Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

in lemon juice, and wore, even niter .n watc r, diHiciilt
to decipher; but after spending :"inc time in the ta.-.K am
cisin^ much patience. A ill 'linn iii i in- cm i -uceeeiicil in reading the
words oa the smaller of t!u: two pieces, which were as
1
follows
'I was arrested last week. The lady who will bring you thin
is the child's aunt. I ;>n:y you bid Catherine nut. to fear to let
)IIT take l.arbaru to her father ill France. God's blessing bo
with you all!'
KALI-IL'
Lady Adelina was bewildered; what could this possibly
mean? The writing and signalure were not those of Sir Cuth-
bcrt.
' You have made a grievous mistake, Jane," she said ;
'
this note
Cannot have been intended for me.'
" See the other paper, my lady,' replied the woman, handing
it to her.
'All, that is his writing, indeed! '
exclaimed Adelina; and she
commenced reading the note, the perusal of which caused her no
less astonishment than had the lirst.
Sir Cuthbert, after regretting the impossibility of seeing his
wife, which forced him, he said, to commit to paper that which
he would much prefer to communicate by words, told her that
he had found a friend the intercourse with whom had, together
with the lessons of adversity, changed many of his sentiments,
and notably those which he had entertained towards his
brother.
'
I know,' he added, ' where his little daughter is, and
I wish you to return her to her father; he is in France. Fear
not to leave the city where I am, for your presence in it can
avail me nothing, whereas this act of reparation will doubtless
bring a blessing on my soul ; neither let the length of the journey
deter you, for God will be with you. Write when you have
seen our uiece.' To this epistle was added the address of Master
Alwin, to whom Adelina was to give the paper which she had
read first.
This was strange news indeed; the beautiful child which Lady
Adelina had so desired to possess at Penzance was in London,
and her aunt was at last to have her. How the thought of that
child brought with it recollections of the past! The old Cornish
Manor, the chapel with its stained windows and its carved angels,
even the monotonous country life which she had found
wearisome, appeared enviable when compared with the anxious
and sorrowful existence she now led ; she thought of Cuthbert's
hunting-parties, and wished he were once more chasing the deer
through the woods of Bron-Welli.
Turning from the quiet sadness of past recollection
emergencies
to the
of her present situation, she felt puzzled how to
act, and the idea of going to France quite alarmed her. She
read over again Sir Cuthbert's letter.
'
if fie has found a
Ah, '
friend in prison, that is more than / have found in the world.
Would that I had some one whom I could consult! '
At that moment the words of Catherine sounded in her ear;
'We have a Heavenly Father to whom we can always have
recourse.'
'
She bade the waiting-woman leave the room, and then kneel-
ing down she murmured half aloud a prayer to Him who abandons
none that trust in His mercy. When she rose she felt com-
forted; she resolved to go immediately to see her niece at the address
Cuthbert bad given her.
When she stood before the entrance of Master Alwin's shop,
she at once recognized the house where she had rested on the
way to her cousin's.
What do you lack?' cried the apprentice at the door.
Lady Adelina hesitated to enter; her courage failed her; the
errand on which she came seemed such a strange one. At (hat
moment Catherine stepped forward, and in that cheerful gracious
manner which is so winning, she prayed the timid visitor to
enter.
The young girl had quickly perceived, both on this and the
former occasion, that the wife of Sir Cuthbert had gone through
severe trials, and it was to those in affliction that her warm and
generous
heart fell drawn. At Penzance it had cost nature a
struggle to view with charity Sir Culhbert arid Lady Adeliua
de ( 'inirev occupying the phiee
i
Manor; but now, when the poor lad\
row iin her yoUH
was all forgotten, and longed t"
heart.
>.! tl 'd owners of the
'
Kilter, I pray thec, madam,' she repealed kindly.
'I desire to speak to one Master Alwin if he lives here,' said
the lady in a low but earnest tune.
'
' What if" you lack, ma'am? cried the apprentice at the pitch
of his voice. 'Cloth or woolen goods? White or dyed? High
or low priced?'
'
'
Hush! said Catherine; 'the lady wants to speak to your
'
master,' And turning to the visitor, she added, The dame is
up-sl airs, and Master Alwin will be in shortly; will you plca.-e
to come up?'
Adelina followed her young guide to the room where Dame
Cicely was working. The good woman received her very po-
litely, wondering all the while what purpose had brought her.
"Tis you, madam, methinks," said she, 'that rested here one
day a few weeks since.'
' You are right,' replied the other; 'although, until I came to
the house, I did not know it was the same. Is this your hus-
band?'
MasterAlwin had at that moment entered the room. Lady Ade-
lina went towards him, and handed him the note, which he rend;
she then explained who she was, and the motive of her visit. She
gained courage, and her trembling voice became calm
proceeded. The benign and fatherly countenance of tb
merchant inspired her with confidence; he listened with the utmost
attention; and when she had finished he turned to Cather-
'You have heard what he lady says; now read
ine, saying: i
this, and tell us what you think, for the child was intrusted to
you ; therefore I would not act otherwise than as you judge right.
What thinkest thou?'
' What think I? '
replied Catherine, folding again the piece of
paper, the contents of which she had just read. 'What other
thought could I have than to obey the word of him whose counsel
even would be a command to me.'
Frequently since Lady Adelina had entered the house her eyes
had rested on Catherine. She could not think what rendered
the young girl's countenance so attractive. Features mor
ular, faces more strikingly handsome she had certain!',
among her own acquaintances and the ladies of Queen Kli/abeth's
court; but the maiden before her possessed, besides ;he
freshness of health and youth, an undefinable expression of inno-
cence, a look so childlike and yet so full of intelligence.
'
Is that your daughter, good dame? '
she at length inquired.
'
Not so,' replied the old lady; 'she is from the country parts,
and came to us some time ago with Barbara, Lady .Margaret de
Courcy's daughter. But perchance, my lad}', you would like to
see your little niece? Wilt thou fetch her, Kate? '
The young girl left the room; and Lady Adelina took this
opportunity to question Master Alwin and his wife concerning
her. The old man related what his friend Andrew had told
him, ami what he himself had witnessed of her dcvo|edne>s to
Barbara; the dame milling the testimony of fur knowledge of
Catherine since her arrival at their house. The re-entrance of
the girl, accompained by Barbara, interrupted the convei
The former whispered something to the child, who at once approached
her aunt, when Adelina embraced her tenderly, and
tears lilled her eyes as she beheld the daughter of that sister-in-
law whom she would never know on earth, and of that brother
for whom her husband bail entertained such bail feelings, and
from whom lie now so earnestly desired forgiveness.
'Poor little
'
tiling! she said sorrowfully.
'
7V/-w laws must
be cruel that drove thec from thy home; and those feelings wrong
that rendered a heart insensible to a brothers woes.'
The child looked up with wondering eyes at the speaker, whose
words were to her a mystery.
'You love each other tenderly?' said Adelina turning to
fine.
The bright smile that crossed the little one's face, the earnest