Page:New Peterson magazine 1859 Vol. XXXV.pdf/292

 THE

OLD

STONE

MANSION.

BY cuss-Lu J. rsrsnson, aurnoa or “run vannnr rams,” “MADEL,” “KATE avnssronn," ac. [Rntered., according to—Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by Charles J. Peterson, in the Clerk's Oﬁce of the District Uonrt

of the United States, in and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania]

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 219.

CHAPTER XIII.

In a few minutes, my cousin came running. eagerly up, saying, ‘Arthur is so glad you are here.”

Mr. Despencer followed her, and taking my hand in both of his, as if we had been old friends, greeted me cordially, and concluded by saying,

“It lifts quite a load from my mind to know: you will be with Georgiana, for business will call me much away, and this is a lonely place at best.”

I will not deny that I felt relieved at these words. Mr. Despencer had not forgotten his old grace of manner. If his welcome had been that of a Paladin to some wandering and wronged princess, it could not have been accompanied by more delicacy in look and manner. I-began to think better of him. I wondered less at what I thought Georgiana’s infatuation. My auswer, doubtless, revealed something of this change in opinion, for my cousin brightened up and gave me a glance full of grateful thanks. Mr. De- spencer noticed it also, and continued quite gallantly,

“You might find it dull, for young married people are apt to forget everybody but them- selves,” and he looked, half laughingly at Geor- giana, who was blushing happily—I had not seen her look so happy before, ‘‘ but fortunately I brought a friend home with me. Mr. Bentley is quite a beau. I should not wonder if he and you got up a flirtation.”

I caught an appealing look from Georgiana to her husband. She had not, I saw, informed Mr. Despencer of the reason for my visit. But he; comprehended, with ready tact, that he had made a blunder of some kind, and offering me his arm, conducted me downstairs in silence.

Oh! how that chance allusion wrung my heart. It brought back, in full force, the memory of my happiness, now gone forever, and which, for the last half hour, I had temporarily forgot.

Mr. Bentley was handsome and well dressed. But he had a sinister expression, which made me shudder instinctively, as one shudders at  sight of a snake. He seemed to me a something between a jockey and a black-leg, dressed up in Sunday clothes and practicing manners learned of a dancing-master. The elaborate politeness with which he received his introduction to me increased my aversion to him, as elaborate politeness always does, when I dislike people; besides, elaborate politeness is never honest.

The next day rose clear and crisp. After break-fast, Mr. Despencer and his friend departed for the city. The former was so much out of humor that he could barely restrain himself sufficiently to be civil. Georgiana looked as if she had been crying. I surmised that she had told him how unrelenting her father was: and my surmise proved correct, as she informed me, after the meal was over, by way of apology for her hus- band’s ill-temper. She did not tell me how harsh he had been to her, however, and that this was the cause of her swollen eyes.

Mr. Bentley, however, was still offensively polite. He seemed to think that he could make up for his friend’s incivility, by excessive attentions to Georgiana and myself, when he only annoyed the first, and exasperated me. For already I was beginning to hate the man. ‘Has he the impertinence,” I said to myself, as I contrasted him with Mr. Talbot, ‘‘to think he can make himself agreeable to me?”

When we were left alone, Georgiana excused herself for an hour or two, on the plea of house- hold affairs, but really, I suspect, to have her cry out unobserved. Left to myself, I set forth to examine the mansion. I had been curious, from what I saw of it the night before, to know where Mr. Bentley had slept, for, except the two chambers occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Despencer and myself, and the loft, which the servant had for a dormitory, I was not aware of any apartments in sufficient repair to be used as sleeping-rooms. I found my anticipations correct. The entire half of the house, on the right of the hall, was in a tenantless condition: the shutters rotted off, or hanging loose; the plaster broke; the ceilings fallen in; the floors decayed. I opened the doors, that led into them from — but