A Terrible Temptation (Fiscle Part 3) - Charles Reade (recommended ebook reader txt) 📗

Mangling

Its Poor Little Body."

 

"This Is Cheerful," Said Sir Charles,  Rather Ruefully. "We Cannot All

Be Angels,  Like You. It Is A Glorious Excitement. There! You Are Too

Good For This World; I'll Let You Off Going."

Part 3 Chapter 10 Pg 83

"Oh No,  Dear. I Won't Be Let Off,  Now I Know Your Wish. Only I Beg To

Ride Home As Soon As The Poor Thing Runs Away. You Wouldn't Get Me Out

Of The Thick Covers If I Were A Fox. I'd Run Round And Round,  And Call

On All My Acquaintances To Set Them Running."

 

As She Said This Her Eyes Turned Toward Each Other In A Peculiar Way,

And She Looked Extremely Foxy; But The Look Melted Away Directly.

 

The Hounds Met,  And Lady Bassett,  Who Was Still The Beauty Of The

County,  Was Surrounded By Riders At First; But As The Hounds Began To

Work,  And Every Now And Then A Young Hound Uttered A Note,  They

Cantered About,  And Took Up Different Posts,  As Experience Suggested.

 

At Last A Fox Was Found At The Other End Of The Cover,  And Away

Galloped The Hunters In That Direction,  All But Four Persons,  Lady

Bassett,  And Her Groom,  Who Kept Respectfully Aloof,  And A Lady And

Gentleman Who Had Reined Their Horses Up On A Rising Ground About A

Furlong Distant.

 

Lady Bassett,  Thus Left Alone,  Happened To Look Round,  And Saw The Lady

Level An Opera-Glass Toward Her And Look Through It.

 

As A Result Of This Inspection The Lady Cantered Toward Her. She Was On

A Chestnut Gelding Of Great Height And Bone,  And Rode Him As If They

Were One,  So Smoothly Did She Move In Concert With His Easy,

Magnificent Strides.

 

When She Came Near Lady Bassett She Made A Little Sweep And Drew Up

Beside Her On The Grass.

 

There Was No Mistaking That Tall Figure And Commanding Face. It Was The

Brave Lady. Her Eyes Sparkled; Her Cheek Was Slightly Colored With

Excitement; She Looked Healthier And Handsomer Than Ever,  And Also More

Feminine,  For A Reason The Sagacious Reader May Perhaps Discern If He

Attends To The Dialogue.

 

_"So,"_ Said She,  Without Bowing Or Any Other Ceremony,  "That Little

Rascal Is Troubling You Again."

 

Lady Bassett Colored And Panted,  And Looked Lovingly At Her,  Before She

Could Speak. At Last She Said,  "Yes; And You Have Come To Help Us

Again."

 

"Well,  The Lawyer Said There Was No Time To Lose; So I Have Brought You

The Anonymous Letter."

 

"Oh,  Thank You,  Madam,  Thank You."

 

"But I'm Afraid It Will Be Of No Use Unless You Can Prove Mr. Bassett

Wrote It. It Is In A Disguised Hand."

 

"But You Found Him Out By Means Of Another Letter."

Part 3 Chapter 10 Pg 84

"Yes; But I Can't Give You That Other Letter To Have It Read In A Court

Of Law,  Because--Do You See That Gentleman There?"

 

"Yes."

 

"That Is Marsh."

 

"Oh,  Is It?"

 

"He Is A Fool; But I Am Going To Marry Him. I Have Been Very Ill Since

I Saw You,  And Poor Marsh Nursed Me. Talk Of Women Nurses! If Ever You

Are Ill In Earnest,  As I Was,  Write To Me,  And I'll Send You Marsh. Oh,

I Have No Words To Tell You His Patience,  His Forbearance,  His

Watchfulness,  His Tenderness To A Sick Woman. It Is No Use--I Must

Marry Him; And I Could Have No Letter Published That Would Give Him

Pain."

 

"Of Course Not. Oh,  Madam,  Do You Think I Am Capable Of Doing Anything

That Would Give You Pain,  Or Dear Mr. Marsh Either?"

 

"No,  No; You Are A Good Woman."

 

"Not Half So Good As You Are."

 

"You Don't Know What You Are Saying."

 

"Oh Yes,  I Do."

 

"Then I Say No More; It Is Rude To Contradict. Good-By,  Lady Bassett."

 

"Must You Leave Me So Soon? Will You Not Visit Us? May I Not Know The

Name Of So Good A Friend?"

 

"Next Week I Shall Be _Mrs. Marsh."_

 

"And You Will Give Me The Great Pleasure Of Having You At My House--You

And Your Husband?"

 

The Lady Showed Some Agitation At This--An Unusual Thing For Her. She

Faltered: "Some Day,  Perhaps,  If I Make Him As Good A Wife As I Hope

To. What A Lady You Are! Vulgar People Are Ashamed To Be Grateful; But

You Are A Born Lady. Good-By,  Before I Make A Fool Of Myself; And They

Are All Coming This Way,  By The Dogs' Music."

 

"Won't You Kiss Me,  After Bringing Me This?"

 

"Kiss You?" And She Opened Her Eyes.

 

"If You Please," Said Lady Bassett,  Bending Toward Her,  With Eyes Full

Of Gratitude And Tenderness.

 

Then The Other Woman Took Her By The Shoulders,  And Plunged Her Great

Part 3 Chapter 10 Pg 85

Gray Orbs Into Bella's.

 

They Kissed Each Other.

 

At That Contact The Stranger Seemed To Change Her Character All In A

Moment. She Strained Bella To Her Bosom And Kissed Her Passionately,

And Sobbed Out,  Wildly,  "O God! You Are Good To Sinners. This Is The

Happiest Hour Of My Life--It Is A Forerunner. Bless You,  Sweet Dove Of

Innocence! You Will Be None The Worse,  And I Am All The Better--Ah!

Sir Charles. Not One Word About Me To Him."

 

And With These Words,  Uttered With Sudden Energy,  She Spurred Her Great

Horse,  Leaped The Ditch,  And Burst Through The Dead Hedge Into The

Wood,  And Winded Out Of Sight Among The Trees.

 

Sir Charles Came Up Astonished. "Why,  Who Was That?"

 

Bella's Eyes Began To Rove,  As I Have Before Described; But She Replied

Pretty Promptly,  "The Brave Lady Herself; She Brought Me The Anonymous

Letter For Your Defense."

 

"Why,  How Came She To Know About It?"

 

"She Did Not Tell Me That. She Was In A Great Hurry. Her Fiance Was

Waiting For Her."

 

"Was It Necessary To Kiss Her In The Hunting-Field?" Said Sir Charles,

With Something Very Like A Frown.

 

"I'd Kiss The Whole Field,  Grooms And All,  If They Did You A Great

Service,  As That Dear Lady Has," Said Bella. The Words Were Brave,  But

The Accent Piteous.

 

"You Are Excited,  Bella. You Had Better Ride Home," Said Sir Charles,

Gently Enough,  But Moodily.

 

"Thank You,  Charles," Said Bella,  Glad To Escape Further Examination

About This Mysterious Lady. She Rode Home Accordingly. There She Found

Mr. Oldfield,  And Showed Him The Anonymous Letter.

 

He Read It,  And Said It Was A Defense,  But A Disagreeable One. "Suppose

He Says He Wrote It,  And The Facts Were True?"

 

"But I Don't Think He Will Confess It. He Is Not A Gentleman. He Is

Very Untruthful. Can We Not Make This A Trap To Catch Him,  Sir? _He_

Has No Scruples."

 

Oldfield Looked At Her In Some Surprise At Her Depth.

 

"We Must Get Hold Of His Handwriting," Said He. "We Must Ransack The

Local Banks; Find His Correspondents."

 

"Leave All That To Me," Said Lady Bassett,  In A Low Voice.

 

Part 3 Chapter 10 Pg 86

 Mr. Oldfield Thought He Might As Well Please A Beautiful And Loving

Woman,  If He Could; So He Gave Her Something To Do For Her Husband.

"Very Well; Collect All The Materials Of Comparison You Can--Letters,

Receipts,  Etc. Meantime I Will Retain The Two Principal Experts In

London,  And We Will Submit Your Materials To Them The Night Before The

Trial."

 

Lady Bassett,  Thus Instructed,  Drove To All The Banks,  But Found No

Clerk Acquainted With Mr. Bassett's Handwriting. He Did Not Bank With

Anybody In The County.

 

She Called On Several Persons She Thought Likely To Possess Letters Or

Other Writings Of Richard Bassett. Not A Scrap.

 

Then She Began To Fear. The Case Looked Desperate.

 

Then She Began To Think. And She Thought Very Hard Indeed,  Especially

At Night.

 

In The Dead Of Night She Had An Idea. She Got Up,  And Stole From Her

Husband's Side,  And Studied The Anonymous Letter.

 

Next Day She Sat Down With The Anonymous Letter On Her Desk,  And

Blushed,  And Trembled,  And Looked About Like Some Wild Animal Scared.

She Selected From The Anonymous Letter Several Words--"Character,

Abused,  Sir,  Charles,  Bassett,  Lady,  Abandoned,  Friend,  Whether,  Ten,

Slanderer" Etc.--And Wrote Them On A Slip Of Paper. Then She Locked Up

The Anonymous Letter. Then She Locked The Door. Then She Sat Down To A

Sheet Of Paper,  And,  After Some More Wild And Furtive Glances All

Around,  She Gave Her Whole Mind To Writing A Letter.

 

And To Whom Did She Write,  Think You?

 

To Richard Bassett.

 

Part 3 Chapter 11 Pg 87

 

"Mr. Bassett--I Am Sure Both Yourself And My Husband Will Suffer In

Public Estimation,  Unless Some Friend Comes Between You,  And This

Unhappy Lawsuit Is Given Up.

 

"Do Not Think Me Blind Nor Presumptuous; Sir Charles,  When He Wrote

That Letter,  Had Reason To Believe You Had Done Him A Deep Injury By

Unfair Means. Many Will Share That Opinion If This Cause Is Tried. You

Are His Cousin,  And His Heir At Law. I Dread To See An Unhappy Feud