CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
So; poverty at home, and debts abroad, My present fortune bad; my hopes yet worse! What will become of me? SOUTHERON'S ISABELLA.
The gentleman who had supposed himself the next heir to the entailedproperty, vacant by the demise of Admiral De Courcy, and whose hastyvisit and departure from Hall we have mentioned in a previous chapter,was a third cousin of the deceased. His history is short. He hadsquandered away the personal property left him by his father; and hisfamily estate, which was of greater extent than value, was mortgaged foreven more than it was worth. He had lately subsisted by borrowing largesums of money at exorbitant interest, upon the expectancy of succeedingto the property of Admiral De Courcy. The result of his visit to thehall was, therefore, unsatisfactory in more ways than one; and before hehad arrived at his own residence, his obsequious little friend in blackhad reminded him of certain bonds which were in his possession, andassumed a tone and demeanour towards his client very different from thatin which he had addressed the supposed inheritor of the large propertyof D---; intimating in very plain terms that some speedy arrangementmust be made.
Rainscourt, who had nothing left except the old castle on his propertyat Galway, his manorial rights, and the unbounded attachment anddevotion of the wild tenants, who looked upon him as their feudalchieftain, felt convinced that he had no resource but to escape from hisnumerous creditors, who would not hesitate to put him in durance, andwhose impatience had been with difficulty restrained until the death ofthe admiral. The _speedy arrangement_ upon which he determined was, toset off immediately for Ireland, and, by regaining his castle, defylegal authority,--if there could be found any that would be rash enoughto attempt his person, when encircled by his lawless retainers.
As he descended from the chaise, at the handsomely furnished lodgings,in the west end of the metropolis, which he had engaged, his companioninformed him, with a haughty air, that he would have the honour ofpaying his respects on the ensuing noon; while Rainscourt, with hisusual indifference to money, dismissed the post boys with a handsomegratuity, although there were not many guineas left in his purse; andthen proceeded up to the drawing room, on the first-floor, where hiswife and only daughter were anxiously awaiting his arrival.
Mrs Rainscourt, still a fine and elegant woman, had, in her youth, beenremarkable for her great personal attractions; and for two seasons, hadbeen considered as the belle of the Irish metropolis. She was, at thatperiod, a high-spirited and generous-minded girl, easily provoked, andas easily appeased--proud of her beauty and her accomplishments, whichher worldly-minded parents were in hopes would be bartered for acoronet. Rainscourt was also, at that time, one of the handsomest, ifnot the handsomest man in Ireland, with the advantage of polishedmanners, talent, and ancient birth. Received and courted in everysociety, he was as indefatigable in squandering away his property as theparents of Mrs Rainscourt were in trying to obtain an advantageousestablishment for their daughter. Rainscourt was proud and overbearingin disposition: vain, to excess, of his personal advantages, heconsidered himself irresistible with the other sex. He had seen andadmired his future spouse; but still, as he required an alliance whichwould enable him to indulge in his extravagance, and as her parents wereaware that Rainscourt was, or would soon be, a ruined man, in allprobability they would never have come in contact, but have rolled indifferent orbits, more consonant to their views and their happiness, hadit not occurred that, at a large and convivial party, Rainscourt'svanity had been piqued by his companions, who told him that he nevercould obtain the hand of Miss ---, whose parents aspired to a higherconnection. Piqued at this remark, and flushed with the wine that hadbeen freely circulated, he offered to stake a considerable sum that hewould succeed before a certain allotted time. The wager was accepted.Rainscourt courted without affection: and, by his assiduities andfeigned attachment, ultimately succeeded in persuading the fond girl todestroy all the golden visions of her parent, and resign herself to hisarms, where he assured her that competence and love would be found morethan commensurate to a coronet and neglect.
They eloped; all Dublin was in an uproar for three days. Rainscourtreceived the amount of his bet, and the congratulations of his friends,and for a short time he and his wife lived together without any seriousfracas. The first that occurred proceeded from an anonymous letter,evidently written by some envious and disappointed female, acquaintingMrs Rainscourt with all the circumstances attending the bet, to whichshe had been sacrificed. This mortifying news was received with showersof tears, and some upbraiding; for Mrs Rainscourt really loved herhusband; and although patched up by Rainscourt's protestations, as tothe falsehood of the accusation, it sunk deep into her heart, and wasbut the forerunner of future misery.
Rainscourt soon became tired of a woman whom he had never loved; cursedhis own vanity, that had induced him to saddle himself with such anencumbrance as a wife; and by alternate violence and moroseness,irritated her feelings, and roused her spirit. Neglect on his partproduced indifference on her side; and as the means of gaiety andexpense melted away, so did all respect and esteem for each other.
An extravagant man seldom makes a good husband; he becomes embarrassed,and his circumstances prey upon his mind, and sour his temper. A womanwho has, before marriage, been the admiration of the metropolis, is notvery likely to prove a good wife. She still sighs for the adulationthat she received, and which, from habit, has become necessary to her,and would exact from the man for whom she has given up the world, allthe attention that she has lost by the sacrifice.
Mr and Mrs Rainscourt were joined--but they were not one. Like manyothers in this world of error, their marriage might be typified by avial, of which one half had been filled with oil, and the other withwater, having a cork in its mouth, which confined them, and forced themto remain in contact, although they refused to unite. The fruit of thismarriage was one daughter, now about six years old.
"Well, Mr Rainscourt, all is well, I hope; and may I not kiss mydaughter, and congratulate her upon being one of the largest heiressesin the kingdom."
"You may, if you please, madam."
"May, if I please? Why, is it not so, Mr Rainscourt?" replied thelady, startled at the moody brow of her husband, as he threw himself onthe sofa.
Now, Rainscourt would not have so immediately answered the question, buthe was determined that his spouse should participate in those pangs ofdisappointment which swelled his own breast; as a partner of all hisjoys, she was, of course, fully entitles to an equal proportion of hiscares.
"No, madam--it is not so."
"Surely you are trifling with me, Mr Rainscourt: is not the admiraldead?"
"Yes, madam, and his grandchild is alive."
"His grandchild!" cried the lady in _alto_, pallid with vexation anddisappointment. "Well, Mr Rainscourt, this is another specimen of yourusual prudence and foresight. What man in his senses would not haveascertained such a fact, previous to squandering away his wholeproperty, and leaving his daughter a beggar?"
"I think, madam, if the property has been squandered, as you term it,that you have assisted me in so doing; at all events, the property wasmy own; for I cannot exactly recollect that you increased it oneshilling when I married you."
"Certainly, not much, Mr Rainscourt, except, indeed, the amount of thebet. I consider that as my marriage portion," replied the lady with asneer.
"Never made a worse bet in my life," replied the gentleman, throwing hislegs upon the sofa.
"Perhaps not," replied his wife, with offended seriousness; "butrecollect, Mr Rainscourt, that _you_ have no one to blame butyourself--_you_ were not deceived. I might have been happy--might havemet with sincerity and reciprocal affection. Your conduct towards mewas an act of cruelty, which would have called forth some compunction inthe breast of my bitterest enemy; and yet, unoffending, I washeartlessly sacrificed to your vanity."
"Say, rather, to your own, which blinded you, or you would have beenable to discriminate better."
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Mrs Rainscourt burst into tears. Before her emotion could becontrolled, her husband, who was hardened to these scenes of alternateanger and grief, either was, or pretended to be, in a sound sleep.
The little girl had nestled close to her mother at the ebullition of herfeelings, and waited in silence until it was exhausted.
"Why, mamma, I thought you said we should be so happy now."
"Did I, my dear?" replied Mrs Rainscourt, mournfully.
"Yes, you did, and told me that we should have a fine house in London,and that we should not go back to the old castle again. I was sorry forthat, though. Where shall we go now, mamma?"
"God knows, my child; you must ask your father."
"Papa's asleep, and I must not wake him. I do hope we shall go back tothe castle."
"Then you'll have your wish, my love," replied Mr Rainscourt, rousingup, "for I start this very evening."
"Are we to go with you, Mr Rainscourt?" asked Mrs Rainscourt, calmly;"or are we to be left here?"
"As you please; but I must be off, for that little scoundrel T---,threatened me with a visit to-morrow morning as I got out of the chaise,and I am aware that he will not come without a companion or two."
"T---! What T---? your friend T---! that you brought from Dublin withyou, and who professes so much admiration and esteem--your ownfactotum?"
"Yes, my own factotum--snivelling little scoundrel. But, however,there's not time to be lost. You have some jewels, my dear, and otherarticles of value; you had better pack them up, and consign them to meas soon as possible. You may then take your choice,--go with me now, orfollow me in a day or two. They cannot arrest _you_."
"I am aware of that, Mr Rainscourt," replied the lady; "but as I maynot have the means of following, my daughter and I will, if you please,become a part of your travelling incumbrance, as well as the jewels and_other_ articles of value."
"Be it so," replied the gentleman, who perfectly understood hersarcastic meaning, but did not think it advisable to retort at themoment; "One post-chaise will carry us all; but we must leave town attwelve o'clock this night. If I recollect right, we are asked to a routat Lady G---'s?"
"We are; but pray, Mr Rainscourt, how am I to get ready so soon? Theservants must be paid--all the bills must be called in."
"If you wait until I can pay all the bills, you must wait till eternity,perhaps. Pack up everything that is portable, without the knowledge ofthe servants; your jewels you can have upon your own person, or in apocket, if you ever wear one. Order the carriage--dress, and we willboth go to the rout. I shall leave word with Roberts to bring me anyletters which may be sent, telling him that the admiral is not dead yet,although hourly expected--nothing has transpired to the contrary. I canslip away from the rout, and write the letter myself, which I will sendby a porter. When I go home, and the chaise which I shall order is atthe door, I will put Emily in it, and call for you at Lady G's. Theservants may suspect something, but it will then be too late."
Danger will unite those who are at variance. Mrs R entered readilyinto the proposed arrangements, which necessity imposed upon them, andin a few hours, father, mother, and daughter were on their way toIreland, leaving the house-rent, butcher's, baker's, chandler's and allother bills, of no trifling sum total, to be paid at some morefavourable opportunity. The servants indemnified themselves as well asthey could, by seizing what was left, and cursing the elopers; and theobsequious little gentleman in black vowed vengeance as he quitted thedeserted mansion, to which he had paid his promised visit in themorning, with a particular friend or two, to enforce his arguments withMr Rainscourt.