hear ; but I acknow- 
 ledge your right to demand it, and if you insist, 
 I am ready to give it." 
 
 " Have the goodness then to proceed, and 
 never mind hurting my feelings — speak out what 
 you think," said Mirabeau. 
 
 " In that case," said Arundel, " I will tell
 
 ARUNDEL. 309 
 
 you at once, and without circumlocution, that I 
 have the positive knowledge that you conspired — 
 1 can use no other word — with the Duke of Or- 
 leans, to force the King from the throne, and to 
 declare that prince Regent, under the title of 
 lieutenant-general of the kingdom ; and that you 
 had, in this act of rebellion, rather a view to 
 your own particular interests, than the good of 
 your country. That is my reason for declining 
 all association with you. I am sorry to have 
 been compelled to speak in such plain language, 
 but I know no other." 
 
 " You are mistaken, Mr. Arundel ; you have 
 been imposed upon by some meddling, officious 
 fool," replied Mirabeau, warmly. 
 
 *' 1 have already said that I know what I have 
 advanced to be true; if you were to confirm it 
 with your own lips, it could add nothing to my 
 conviction." 
 
 Mirabeau started up, and walked about the 
 room for some minutes in great agitation. " But 
 if I assure you, upon my sacred word of honour, 
 that at this very moment the Duke of Orleans 
 and myself are enemies, and I should, in all 
 probability, have the gates of the Palais Royal 
 closed in my face, were I to present myself there?" 
 
 "I am quite aware of that; but that is only 
 since last night."
 
 310 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " What ! — do you know that ? " cried Mira- 
 beau, surprised beyond all idea of caution or 
 prudence. " Oh ! I see it all ; I am betrayed. 
 The duke has sacrificed me to make his peace 
 with the King — say, is it not so ?" 
 
 " It is not. I believe no one besides myself 
 and the parties implicated are acquainted with 
 the intrigue." 
 
 i( You had it, then, from Madame de Genlis, 
 or her husband ? " 
 
 " To save you the trouble of further questions 
 as to the source of my information," said Arun- 
 del, " I will tell you at once, that I will not give 
 it up, and will neither deny nor confirm your 
 conjectures: it is sufficient for me to know that 
 it is correct." 
 
 * You need say no more. I am satisfied. 
 Excuse me for one minute ; we will resume this 
 conversation." 
 
 He left the room, but returned soon after- 
 wards with as smooth a countenance as if no- 
 thing had occurred to disturb him. " Mr. 
 Arundel," said he, "I will open my heart to 
 you. You know so much already, that injustice 
 to myself I must tell you all that has passed on 
 this fearful subject. I ask for no promise of se- 
 crecy. As I said before, with a man of honour 
 I am safe. I will, then, confess that I did con-
 
 ARUNDEL. 311 
 
 spire, to use your word, with the Duke of Or- 
 leans, for the purpose you mentioned ; and in so 
 doing, although I certainly had stipulated for 
 myself — -I was to have been President of the 
 Council — I thought that 1 was acting for the 
 good of my country. France requires regenera- 
 tion. The administration of the government is 
 corrupt from first to last. The King means 
 well, but has no power ; he is a mere puppet, 
 the strings of which are pulled by those about 
 him, and these are the most deadly enemies the 
 revolution has to contend with. My intentions 
 were to have replaced him by the first prince of 
 the blood, till our constitution was irrevocably 
 fixed beyond the power of a faction to endan- 
 ger it. But I declare, most solemnly, that the 
 royal family would have been so treated as to 
 have reconciled them to their temporary abdica- 
 tion — for it would have been but temporary. The 
 head of the monarchy must place himself at the 
 head of the revolution, to ensure its complete 
 and bloodless success. I chose the Duke of 
 Orleans, believing him to be a sincere friend to 
 constitutional principles of government, and 
 knowing that he had given such pledges to the 
 revolution, that he cannot turn his back on it. 
 This idea I adopted some weeks ago, but since
 
 312 ARUNDEL. 
 
 that time I have seen good reason to doubt whe- 
 ther we should have gained by the change, and 
 last night I came to an open rupture with him ; 
 and you may believe me, when I assure you that 
 I have totally abandoned my project." He 
 paused, and seemed to expect an answer. 
 
 Arundel saw plainly enough that what he 
 safd did not tally exactly with all he had heard 
 the night before ; but not wishing to engage in a 
 useless discussion, he merely observed, " I will 
 not enter into an argument upon a plan which 
 you say is abandoned. In my opinion, you would 
 not have found the Duke of Orleans as ready to 
 relinquish a throne as to mount it : be that as it 
 may, you will yourself allow that you have said 
 quite enough to justify me in my resolution. I 
 tell you fairly you are too dangerous a man for 
 me to connect myself with ; and leaving the fea- 
 sibility of your plans out of the question, I must 
 at once declare — what I have said, I believe, once 
 before — that so far from aiding any plans to de- 
 throne the king, I would oppose them to the ut- 
 most of my power, and I have no wish to be 
 made a tool for your ambitious projects." 
 
 " Certainly you are gratifying my wish to hear 
 you speak plainly," replied the Count ; " but I 
 thank you for it — we shall understand each
 
 ARUNDEL. 313 
 
 other the better; and now listen to me calmly, 
 and reflect on what I am about to say. I am not 
 a man to abandon my purposes, because one 
 plan fails. The success of the revolution is my 
 first object — the wish nearest my heart; the next 
 is the care of my own fortune. I have, as you 
 may naturally suppose, reflected deeply upon 
 our position ; and I have determined to offer my 
 services to the King, provided always that he will 
 sincerely support the principles of the revolution. 
 That, of course, is a sine qua non ; and I think, 
 under existing circumstances, it will not be so 
 difficult to obtain from him and the Queen a 
 positive guarantee to that effect. The events of 
 these two last days must have convinced them 
 that they have no power to resist the will of the 
 nation. The crown must appear in their eyes, 
 as it does in those of every one else, entirely 
 valueless, unless possessing the affections and 
 support of the people. If they could not defend 
 themselves at Versailles with a body of troops 
 devoted to them, they must be aware that at 
 Paris, any attempt at violence would be still 
 more hopeless, surrounded as they are by an 
 immense population, who have embraced the 
 doctrines of liberty with all the ardour of prose- 
 lytes. At the Tuilleries, too, they will be more 
 vol. i. p
 
 314 ARUNDEL. 
 
 in public, and consequently less exposed to the 
 perverse insinuations of the enemies of the 
 people. I have hopes, therefore, that the King 
 may be brought freely to consent to the establish- 
 ment of a constitutional monarchy. If he does 
 so, I will ensure his being the most powerful 
 monarch in Europe — feared and respected by 
 his neighbours, and loved by his subjects. But 
 without my cooperation he can do nothing; there 
 is a republican party in France, small, it is true, 
 at present, but every day increasing in numbers, 
 and counting among its chiefs men of talent and 
 audacity, combined with an inflexible firmness of 
 purpose. These aim at nothing less than the 
 destruction of the monarchy, and the erection of 
 the republic. Then, again, there is a very 
 strong party, of which the Duke of Orleans is 
 the head; and their object is to transfer the 
 crown from the elder to the younger branch. 
 Now, it is not vanity in me to say, that I alone 
 am capable of counteracting and defeating their 
 intrigues. I know all the difficulties that lie in 
 my way ; but as I think they are almost all of a 
 personal nature, they may be overcome. The 
 Court, the Queen in particular, hold me in 
 detestation ; but if it can be shown them that 
 their safety depends on me— in short, that their
 
 ARUNDEL. 315 
 
 cause is mine — we should soon be as warm 
 friends as we have hitherto been bitter enemies ; 
 and after all, I have as much to forgive as they 
 have. If I sought to limit the royal prerogative 
 within constitutional bounds, they have retaliated 
 by placing my name at the head of the list of 
 those to be got rid of, if ever the good old times 
 should return. But to negotiate all this, we 
 must employ a man enjoying the confidence of 
 both parties ; and, moreover, in such a position 
 as to excite no suspicions ; for I need not tell 
 you the whole plan would fail, were it once 
 publicly known that I was in negotiation with 
 the Court, as it would destroy my popularity 
 and influence. I have looked for such a man 
 amongst all my acquaintance, and I see no one 
 so proper for it as yourself. Nay, do not start — 
 consider the subject calmly; if I may judge by 
 your professions, you are equally opposed to a 
 republic as to a despotism. You may have the 
 glory of saving France from both ; or, at all 
 events, from many years of civil war and blood- 
 shed. Does not such a mission tempt you ?" 
 
 " Granting that it did," replied Arundel, 
 " still I must have some guarantee that you are 
 in earnest, and will not fly from the engage- 
 ments you may contract; and I do not exactly 
 see how that can be done."
 
 316 ARUNDEL. 
 
 " Easily enough ; as I have before said, I 
 have my fortune to establish, and I shall exact 
 such terms for my assistance as, if granted, will 
 be a sufficient pledge that I will not break the 
 contract, as I could not hope to make so good a 
 one elsewhere. I see you feel something like 
 contempt for what, no doubt, you consider my 
 mercenary disposition; if so, you are wrong. 
 With my talents I am sure of succeeding in any 
 career I adopt. I have chosen the political one, 
 and I see no one so capable as myself of direct- 
 ing the government of a great nation. If I am 
 deceived in so thinking, all France is deceived 
 likewise. No, no ! — the labourer is worthy of his 
 hire : and those for whom I labour must pay me 
 my hire. Perhaps when I was at your age, I had 
 the high and chivalrous wish to serve my country 
 without fee or reward. But I have lived long 
 enough to know that gratitude is a virtue seldom 
 found in individuals, still more seldom in nations. 
 I am without resources of my own ; I must live 
 by my talents, and expect to be paid according 
 to their worth." 
 
 Arundel felt as much disgusted with his 
 principles, as with the sophistry he employed to 
 defend them ; but yet he felt inclined to accept 
 the part proposed to him, with the hope of being
 
 ARUNDEL. 317 
 
 instrumental in removing the barrier which so 
 unfortunately existed between the King and his 
 subjects. He was anxious, however, before he 
 pledged himself positively, to get as much light 
 as he could on the subject ; and with this view 
 he observed, ""Well, I grant that what you have 
 said, certainly does away with all suspicion as 
 far as the King is concerned; but what guarantee 
 have the friends of the revolution that you will 
 not desert them ? You, who are so well read in 
 English History, no doubt remember that Straf- 
 ford, the most willing instrument of an arbitrary 
 monarch, began his career as an ardent patriot." 
 
 " That is a question still more easily answered 
 than your last. A constitution is necessary to 
 my own safety. The Court, perhaps, will look 
 up to me as their saviour for a time ; but were 
 there no national representation, I do not think 
 this head of mine would remain very long on my 
 shoulders ; at all events, I know them too well to 
 trust them." 
 
 u Well," said Arundel, " I will undertake this 
 task ; but I give you fair notice, that I give it up 
 at the v^ry first symptom I see, of your leaving 
 the path you have now traced out." 
 
 " Mr. Arundel, I assure you you do me great 
 injustice," replied Mirabeau, " if you suppose 
 
 p3
 
 318 ARUNDEL. 
 
 me capable of it. I have often, it is true, em- 
 ployed men as my tools, without thinking it 
 necessary to put them into my confidence, or 
 even to make a show of it ; but when once I do 
 give it — when I speak to any one as I have done 
 to you, depend upon it I never seek to deceive ; 
 and now that it is agreed that you will assist 
 me, let us dine, which is by no means so unim- 
 portant a matter as some men are pleased to con- 
 sider it. If you will allow me, I will order dinner 
 up into your room ; but first of all, although you 
 have said nothing on the subject, accept my 
 promise that I will take care, should we succeed, 
 to place you in such a position as to secure your 
 future fortunes." 
 
 " On that head, Monsieur le Comte, I must 
 beg you will say nothing ; the sole object I have 
 in view in acceding to your wishes is to assist, as 
 far as I am able, in healing the fatal divisions 
 with which this magnificent country is threatened. 
 I neither expect nor wish for any personal ad- 
 vantage." 
 
 " Well, well, we will talk about this here- 
 after ; but in the meantime I think it will be of 
 great advantage to you to be naturalized as a 
 Frenchman ; it will at all events prevent that 
 odium attaching to you, which is so apt to fall
 
 ARUNDEL. 319 
 
 upon foreigners who interfere with the public 
 affairs of other nations; and in no country is 
 this feeling carried to a greater extent than in 
 France. With your permission, therefore, I will 
 to-morrow propose a decree for your naturali- 
 zation as a French citizen ; there is no difficulty 
 attending it — it has already been done in several 
 instances, and will be adopted as a matter of 
 course." 
 
 Arundel intimated his acquiescence, and din- 
 ner being brought in put an end to all further 
 political discussion. Mirabeau was shrewd 
 enough to perceive that he had lost considera- 
 bly in his guest's good opinion ; determined, if 
 possible, to retrieve the lost ground, he exerted 
 himself to the utmost, and when he wished to 
 please and captivate, it was next to impossible 
 to resist the charm of his conversation. Every 
 branch of literature, from the most abstruse 
 metaphysical disquisitions of the German school 
 to the newest novel — the respective merits of 
 Fox, Pitt, and Burke, and the graces of the 
 popular dancers at the opera — were all discussed 
 by him with the same elegance and felicity of 
 touch ; never dwelling on the same subject, when 
 it ceased to interest or to afford him an oppor- 
 tunity of placing some of those brilliant bon mots
 
 320 ARUNDEL. 
 
 for which no man in France was more celebrated. 
 Nor did he fail to perceive that Arundel was 
 fully capable of appreciating and enjoying the 
 display of varied lore and intellectual power 
 that was thus laid open to him. Although quite 
 unable to compete with Mirabeau in a contest of 
 this nature, what he did say was happily chosen 
 and to the purpose; while on those topics with 
 which he was acquainted, he showed a sound- 
 ness of judgment and a thorough knowledge of 
 his subject, that more than once baffled the bril- 
 liant but rather superficial comments of his com- 
 panion. Mirabeau's sagacity enabled him to see 
 at once that he had no fool to deal with ; and 
 consequently, the respect which the most pro- 
 fligate and unprincipled intriguer invariably feels 
 for the really honest man who has courage 
 enough to resist his seductions, was still farther 
 increased. Thus animated, he even excelled 
 himself, and they retired to rest mutually pleased 
 with each other. Arundel had never passed a 
 more agreeable evening, and no longer wondered 
 at the influence which the Count was said to 
 exercise over all who approached him. He felt 
 the charm himself, but could not help feeling 
 thankful that his host had himself furnished him 
 with an antidote, by the display he had pre-
 
 ARUNDEL. 321 
 
 viously made of his conduct, and the principles 
 which guided it. 
 
 Much refreshed by a good night's rest, Arundel 
 rose the next morning after the sui'geon had 
 visited him and dressed his arm, which was 
 doing as well as possible, and gave him com- 
 paratively very little pain. Youth and a good 
 constitution promised to effect a speedy cure. 
 While he was yet at breakfast, he received a 
 letter from de Beauvoisin ; hastily tearing it open, 
 he read as follows : — 
 
 Ci In the first place, my dear Arundel, let me 
 tell you, we arrived without the slightest acci- 
 dent; and I put this first, because the details of 
 the journey are too painful for you to read calm- 
 ly without this assurance. We did not reach 
 the Hotel de Ville till nine o'clock last night, 
 — consequently were eight hours on the road. I 
 grieve to say that the journey was one continued 
 outrage on the royal family ; to be sure the mob 
 were drunk, if that is any excuse. The ears of 
 the Queen were incessantly polluted by the most 
 horrible execrations or the most obscene jokes; 
 while two ruffians carried before her carriage the 
 heads of the two Gardes du Corps who were 
 killed in the morning. At Sevres they had actu-
 
 3*22 ARUNDEL. 
 
 ally the incredible barbarity to force a barber to 
 powder and dress them afresh. It must have 
 been one long scene of suffering to the principal 
 actors in it — but they did not shew it. The 
 King looked as unconcerned, and, between our- 
 selves, as stupid as usual. The Queen, though 
 dreadfully pale, looked as if she was too superior 
 a being for such insults to reach. Upon my 
 honour, I could easily have fallen in love with 
 her, if it were only for her courage and mag- 
 nanimity. 
 
 Ci Well, when we got to the Hotel de Ville, 
 the King made the little speech oblige in answer 
 to the Mayor's address; which poor dear blun- 
 dering Bailli undertook to repeat to the peo- 
 ple, but forgetting part of it, he only said s The 
 King will always find himself with pleasure in 
 the midst of the inhabitants of his good city of 
 Paris;" but the Queen took him up directly; 
 'Add with confidence, sir; the King said with 
 pleasure and confidence.'' It is lucky for some of 
 us, perhaps, that she and her husband cannot 
 change places. After this they all retired to the 
 Tuilleries, where no preparations had been made 
 for them, and many old dowagers who have had 
 apartments there from time immemorial, were ob- 
 liged to turn out at a moment's notice. So much
 
 ARUNDEL. 323 
 
 for public news. As for myself I took up my 
 position at the door of the carriage in which 
 Mademoiselle de Romainville was, with three 
 others whose names I do not know. She recog- 
 nized me of course directly, and to spare her the 
 trouble of asking the question, which she was 
 dying to do, poor little thing, only did not know 
 how, I told her that I had just left you comfort- 
 ably settled on a good sofa, and much easier. A 
 long silence followed this information. At length 
 a louder burst of savage triumph from the brutes 
 who surrounded us seemed to rouse her, but not 
 to think of herself; she begged me to go up to 
 the King's carriage, to prevent any attempt at 
 violence. I assured her that Lafayette was close 
 to it, and that it was well protected ; ' Besides,' 
 added I, ' I cannot leave this carriage, which I 
 have promised my friend Arundel to remain by, 
 till you are safely arrived.' Did you ever see her 
 blush ? If not, you have no idea how it becomes 
 her. Her face and neck were crimson, and she 
 looked so very grave, that fearful I had done no 
 good, I lost no time in saying that we had both 
 agreed in fearing that those from whom she had 
 already escaped once with so much difficulty, 
 might recognize her and endeavour to complete 
 their work, if they thought her unprotected. And
 
 324 ARUNDEL. 
 
 now, my dear fellow, if you are not already cured, 
 here is a balsam that will set you to rights at 
 once — what do you think she said? 'Dear Mr. 
 Arundel, how kind to think of me when he must 
 be suffering so much himself!' — she did indeed — 
 I am ready, if you wish it, to confirm my deposi- 
 tion upon oath. Not very flattering to me, by-the- 
 bye, who had announced myself as being one of 
 the suggestors. But however, I am a friend 
 comme il y en a peu. I let her believe my little 
 improvisation; and to say the truth I was no 
 loser, for she evidently considered me as a friend 
 from that moment, and gave me a look occa- 
 sionally that would have triumphed over any 
 other man's fidelity. As for me, I considered 
 myself only as a sort of electrical conductor for 
 the transmission of it to him it belonged to by 
 right. In short, I did all I could to diminish 
 the horrors of the journey to her; and though 
 she was looking pale and tired when we got to 
 the Tuilleries, I trust she will not suffer from it. 
 What can her father have been thinking of, when 
 he allowed so young, so innocent a being to be 
 attached to such a court as ours? However, 
 that is his business, not ours — at least not mine. 
 I told her I was going to write to you to-day, 
 and she desired me to assure you of her eternal
 
 ARUNDEL. 325 
 
 gratitude. There is a word for you from such 
 lips. To say the truth, I am delighted you were 
 laid up, and not able to accompany us ; it would 
 have been too painful for you. It has left upon 
 my mind an impression I shall not easily get 
 over, though I try not to think of it. Let me 
 hear how you are going on, and when you expect 
 to get out. What do you think of poor old Mon- 
 sieur de La Salle walking the whole way with his 
 hand on the door of the King's carriage ? 
 " Tout a vous, 
 
 " Adolphe." 
 
 The perusal of this letter filled Arundel with 
 mixed sensations of pain and pleasure, but it in- 
 creased his desire to be freed from the restraints 
 of a sick couch. His convalescence went on 
 favourably, though not so rapidly as he wished ; 
 in the course of ten days, however, he was pro- 
 nounced to be in a state to go out without dan- 
 ger, although he saw himself condemned to wear 
 his arm in a sling for some time to come. 
 
 During this interval he had several conferences 
 with Mirabeau, the object of which was to make 
 him completely master of the plans to be proposed, 
 and to give him the necessary instructions for 
 his negociations with the court. Each succeed- 
 
 VOL. I. Q
 
 326 ARUNDEL. 
 
 ing conversation filled him with greater astonish- 
 ment and admiration for the talents of the won- 
 derful man with whom he was thus Drought into 
 such close contact, and who now seemed to have 
 sincerely adopted a fixed and irreproachable line 
 of conduct. At length, the long wished -for 
 moment arrived when he was to leave Versailles, 
 — a few days before the National Assembly, who 
 had decreed that they were inseparable from the 
 King, and were making preparations to follow 
 him to Paris. In the meantime, Mirabeau made 
 arrangements for a regular and direct communi- 
 cation with his ambassador. 
 
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