And, Betty, give this cheek a little red.
POPE.
The departure of Isabel in the Windsor Castle, so immediately after the
death of Colonel Revel, prevented her communicating to her mother the
alteration which had taken place in her circumstances, and her intended
return to England. The first intimation received by Mrs Revel was from
a hurried note sent on shore by a pilot-boat off Falmouth, stating
Isabel's arrival in the Channel, and her anticipation of soon embracing
her mother, Isabel did not enter into any particulars, as she neither
had time, nor did she feel assured that the letter would ever reach its
destination.
The letter did however come to hand two days before Isabel and Mrs
Enderby arrived at the metropolis, much to the chagrin of Mrs Revel,
who imagined that her daughter had returned pennyless, to be a sharer of
her limited income. She complained to Mr Heaviside, who as usual
stepped in, not so much from any regard for Mrs Revel, but to while
away the time of a _far niente_ old bachelor.
"Only think, Mr Heaviside," said the lady, who was stretched on a sofa,
supported on pillows, "Isabel has returned from India. Here is a letter
I have just received, signed by her maiden name! Her sisters so well
married too! Surely she might have stayed out with one of them! I
wonder how she got the money to pay her passage home! Dear me! what
shall I do with her?"
"If I may be allowed to see the letter, Mrs Revel," said the old
gentleman--
"Oh, certainly, it's nothing but a note."
Mr Heaviside read the contents.
"There is very little in it indeed, Mrs Revel; not a word about the
colonel, or why she left India. Perhaps the colonel may be dead."
"Then she might have gone to live with one of her sisters, Mr
Heaviside!"
"But perhaps he may have left her some property."
"And do you, a sensible man, think that if such was the case, my
daughter would not have mentioned it in her note? Impossible, Mr
Heaviside!"
"She may intend to surprise you, Mrs Revel."
"She has surprised me," replied the lady, falling back upon the pillows.
"Well, Mrs Revel, you will soon ascertain the facts. I wish you a good
morning, and will pay my devoirs in a day or two to inquire after your
health, and hear what has taken place."
To defray the expenses attending the "consignment" of the three Miss
Revel's to India, Mrs Revel had consented to borrow money, insuring her
life as a security to the parties who provided it. Her unprincipled
husband took this opportunity of obtaining a sum which amounted to more
than half her marriage settlement, as Mrs Revel signed the papers laid
before her without examining their purport. When her dividends were
become due this treachery was discovered, and Mrs Revel found herself
reduced to a very narrow income, and wholly deserted by her husband, who
knew that he had no chance of obtaining further means of carrying on his
profligate career. His death in a duel, which we have before mentioned,
took place a few months after the transaction, and Mrs Revel was
attacked with that painful disease, a cancer, so deeply seated as to be
incurable. Still she was the same frivolous, heartless being; still she
sighed for pleasure, and to move in those circles in which she had been
received at the time of her marriage. But, as her income diminished, so
did her acquaintances fall off, and at the period of Isabel's return,
with the exception of Mr Heaviside, and one or two others, she was
suffered to pine away in seclusion.
Isabel was greeted with querulous indifference until the explanation of
the first ten minutes; then, as an heiress, with the means as well as
the desire of contributing to her mother's comforts, all was joy and
congratulation. Her incurable disease was for the time forgotten, and
although pain would occasionally draw down the muscles of her face, as
soon as the pang was over, so was the remembrance of her precarious
situation. Wan and wasted as a spectre, she indulged in anticipation of
again mixing with the fashionable world, and talked of _chaperoning_
Isabel to private parties and public amusements, when she was standing
at the brink of eternity. Isabel sighed as she listened to her mother,
and observed her attenuated frame; occasionally she would refer to her
mother's state of health, and attempt to bring her to that serious state
of mind which her awful situation demanded; but in vain: Mrs Revel
would evade the subject. Before a week had passed she had set up an
equipage, and called upon many of her quondam friends to announce the
important intelligence of her daughter's wealth. Most of them had long
before given orders not to be "at home to Mrs Revel." The few to whom,
from the remissness of their porters, she obtained admittance, were
satisfied at their servants' negligence when they heard the intelligence
which Mrs Revel had to communicate. They were so delighted; Isabel was
always such a sweet girl; hoped that Mrs Revel would not be such a
recluse as she had been, and that they should prevail upon her to come
to their parties! An heiress is of no little consequence when there are
so many younger brothers to provide for; and, before a short month had
flown away, Mrs Revel, to her delight, found that the cards and
invitations of no inconsiderable portion of the _beau monde_ covered the
table of her confined drawing-room. To Isabel, who perceived that her
mother was sinking every day under the exertion she went through, all
this was a source of deep regret. It occurred to her that to state her
engagements with Newton Forster would have some effect in preventing
this indirect suicide. She took an opportunity of confiding it to her
mother, who listened to her with astonishment.
"Isabel! what do I hear? What! that young man who calls here so often?
You, that can command a title, rank, and fashion, engage yourself to a
captain of an Indiaman! Recollect, Isabel, that now your poor father is
dead, I am your legal protector; and without my permission I trust you
have too much sense of filial duty to think of marrying. How you could
venture to form an engagement without consulting me is quite
astonishing! Depend upon it, I shall not give my consent; therefore,
think no more about it."
How often do we thus see people, who make no scruples of neglecting
their duties, as eagerly assert their responsibility, when it suits
their convenience.
Isabel might have retorted, but she did not. In few words, she gave her
mother to understand that she was decided, and then retired to dress for
a splendid ball, at which, more to please her mother than herself, she
had consented to be present.
It was the first party of any consequence to which Mrs Revel had been
invited. She considered it as her _re-entree_ into the fashionable
world, and the presentation of her daughter; she would not have missed
it for any consideration. That morning she had felt more pain than
usual, and had been obliged to have recourse to restoratives; but once
more to join the gay and fashionable throng--the very idea braced her
nerves, rendered her callous to suffering, and indifferent to disease.
"I think," said Mrs Revel to her maid--"I think," said she, panting,
"you may lace me a little closer, Martyn."
"Indeed, madam, the holes nearly meet; it will hurt your side."
"No, no, I feel no pain this evening--there, that will do."
The lady's maid finished her task, and left the room. Mrs Revel rouged
her wan cheeks, and, exhausted with fatigue and pain, tottered to an
easy chair, that she might recover herself a little before she went down
stairs.
In a quarter of an hour Isabel, who had waited for the services of
Martyn, entered her mother's room, to announce that she was ready. Her
mother, who was sitting in the chair, leaning backwards, answered her
not. Isabel went up to her, and looked her in the face--she was _dead_!