tales for fifteen-第15节

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togetherhave　you　spoken　to　your　dear；　dear　aunt；
about　it？〃

〃You　shall　know　in　good　time；　my　Anna；〃　said　Julia；
mindful　of　the　wishes　of　her　aunt；　and　speaking
with　a　smile　that　gave　Anna　an　assurance　of　her
success。

〃Oh！　what　a　delightful　winter　we　will　have！〃　cried
Anna；　in　rapture。

〃I　am　tongue…tied　at　present；〃　said　Julia；　laughing；
〃but　not　on　every　subject；〃　she　continued；　blushing
to　the　eyes；　〃do　tell　me　of　St。　Albansof　Regulus
who　is　he？〃

〃Who　is　he？〃　echoed　Anna〃why；　nobody！one
must　have　something　to　write　about；　you　know；　to
a　friend。〃

Julia　felt　sick　and　fainther　colour　left　her　cheeks
as　she　forced　a　smile；　and　uttered；　in　a　low　voice
〃But　AntonioStanley？〃

〃A　man　of　straw；〃　cried　Anna；　with　unfeeling　levity；
〃no　such　creature　in　the　world；　I　do　assure　you！〃

Julia　made　a　mighty　effort　to　conquer　her　emotion；
and　wildly　seizing　Anna　by　the　arm；　she　pointed　to
her　aunt's　coachman；　who　was　at　work　on　his
carriage　at　no　great　distance；　and　uttered〃For
God's　sake；　who　is　HE？〃

〃He！〃　cried　Anna；　in　surprise；　〃why；　your　driverand
an　ugly　wretch　he　is！don't　you　know　your　own
driver　yet？〃

Julia　burst　from　her　treacherous　friendrushed　into
the　room　of　her　aunt…and　throwing　herself　into　the
arms　of　Miss　Emmerson；　wept　for　an　hour　as　if　her
heart　would　break。　Miss　Emmerson　saw　that
something　had　hurt　her　feelings　excessively；　and
that　it　was　something　she　would　not　reveal。
Believing　that　it　was　a　quarrel　with　her　friend；　and
hoping　at　all　events　that　it　would　interrupt　their
intercourse；　Miss　Emmerson；　instead　of　trying　to
discover　her　niece's　secret；　employed　herself　in
persuading　her　to　appear　before　the　family　with
composure；　and　to　take　leave　of　them　with　decency
and　respect。　In　this　she　succeeded；　and　the　happy
moment　arrived。　Anna　in　vain　pressed　near　her
friend　to　receive　the　invitationand　her　mother
more　than　once　hinted　at　the　thousand　pities　it　was
to　separate　two　that　loved　one　another　so　fondly。
No　invitation　was　givenand　although　Anna　spent
half　a　day　in　searching　for　a　letter；　that　she
insisted　must　be　left　in　some　romantic　place；　none
was　ever　found；　nor　did　any　ever　arrive。

While　resting　with　her　foot　on　the　step　of　the
carriage；　about　to　enter　it；　Julia；　whose　looks　were
depressed　from　shame；　saw　a　fluid　that　was
discoloured　with　tobacco　fall　on　her　shoe　and　soil
her　stocking。　Raising　her　eyes　with　disgust；　she
perceived　that　the　wind　had　wafted　it　from　the
mouth　of　Antonio；　as　he　held　open　the　doorand
the　same　blast　throwing　aside　his　screen　of　silk；
discovered　a　face　that　was　deformed　with　disease；
and　wanting　of　an　eye！

Our　travellers　returned　to　the　city　by　the　way　of
Montreal　and　Lake　Champlain；　nor　was　it　until　Julia
had　been　the　happy　wife　of　Charles　Weston　for
more　than　a　year；　that　she　could　summon
resolution　to　own　that　she　had　once　been　in　love；
like　thousands　of　her　sex；　〃with　a　man　of　straw！〃



=
=



HEART。
…oOo…

〃Some　live　in　airy　fantasies；
And　in　the　clouds　do　move；
And　some　do　burn　with　inward　flames
But　few　know　how　to　love。〃
ANON。　BALLAD

CHAPTER　I。

ON　one　of　those　clear；　cold　days　of　December；
which　so　frequently　occur　in　our　climate；　two　very
young　women　were　walking　on　the　fashionable
promenade　of　New…York。　In　the　person　of　the　elder
of　these　females　there　was　exhibited　nothing　more
than　the　usual　indications　of　youth　and　health；　but
there　were　a　delicacy　and　an　expression　of
exquisite　feeling　in　the　countenance　of　her
companion；　that　caused　many　a　plodding　or　idle
passenger　to　turn　and　renew　the　gaze；　which　had
been　attracted　by　so　lovely　a　person。　Her　figure
was　light；　and　possessed　rather　a　character　of
aerial　grace；　than　the　usual　rounded　lines　of　earthly
beauty；　and　her　face　was　beaming　more　with　the
sentiments　of　the　soul　within；　than　with　the
ordinary　charms　of　complexion　and　features。　It　was
precisely　that　kind　of　youthful　loveliness　that　a
childless　husband　would　pause　to　contemplate　as
the　reality　of　the　visions　which　his　thoughts　had
often　portrayed；　and　which　his　nature　coveted　as
the　only　treasure　wanting　to　complete　the　sum　of
his　earthly　bliss。　It　truly　looked　a　being　to　be　loved
without　the　usual　alloy　of　our　passions；　and　there
was　a　modest　ingenuousness　which　shone　in　her
air；　that　gently　impelled　the　hearts　of　others　to
regard　its　possessor　with　a　species　of　holy
affection。　Amongst　the　gay　throng；　however；　that
thoughtlessly　glided　along　the　Broadway；　even　this
image　of　female　perfection　was　suffered　to　move
unnoticed　by　hundreds；　and　it　was　owing　to　the
obstruction　offered　to　the　passage　of　the　ladies；　by
a　small　crowd　that　had　gathered　on　the　side…walk；
that　a　gentleman　of　uncommon　personal
endowments　enjoyed　an　opportunity　of　examining　it
with　more　than　ordinary　attention。　The　eldest　of
the　females　drew　her　companion　away　from　this
impediment　to　their　passage；　by　moving　towards
the　opposite　side　of　the　street；　and　observing；　as
they　crossed；　with　an　indifference　in　her　manner

〃It　is　nothing；　Charlotte；　but　a　drunken　man；　if
people　will　drink；　they　must　abide　the
consequences。〃

〃He　does　not　seem　intoxicated；　Maria；〃　replied　the
other；　in　a　voice　whose　tones　corresponded　with　her
appearance；　〃it　is　some　sudden　illness。〃

〃One　that；　I　dare　say；　he　is　accustomed　to；〃　said
Maria；　without　having　even　taken　such　a　look　at　the
sufferer　as　would　enable　her　to　identify　his　colour；
〃he　will　be　well　enough　after　he　has　slept。〃

〃But　is　the　pavement　a　place　for　him　to　sleep　on？〃
rejoined　her　companion；　still　gazing　towards　the
miserable　object；　〃and　if　he　should　be　ill！why　do
they　not　raise　him？Why　do　they　suffer　him　to
injure　himself　as　he　does？〃

The　speaker；　at　the　same　time　that　she　shrunk　in　a
kind　of　sensitive　horror　from　this　exhibition　of
human　infirmities；　now　unconsciously　stopped；　with
an　interest　in　the　man　that　she　could　not　controul；
and　thus　compelled　Maria　to　pause　also。　The　crowd
had　withdrawn　from　the　man；　giving　him　sufficient
room　to　roll　over；　in　evident　pain；　while　they　yet
stood　gazing　at　him；　with　that　indefinable　feeling
of　curiosity　and　nerveless　sympathy；　which
characterises　man　when　not　called　on　to　act；　by
emulation；　vanity；　or　the　practice　of　well…doing。　No
one　offered　to　assist　the　sufferer；　although　many
said　it　ought　to　be　done；　some　spoke　of　sending　for
those　who　monopolized　the　official　charity　of　the
city；　many；　having　satisfied　their　curiosity；　and
finding　that　the　moment　for　action　was　arriving；
quietly　withdrew　from　a　trouble　that　would　interfere
with　their　comforts　or　their　businesswhile　a　few
felt　an　impulse　to　aid　the　man；　but　hesitated　in
being　foremost　in　doing　that　which　would　be
honourable　to　their　feelings；　but　might　not　accord
with　their　condition；　or　might　seem　as　the
ostentatious　display　of　unusual　benevolence。
Where　men　are　congregated；　conduct　must　be
regulated　by　the　touchstone　of　public　opinion；　and；
although　it　is　the　fashion　of　New…York　to　applaud
acts　of　charity；　and　to　do　them　too　in　a　particular
mannerit　is　by　no　means　usual　to　run　to　the
assistance　of　a　fellow　creature　who　is　lying　in
distress　on　a　pavement。

｛those　who　monopolized　the　official　charity　=　in
1821　the　only　officially　supported　charitable
organization　in　New　York　City　was　the　City
Dispensary　　municipal　aid　to　others　having　been
cut　off　in　1817　on　the　grounds　that　charity　to　the
poor　only　made　them　lazy　and　improvident｝

Whatever　might　be　the　impulses　of　the　gentleman
whom　we　have　mentioned；　his　attention　was　too
much　absorbed　by　the　conversation　and　manner　of
the　two　ladies　to　regard　any　thing　else；　and　he
followed　them　across　the　street；　and　stopped　also
when　they　paused　to　view　the　scene。　He　was
inwardly　and　deeply　admiring　the　most　youthful　of
the　females；　for　the　natural　and　simple　display　of
those　very　qualities　that　he　forgot　himself　to
exercise；　when　he　was　roused　with　a　feeling　of
something　like　mortification；　by　hearing　Charlotte
exclaim；　with　a　slight　glow　on　her　cheek

〃Ah！　there　is　George　Morton　cominghe　surely　will
not　pass　the　poor　man　without　offering　to　assist
him。〃

The　gentleman　turned　his　head　quickly；　and　noticed
a　youth　making　his　way　through　the　crowd；
successfully；　to　the　side　of　the　sufferer。　The
distance　was　too　great　to　hear　what　passedbut　an
empty　coach；　whose　driver　had　stopped　to　gaze
with　the　rest；　was　instantly　drawn　up；　and　the　man
lifted　in；　and　followed　by　the　youth；　whose
appearance　had　effected　these　movements　with　the
silence　and　almost　with　the　quietness　of　magic。

George　Morton　was　far　from　possessing　the　elegant
exterior　of　the　uneasy　observer　of　this　scene；　yet
were　the　eyes　of　the　lovely　young　woman　who　had
caught　his　attention；　fixed　in　evident　delight　on　his
person；　until　it　was　hid　from　view　in　the　carriage；
when；　drawing　a　long　breath；　as　if　relieved　from
great　uneasiness；　she　said；　in　a　low　voice

〃I　knew　that　George　Morton　would　not　pass　him　so
unfeelinglybut　where　are　they　going？not　far；　I
hope；　on　this　cold　dayand　George　without　his
great　coat。〃

There　was　a　plaintive　and　natural　melody　in　the
tones　of　the　speaker's　voice；　as　she　thus
unconsciously　uttered　her　concern；　that