Roche_Children_of_the_Abbey.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
many are the bittei
tears have shed over them ! composed," continued she,
seeing 's agitation, " and a few moments will explain
everything to you." then led her back to the root-hoK**,
. 581
^nd in a most explicit manner informed her of 's
treachery. burst into tears as she concluded. wept
on . 's bosom, and acknowledged she had removed a
weight of uneasiness from her mind. " " she con- .
tinued, " how much would the knowledge of his misery have
aggravated mine ! " " acted nobly," said . , " in
concealing it ; and amply will he be rewarded for such con-
duct." then proceeded to inform that she soon ex-
pected a visit from him. . was something in her look and
manner which instantly excited the suspicion of , who,
blushing, starting, trembling, exclaimed " is already
come ! " . smiled, and a tear fell from her upon
the soft hand of . " is already come," she repeated,
" and he waits, oh ! how impatiently, to behold his ."
may believe his patience was not put to a much longer
test. when in reality beheld him as she entered the
parlor where she had left . , and where he waited for
the reappearance of her friend, she sunk beneath her emotion,
upon that faithful bosom which had so long suffered the most
excruciating pangs on her account ; and it was many minutes
ere she was sensible of the soft voice of . who shall
paint his transports, after all his sufferings, to be thus rewarded
in the midst of his happiness, the idea of the poor general,
who had so generously planned it, struck upon his heart with a
pang of sorrow. " , my ! " he cried, clasping her
to his heart, as if doubly endeared by the remembrance, " is
at last permitted to pour forth the fulness of his soul
before you, to reveal its tenderness, to indulge the hope of
calling you his a hope which affords the delightful prospect
of being able to contribute to your felicity ? " " , most
generous of friends ! " he exclaimed, raising his eyes to a pic-
ture of the general, " will endeavor to evince my gratitude
to you by my conduct to your child." ! how did the tear
he shed to the memory of her father interest the heart of
! her own fell with it, and she felt that the presence of
that being to whom they were consecrated was alone wanting
to complete their happiness. was long ere she was sufficiently
composed to inquire the reason of 's sudden appearance,
and still longer ere he could inform her. . 's
melancholy letter, he at last said, had brought him over,
with the hope of being able to cheer her solitude, and also,
he acknowledged, his own dejection, by mutual sympathy;
from her cottage he had been directed to , and at
received particulars, not only of her happiness, but
582 fHE .
his own. , who had never yet deviated from propriety,
would not now infringe it, and resolutely determined, till the
expiration of her mourning, not to bestow her hand on ;
.but permitted him to hope, that in the intervening space, most
of his time might be devoted to her. was necessary, how-
ever, to sanction that hope by having proper society.
could not flatter herself with much longer retaining . and
. , as the latter particulairly was impatient to behold
her son. therefore requested, and obtained permission
from , to write in her name to and ,
and entreat their company at , promising she would
then accompany them to , and from thence to
, a tour which, previous to 's leaving
, had been agreed on. invitation was accepted, and
in a few days beheld the two beings most valued by him
in the world introduced to each other. of rapture started
to his eyes, as he saw his folded to the bosom of his
lovely sister, who called her the sweet restorer of her brother's
happiness ! was already acquainted with her,
and, next to his , considered her the loveliest of human
beings ; and and , who were also
invited to , regarded her in the same light. few
days after their arrival . prepared for her departure.
, who considered her as a second mother, could not
behold those preparations without tears of real regret. " ,
my " she exclaimed, " these tears flatter, yet distress
me. am pleased to think the child of my care regards me
with such alfection, but am hurt to think she should consider
my loss such an affliction. , my child ! may the endearments
of the friends who surround you steal from you all painful re-
membrances ! nature calls me from you ; sigh to behold my
child ; sigh," she continued, with eyes suffused in tears, " to
behold the precious earth which holds another."
three weeks after her departure the whole party pro-
ceeded to . could not re-enter it with-
out emotions of the most painful nature. recollected the
moment in which she had quitted it, oppressed with sorrow and
sickness, and to attend the closing period of a father's life.
wept, sighed to think, that the happiness he had prayed
for he could not behold. saw her emotions, and
soothed them with the softest tenderness ; it was due to that
tenderness to conquer her dejection, and in future the remem-
brance of her father was only attended with a pleasing melan-
choly. did not delay visiting the convent. good-
cmLDRE^f . 583
natured nuns crowded around her, and cried, laughed, and
wished her joy, almost in the same moment ; particularly
. prioress's pleasure was of a less violent, but
more affecting nature. almost constant scene of gayety was
kept up at the , a gayety, however, which did not prevent
and from inspecting into the situation of
their poor tenants, whose wants they relieved, whose grievances
they redressed, and whose hearts they cheered, by a promise
of spending some months in every year at the .
continuing at it six weeks, they crossed over to -,
and from thence proceeeded to , which had
been completely repaired, and furnished in a style equally
modern and elegant ; and here it was determined they should
remain till the solemnization of 's nuptials.
time which intervened till the period appointed for them was
agreeably diversified by parlies amongst the neighboring
families, and excursions about the country ; but no hours were
happier than those which the inhabitants of the passed
when free from company, so truly were they united to each
other by affection. , soon after his return,
waited upon the of , and, by his sister's desire,
signified to him that if a visit from her would be agreeable to
the marquis she would pay it. , however, was declined ;
and about the same period died. . ,
whom from long habit she was attached to, then retired to
another part of , ashamed to remain where her con-
duct was known a conduct which deeply affected her niece,
whom visited immediately after her arrival, and found
settled in a neat house near the town she had lodged in.
received with every demonstration of real pleas-
ure, and both she and her little girls spent some time with her
at the .
happy period for completing the felicity of at
last arrived. the chapel where his parents were united, he
received from the hand of the lovely object of
his long-tried affections. ceremony was only witnessed by
his own particular friends ; but at dinner all the neighboring
families were assembled, and the tenants were entertained in
the great hall, where dancing commenced at an early and was
continued till a late hour.
now having (to use the words of ) brought our
story to the sum of earthly bliss, we shall conclude, first giving
a brief account of the characters connected with it.
, as one of the most distinguished, we shall
584 ^-'^- - .
first mention. the death of , she found
her company no longer desired at the marquis's, and accord-
ingly repaired to . she had not been long ere she
became acquainted with a set of female , who goon
wrought a total change ( will not say a reformation) in her
ladyship's sentiments j and to give a convincing proof of
this change, she was prevailed on to give her hand to one of
their spruce young preachers, who shortly taught her, what in-
deed she had long wanted to learn, the doctrine of repentance ;
for most sincerely did she repent putting herself into his power.
, disappointment, and grief, brought on a lingering
illness, from which she never recovered. convinced she
was dying, she sent for , and made a full confession
of her treachery and injustice to him, in consequence of which
he took immediate possession of his uncle's fortune ; and thus,
in the evening of his life, enjoyed a full recompense for the
trials of its early period. died with some
degree of satisfaction at the idea of disappointing her husband
of the fortune she was convinced he had married her for.
. , after visiting her son, retired to her husband's
tottage, where their days glide on in a kind of pleasing melan-
choly. happiness of that son, and his , is as perfect
as happiness can be in this sublunary state.
, after studiously avoiding and
for above two years, at last, by chance, was
thrown in their way, and then had the pleasure of finding he
was not so agitated by the sight of as he had dreaded.
did not refuse the invitations of .
domestic happiness he saw him enjoying, rendered his own un-
connected aud wandering life more unpleasant than ever to
him. was almost constantly in his
company. longer fascinated by , he could now see
and admire her perfections. soon made known his admira-
tion. declaration was not ungraciously received, and he
oifered his hand, and was accepted an acceptance which put
him in possession of happiness fully equal to 's.
and of pass their days
in gloomy retirement, regretful of the past and hopeless of the
future. flutters about every public place, boasts of
having carried off a heiress, and thinks, from that cir-
cumstance, he may now lay siege to any female heart with a
certainty of being successful.
return once more to the sweet descendants of the -
reath family. goodness of heart, the simplicity of manners
. 585
which ever distinguished tliem, they slill retain. having
been children of sorrow themselves, they feel for all who corrte
under that denomination, and their charity is at once bestowed
as a tribute from gratitude to , and from humanity to
want ; from gratitude to that who watched their unshel-
tered youth, who guarded them through innumerable perils,
who placed them on the summit of prosperity, from whence, by
dispensing his gifts around, they trust to be translated to a still
greater height of happiness. 's wish is fulfilled.
use her words, their past sorrows are only remembered to
teach them pity for the woes of others. virtues have
added to the renown of their ancestors, and entailed peace
upon their own souls. children, by all connectecl with
them, are considered as blessings. has already con-
secrated their names, and their example inspires others with
emulation to pursue their courses.