"Good Heavens!" exclaimed the old lady, wringing her hands as she approached the door, "where is De Clifford ?" "Where we must all soon be," said Lee, solemnly, "before that tribunal which has but one witnessour own soul! and but one judge-the Lord God who made it! Here," continued he, pointing to the body as the men brought it forward, "here is what was your son. And now, having returned good for evil, and brought you your child, who hoped to rob me of mine, I'll go to what was my daughter." So saying, the crowd gave way, and Lee, giving one short husky laugh as he looked at Grindall, walked rapidly through it and disappeared. 66 Stop-secure-" said the old lady, pointing after him; but, before she could finish the sentence, she sunk down in a fit on the corse of her son: CONCLUSION. "When all our leaves of life are sear'd by nature But the Medean spring, whose fierce unnatural wrath grave, Robs us of life ere death has claim'd his debt." Unpublished Play. "And when you blush'd, and could not speak, Did that affront you? You'll love me, won't you?' You do, sweet, don't you? You'll love me, won't you?" HOPE is a telescope, which brings objects within our reach that are in reality as far distant as ever, therefore Cheveley had constantly looked through it for the last VOL. II.-A A eighteen months, at the end of which time he discarded it for reality. It was a lovely morning in the sweet and maiden time of the year, "the gentle month of May," that Cheveley arrived at Grimstone, and, leaving the carriage at the village inn, walked up to the hall. The birds were carolling their happy concert among the young green leaves, and the butterflies, which had not yet exchanged their bridal wings of snowy white for the more gorgeous and matronly ones of purple and gold, seemed playing hide and seek among the flowers. Cheveley's hand trembled violently as he opened the iron gate of the invisible paling that led into the lawn. Two figures were sitting under a tulip tree. They were Fanny and little Julia. The latter instantly recognised him; and, breaking from her aunt, ran up to him, and throwing her arms round him, said, suppose, When "Dear Mowbray, I am so glad to see you again.” "And I," said Fanny, extending her hand, out of civility, I must say the same thing." Cheveley had kissed the child and shaken hands very affectionately with Fanny, he stammered out, "Where is Ju-Julia!" "Julia," replied Fanny, laughing, "is in the drawingroom; there, that room where you see the window open and the blind down; but you really must find your own way there, for I have no idea of losing this beautiful morning by playing Major Nonplus or groom of the chambers to you.' وو "I think you are quite right," laughed Cheveley, as he kissed his hand and walked on to the window. It was a low mullion window, one half of which was slid back; he listened for a moment, and hearing no sound, gently pushed back the blind and walked in. Lady de Clifford was standing at a table looking for a drawing, with her back to the window; he walked noiselessly up to her. "I wish," said she, aloud. "What?" asked Cheveley, passing his arm round her waist and drawing her towards him. Julia uttered a faint scream, and then said, with a blush and a smile, "That you had not frightened me so." 66 Julia, my Julia!" said Cheveley, kissing her passionately, as her beautiful head rested on his shoulder, "does not this moment repay us for all the past? Is it not enough if there was no future?" "E vero, vero," chirped the starling, who had been reinstated within the last few months; but Julia made no answer, for there is a love that has no words, and in this language Cheveley and she conversed for some minutes. "I almost wish,” said she at last, "that we could die now; for I, who have never been happy before, am too happy." "You shall know nothing else, dearest, but happiness till you surfeit on it; and then, for your own good, you know, I must begin a course of conjugal discipline, and make you unhappy again.' Nay," said Julia. "No answer, madam, if you please," said Cheveley, kissing her into silence; "implicit obedience I must and will have." * * * A month after this truly marital speech saw Julia, Marchioness of Cheveley, installed at Cheveley Place as its happy, loving, and beloved mistress. Beryl, all things considered, bore her faculties meekly, notwithstanding that Mr Sanford began to be very attentive to her, till, about a year after her mistress's marriage, at the christening of the little Lord Mowbray, there was such an influx of royalty and fine people, that it was no wonder greatness became an epidemic, and she looked half a head taller. John Lee and his daughter, with Madge Brindal, who had become Mrs. Datchet, went to America, where Lord Cheveley settled two hundred a year upon him, and Lady Cheveley promised to provide for Mary's child. Mrs. Stokes and her husband were allowed to change the De Clifford to the Cheveley Arms, with a present of a new house, in which the former was so happy for a whole year, that, although the Maidenhead bridge had given way, to the great detriment of the Great Western Railway, and several accidents had happened at sea, she never once thought of attributing any of them to her husband's laziness and stupidity. Mr. and Mrs. Tymmons continued happy in the midst of their fine family, which, however, suffered a diminution by Captain Cubs disencumbering them of Miss Caroline; but, dreadful to relate, the very day of the wedding Master Grimstone singed off his brother-in-law's left mustache, so that he found two flames in the Tymmons' family instead of 280 one. THE MAN OF HONOUR. Mr. Joseph Tymmons died as he had lived, a bachelor, and no fellow was ever found for the matchless Seraphina. Mr. Rush got a situation as amanuensis to a literary gentleman, where, by a steady perseverance in the course he is now pursuing, he has every prospect of starving in a garret; his mother says that he must rise, as he speaks Greek and Latin, and all the dead languages, like a native, which is likely enough, for he looks like a corpse. Alonzo was ungratefully "left to better himself," and went to live with Mr. Hoskins, whose wife died of a broken heart at his extravagance in less than a year. The Simmonses all married, no doubt, as the Tymmonses said, by dint of art. Miss Caroline Chubb continued to collect franks; but Miss Caroline Chubb, of Ferrybridge, having in the course of nature departed this life, Miss Caroline Chubb, of Triverton, was obliged to drop the junior. Mrs. Wrigglechops continued to keep her husband son, and regulate his monitory system; therefore, for once, money does not make the mayor go. Mr. Frederic Feedwell had prevailed upon Mrs. Tadpole to go off with him, and was to meet her for that purpose in a postchaise, ten miles beyond Triverton; but, by some unaccountable mistake, Major Tadpole met him instead, and, after a hearty drubbing, left him to pass the night in a ditch, where he caught a feverish cold, that occasioned him more pain than all the indigestions he had ever had. Fuzboz is supposed to be out of print, as no one has ever heard of him since the Triverton election, having been but once seen since that event, very drunk, in the porter's chair at the Garrick. Major Nonplus never says a word about his wealth, having been really left forty thousand pounds about six months ago, the miraculous effect of which has been to make him talk less and drink more. About a year after the Lees' departure to America, Freddy Flipps, whom they had taken out as 66 a help,' returned with the news of poor Mary Lee's death. Her father did not long survive her, and Mary's child was brought to England by Datchet, where Lady Cheveley had him well and carefully brought up. The Dowager Lady de Clifford had been in a bad state of health since her son's awfully sudden death; and having, contrary to Frump's advice, eaten of a crabapple tart, died of a two days' illness. Her second son, Herbert, the present Lord de Clifford, hastened to England on the melancholy event, but evinced great fortitude and resignation till after the funeral, when it was discovered that, his mother not having made a will, Blichingly went to her grandchild, Julia Grimstone, as heir at law, so that his lordship had nothing to do but to continue a sort of retail Talleyrand in a very small way, keeping in with every administration. Monsieur de Rivoli had become a member of the Suicide Club at Paris, suicide being what self-love often ends in. The Savilles and Seymours form a delightful society at Cheveley, whose master and mistress evince their own happiness by diffusing happiness to all around; grateful to God for the blessings he has bestowed upon them, each seems to emulate the other which shall best deserve them. Cheveley is vulgar enough to dote upon his wife; and Julia's love and respect for her husband increases daily, from finding that, in every relationship of life, from the smallest to the greatest, he is a MAN OF HONOUR. THE END. |