Denzil place a story in verse. By Violet Fane [i.e. M. M. Lamb] |
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| I. |
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| II. |
| III. |
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| V. |
| VI. |
| II. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
 | Denzil place |  |
118
The other letter was a longer one.
“Abandon'd woman!” (thus the words began,)
“To-morrow I shall blush to think my pen
“Could so pollute itself as spell your name!
“Was it to bring disgrace upon our house
“That you, a country parson's pauper child
“Should flirt and fawn and flatter till at last
“You gain'd your selfish end, and made a man
“Treble your age, your husband and your dupe?
“Maybe, the guilty partner of your crime
“You ‘fancied’ ere you were my brother's wife,
“But he, more cunning, like all libertines,
“Knowing at once the woman that you were
“Was wiser than Sir John, whose simple mind
“Judged others by himself.
“Abandon'd woman!” (thus the words began,)
“To-morrow I shall blush to think my pen
“Could so pollute itself as spell your name!
“Was it to bring disgrace upon our house
“That you, a country parson's pauper child
“Should flirt and fawn and flatter till at last
“You gain'd your selfish end, and made a man
“Treble your age, your husband and your dupe?
“Maybe, the guilty partner of your crime
“You ‘fancied’ ere you were my brother's wife,
“But he, more cunning, like all libertines,
“Knowing at once the woman that you were
“Was wiser than Sir John, whose simple mind
“Judged others by himself.
“Ah, well he knew
“This Mr. Denzil, with his easy creed
“And looser morals! He was not your dupe!
“These Atheists throw off beliefs themselves,
“They cramp and fetter them, and act as bars
“To their desires, but when they want a wife
“They do not fasten on the like of you!
“Somewhere, (for I am told that he has fled,)
“He no doubt smiles in his deceitful sleeve
“At you, his victim! Ah, the noble part
“That he has acted! All his fine ideas
“About his ‘Honour’ and the ‘Love of Right’
“His ‘Adoration of the Beautiful’
“The ‘Liberty of Man’ (ah, here indeed
“He acted up to what he boldly preach'd
“If you are beautiful, as he is man!)
“But where was stow'd his ‘honour’ all these years—
“These three whole years, during the which, with you
“His neighbour's wife, he liv'd in deadly sin?
“Why, all the neighbourhood was rife with it!
“Your names were link'd together ev'ry where!
“The poor, who were too dull to understand
“The indiscretion lurking in their words
“Named your two names together ev'ry day,
“Your's is a bye word! All my brother's house
“Have been respected since they came to dwell
“Here in this county, (nigh three hundred years,)
“And but for this, you would have seen ere now
“The scornful finger pointed as you pass'd
“By e'en those very grateful villagers
“You lov'd to patronize and queen it o'er!
“My brother wishes to protect you still
“From all the infamy you well deserve,
“And hopes that you will go and dwell abroad
“Whilst he lives on in solitude—his lips
“Too generously silent. Thank your God
“You had a husband who could thus repay
“Your treachery and guilt! He knows it all—
“I watched you stealing to your paramour—
“(How many nights you thus have sought his side
“'Twere vain to ponder on!) Ah, well conceiv'd
“Those midnight visits! All the servants bribed,
“The groom in ambush, waiting for the horse,
“The house door open'd with the master's key!
“But not so well arranged but that the door
“Of that most horrid room was left ajar—
“(Long practice makes too bold, the pitcher oft
“Goes to the well and breaks the hundredth time!)
“Ah, if its walls could speak, what would they say,
“What tales of midnight orgie, foulest sin!
“(I shudder at the thought!) 'Twas there I saw
“As he was bidding you a last farewell,
“So close together your two guilty heads,
“I scarce could tell the hateful things apart—
“Whilst he was pressing on your lying lips
“His own, which doubtless scarcely yet were dry
“From kissing some such creature as yourself!
“Ah, you are fairly match'd! Go, seek him now,
“Implore his mercy, swear to be to him
“Truer than you have been to one more true,
“And list his answer! He will cast you off
“And lower sinking, till the lowest scum
“Of human earth will scorn to mix with you,
“Your lonely life, fed with that poison, Sin,
“Must needs be short, and then, unlov'd, unmiss'd,
“Your soul will pass to the high judgment seat
“To meet its doom; then will it be for me
“To pray that in those bitter latter days
“You may be penitent, and that the heav'n
“You so have sinn'd against, may deal to you
“More mercy than your evil heart thought fit
“To mete to others, least of all to us!
“Nay, even now (to show my heart is free
“From thoughts of vengeance for your cruel wrong,
“And with the hope that I may make you feel
“The virtuous can wish the sinner well,
“I say, may God have mercy on your soul,
“And bless your exile with a lasting good
“Wrought to your spirit!
“This Mr. Denzil, with his easy creed
“And looser morals! He was not your dupe!
“These Atheists throw off beliefs themselves,
“They cramp and fetter them, and act as bars
“To their desires, but when they want a wife
“They do not fasten on the like of you!
“Somewhere, (for I am told that he has fled,)
“He no doubt smiles in his deceitful sleeve
119
“That he has acted! All his fine ideas
“About his ‘Honour’ and the ‘Love of Right’
“His ‘Adoration of the Beautiful’
“The ‘Liberty of Man’ (ah, here indeed
“He acted up to what he boldly preach'd
“If you are beautiful, as he is man!)
“But where was stow'd his ‘honour’ all these years—
“These three whole years, during the which, with you
“His neighbour's wife, he liv'd in deadly sin?
“Why, all the neighbourhood was rife with it!
“Your names were link'd together ev'ry where!
“The poor, who were too dull to understand
“The indiscretion lurking in their words
“Named your two names together ev'ry day,
“Your's is a bye word! All my brother's house
“Have been respected since they came to dwell
“Here in this county, (nigh three hundred years,)
“And but for this, you would have seen ere now
“The scornful finger pointed as you pass'd
“By e'en those very grateful villagers
“You lov'd to patronize and queen it o'er!
“My brother wishes to protect you still
“From all the infamy you well deserve,
120
“Whilst he lives on in solitude—his lips
“Too generously silent. Thank your God
“You had a husband who could thus repay
“Your treachery and guilt! He knows it all—
“I watched you stealing to your paramour—
“(How many nights you thus have sought his side
“'Twere vain to ponder on!) Ah, well conceiv'd
“Those midnight visits! All the servants bribed,
“The groom in ambush, waiting for the horse,
“The house door open'd with the master's key!
“But not so well arranged but that the door
“Of that most horrid room was left ajar—
“(Long practice makes too bold, the pitcher oft
“Goes to the well and breaks the hundredth time!)
“Ah, if its walls could speak, what would they say,
“What tales of midnight orgie, foulest sin!
“(I shudder at the thought!) 'Twas there I saw
“As he was bidding you a last farewell,
“So close together your two guilty heads,
“I scarce could tell the hateful things apart—
“Whilst he was pressing on your lying lips
“His own, which doubtless scarcely yet were dry
“From kissing some such creature as yourself!
121
“Implore his mercy, swear to be to him
“Truer than you have been to one more true,
“And list his answer! He will cast you off
“And lower sinking, till the lowest scum
“Of human earth will scorn to mix with you,
“Your lonely life, fed with that poison, Sin,
“Must needs be short, and then, unlov'd, unmiss'd,
“Your soul will pass to the high judgment seat
“To meet its doom; then will it be for me
“To pray that in those bitter latter days
“You may be penitent, and that the heav'n
“You so have sinn'd against, may deal to you
“More mercy than your evil heart thought fit
“To mete to others, least of all to us!
“Nay, even now (to show my heart is free
“From thoughts of vengeance for your cruel wrong,
“And with the hope that I may make you feel
“The virtuous can wish the sinner well,
“I say, may God have mercy on your soul,
“And bless your exile with a lasting good
“Wrought to your spirit!
“With this earnest hope
“I sign myself yours truly, Jane L'Estrange.”
“I sign myself yours truly, Jane L'Estrange.”
| Denzil place | |