University of Virginia Library

18. CHAPTER XVIII.

Edward de Lyle had from long practice become
a thorough adept in the arts of deception. Permitting
no moral barrier to interpose between the
inception of his guilty desires and their accomplishment,
the means by which he deluded his victims
were selected with a single view to their efficacy,
without pausing to inquire what prospects would be
blighted, what hearts broken, what lives jeoparded
by their success. Selfishness was the ruling impulse
of his nature, to which all other feelings were subservient;
and while implacable revenge and licentious
indulgence exhibited themselves in bold relief

in his career, they were auxiliaries not rivals, to the
master passion.

His acquaintance with Rachel Samuel, who was
the only child of the wealthy Israelite to whom he
was so largely indebted, commenced by accidentally
observing her while employed in cultivating the
flowers which decorated the pleasant little lawn in
front of her cottage residence. Struck with the
grace and beauty of her person, he affected to have
sprained his ancle while passing the house; and
leaning against the picket fence which divided the
lot from the street, he with a well-counterfeited groan
attracted her attention, and the native benevolence
of her heart, induced the tender of an invitation to
her father's dwelling, where he was desired to recline
for a time on the sofa, until the anguish of the sprain
was somewhat mitigated. To this request he assented,
apologizing for the trouble he was giving
his fair entertainer, who, on his being seated, advised
the application of spirits of camphor; and while
the servant was gone in search of the remedy, he so
well improved the opportunity, that on rising to take
leave, after enjoying the company of Miss Samuel
for half an hour, his request to be permitted to call
on the ensuing day, and report the effect of her prescription
on his injured limb, met with that faint
half-denial which from time immemorial has, in the
language of the heart, been translated into tacit approbation.

The interview—which occurred several weeks

previous to the period alluded to in the preceding
chapter—was daily repeated, until the affections of
the lovely girl were completely won by the blandishments
of the reckless voluptuary.

On learning she was the daughter of one who
held his destiny, as it were, in the palm of his hand,
De Lyle at first shrunk appalled at the danger
which would follow a discovery of his schemes; but
that desperation which, in the pursuit of guilty enjoyments,
causes the coward to rush into difficulties,
heedless of consequences, goaded him on from day
to day, until he found that to retreat was no less
hazardous than to advance.

The education and retired habits of the lovely
Jewess, increased that fervid enthusiasm which,
born of feeling, is fostered by seclusion, while she
entertained a romantic and fancy-coloured view of
the world around her, that imaged mankind in an
ideal mirror, investing the creatures of her mind
either with the glowing attributes of the Divinity,
or the hideous lineaments of a demon.

Isaac Samuel loved his child with an affection
as ardent as his grasping nature could conceive for
any object; but his cupidity forbade her entertaining
female visitors, and the usurer possessed no
friends except those who clung to his skirts from
stern necessity, and who, of course, never intruded
on his notice except at his counting room.

Prior to her acquaintance with De Lyle, she occupied
a portion of her leisure hours in perusing works

of fiction, and in cultivating those flowers which
adorned her little enclosure; and although the romance
of her nature would occasionally exhibit itself
in pensive thought, yet cheerfulness was the prominent
feature of her mind; and it was delightful
to hear her merry laugh—embodying the soul of
glee—while amusing herself with the mischievous
pranks of sundry curly-headed juveniles of either
sex, who, during her father's stated absence, were
her daily visitors.

It was during the hours which the usurer devoted
to purposes of gain that De Lyle enjoyed the company
of the beautiful Miss Samuel; and although he
immediately placed in requisition every art that his
skill in deception rendered him master of for her
ruin, he was met with that high-souled purity and
maiden reserve, through whose chaste barrier neither
his sophistries nor his blandishments could
find entrance. Once or twice, indeed, he ventured
to introduce guarded allusions, whose real purport
was veiled by artful verbiage; but the suspicious
glance and half-indignant blush with which they
were received, compelled him to desist from venturing
upon such dangerous ground; and as the purity
of her soul continued to fan the unholy flame
which burned in his bosom, he determined to win
by siege what he despaired of carrying by assault.
For this purpose he affected the most honourable intentions,
at times declaring that he would throw
himself at the feet of her father; plead the intensity

of his passion, and trust to his magnanimity: and
when she depicted the utter ruin to their hopes,
which such an avowal would effect, he would shed
counterfeit tears, pronounce himself the most wretched
of men, and beg of her to advise him as to the
proper course to be pursued in so distressing a dilemma.

That these agitating scenes disturbed her equanimity
is most true; but the native buoyancy of her
spirits would soon return, and during his absence
she indulged her fancy in depicting the morrow's
enjoyment.

It was during the day following that on which
Mrs. Rainsford's soirée was given, that the scene
occurred between Miss Samuel and Ellen Wilson;
and the unprecedented absence of De Lyle during
whole days, caused by circumstances with which
the reader is acquainted, appeared to the poor Jewess
to give some countenance to the sad revelation to
which she had been an involuntary listener. During
this day and the greater part of the succeeding
night, her mind was harassed by opposing feelings,
alternating between confidence and apprehension,
hope and despair. When she arose in the morning,
so pallid was her usually ruddy cheek, that her father
suggested the propriety of her taking medicine
to relieve her coming illness, adding “A stitch in
time saves nine.” This she declined, saying that
her illness was only a slight headache, which exercise
would cure; and as this was the cheaper remedy,

of course the suggestion coincided with his
views.

At the hour which De Lyle usually selected for
his daily visits, a rap was heard at the door, and he
came bounding into the room.

“Ha, my charmer!” he exclaimed, in a gay and
joyous tone, “I suppose you are prepared to read me
a good lecture for my yesterday's absence. Begin at
once, then, dearest, and I will make such an
excellent excuse, that you will pardon me, and, as
in duty bound, I shall fall on my knees and kiss
that dear little hand until you are fairly wearied.
But I can't wait, absolutely I can't; I must tell you:
my old curmudgeon of an uncle for once chose to
entrust me with an important mission, and in consequence
of my succeeding to his wishes, he presented
me with a hundred dollar bill; and now what shall
I purchase,—what rare gem of nature or art, to bestow
on my dear, dear Rachel?”

As the blinds were drawn to exclude the rays of
the sun, he did not observe the paleness of her features,
and was not a little startled at the hollow and
sad voice in which she replied:

“Oh, Mr. Stillman, I yesterday was told such a
tale concerning you, that I can hardly find courage
to repeat it. Indeed, indeed, I am a most unhappy
and disconsolate being, and shall never trust mortal
more if you are false. Do you know a young woman,
named Ellen Wilson?”

At this name the colour of De Lyle's cheek came

and went; but fortunately for him, the same cause
which had prevented him from noticing her agitation,
now performed the like friendly office in his
case; and reflecting for a moment, he said,

“Why, in the name of all the gods at once, what
does this mean? I see how it is; you are still determined
to pay me off for yesterday's delinquency, by
frightening me out of my seven senses. However,
I'll gravely answer your question. I do not know
any female bearing the name you mention. And
now, if this is really no joke, let me have the whole
story at once, verbatim et literatim, et punctuatim,
and I'll listen attentively from alpha to omega.”

“Mr. Stillman, this is certainly a most serious
charge, and one which, if true, involves so desperate
a departure from the paths of virtue, that I must confess
I cannot credit it.”

“There spoke my pure dear girl; blessings on
you for those words. I knew you could not deem
me other than I seem. The only guilt with which
I can charge my conscience, consists in linking so
bright a being as yourself to my hopeless fate.
Alas! what am I but a poor dependant orphan,
without resources or fortune even in prospect, except
on the death of one who may live as long as
myself? But it shall not be; I will at once sever a
tie which must at last make you wretched, and perhaps
it is fortunate that my character has been slandered.
If but a suspicion, even the shadow of a suspicion,
remains on your mind in relation to the purity

of my intentions, dismiss me now; let me bury
my love and my then worthless frame in the same
grave. But I will not be so cruel as to compel you
to decide my fate. This moment I fly. Farewell,
dearest, loveliest of all earthly objects; forget that
my unhappy image has, for a brief period, thrown
its shadow across your sunny path. One last embrace,
one moment of bliss, and the future to me is
chaos.”

Thus saying, he rushed towards the door, in a
well-feigned transport of despair, while the alarmed
girl sprang to his side, exclaiming,

“What is this I hear? you leave me! it cannot
be. Do I not say that I am convinced there is some
mistake? Dear Mr. Stillman, compose yourself,
while I briefly relate the foul libel on your character,
to which I was an unwilling listener.”

Throwing himself on the sofa, and leaning his
head on his hand, he bade her proceed: and while
she was detailing the particulars of Ellen Wilson's
statement, his thoughts were occupied in forming a
plausible story, whereby to account for the alleged
misapprehension of the girl as to the identity of her
seducer. As she finished the recital De Lyle
said,

“I think I have a slight clew to this mystery.
Not many weeks since, an acquaintance met me in
the street, and asked me where I was going an hour
previous, in company with a young girl of slender
frame, whose appearance was not the most respectable.

I of course replied that he was labouring under
some mistake; on which he remarked, that if it
was not me, it was my ghost; and if he had not
recollected that the individual had on a coat of a
different colour from any I possessed, I should have
failed to convince him of his error. As, however, I
now know the name of the person to whom the girl
alludes, I presume that I shall be enabled to place
the subject in a correct light.”

After a brief stay, he bade her an affectionate
adieu, and nothing but the dread of the usurer's becoming
acquainted with his villany, prevented him
from at once abandoning all farther pursuit of the
fair Jewess.

On leaving Miss Samuel, he proceeded with no
little haste to the residence of Thomas Burchard,
and on being closeted with that worthy, desired him
instantly to proceed to the dwelling of which Ellen
Wilson was an inmate, procure a private interview,
and endeavour, in the first place, to bribe her to
acknowledge that she was mistaken in his person;
or, in the event of his failure, openly denounce
her to the woman with whom she lodged, as an
impostor, whom he, Burchard, knew to be an abandoned
and worthless wretch, who had changed her
name.

After a brief space had elapsed, Burchard returned
with the welcome intelligence that the poor girl had
expired a few moments before his arrival at the
house. On hearing this, De Lyle with rapid steps

returned to the dwelling of Isaac Samuel, saying to
Rachel as he entered,

“My dear Rachel, after I left you it occurred to
me, that the most effectual method of unravelling
this mystery will be for you to call on the girl who
has charged me with her ruin, and solicit her to
afford me an interview to-morrow at this place. I,
indeed, regret giving you this trouble, but it appears
to be the only course by which I can successfully
vindicate my character.”

“Oh, Mr. Stillman, how much I thank you for
the suggestion. I'll go immediately.”

Thus saying, she prepared to depart, with a heart
bounding with delight, and De Lyle returned to the
pursuit of other projects no less disreputable than
that in which he had spent the morning.

The death of Ellen Wilson closed every avenue
of disclosure to her seducer's infamy, as the female
with whom she boarded knew nothing of her previous
history, except from her own lips; and all
things proceeded between the Jewess and the voluptuary
as formerly.

The more effectually to remove her suspicions,
De Lyle invested Burchard with a respectable suit
of apparel, and introduced him to Rachel Samuel,
whom he informed, that Mr. Stillman very much
resembled a friend of his, unfortunately a wild fellow,
named De Lyle, and that the absence of the
latter in Europe alone prevented him from confirming

his statement by producing him for her satisfaction.

Satisfied with this explanation, the deluded girl
again confided in De Lyle's honour and affection,
and the hours, as they flew, continued to scatter enjoyment
in her path.