University of Virginia Library

LETTER XXIV.
SARAH TO ANNE.

`WHEN O'Donnel made this pompous display
of his intended generosity,' continued Mrs. Bellamy,
`I inquired, with an incredulous smile, why,
if these were his intentions, he had not made
application to me, and had the settlements properly
executed, and been married in the face of
the world, not artfully to steal my girl away; and
having made himself master of her person, of

consequence become the sole controller of her
fortune? He turned very pale at this interrogation,
but protested that it was at the earnest
entreaty of Caroline, that he had forborne writing
to me; besides, he added, “I was too conscious
of the narrow state of my own finances,
to wish a strict scrutiny to be made. I perceive,
(said he after a moment's pause) that you are
surprized at the appearance I have made since
my acquaintance with your daughter: I will
account for it. I had an intimate friend, who
from childhood had passed the chief part of his
time with me; we were playmates, school-fellows,
and pursued our academic studies together.
His inclination boding to the law, as well as
mine, we finished our studies under the same
practitioner; during the last year of our study,
we purchased a ticket in the lottery between us,
it came up a prize of two thousand pounds. It
was suggested by my companion, that with this
sum, we might stand a chance, by good management,
to get wealthy wives; and a bett was
actually laid, which should get married the
soonest, and to the richest lady. We left Ireland
together, and having arrived in London,
equipped ourselves with every thing becoming
men of a certain rank. He bent his course towards
Northumberland and Scotland, and I took
a more westerly circuit. We separated, in order
that our pursuits might not clash with each
other. The first interview I had with your
daughter, convinced me that there my pursuit
must end—I must either obtain her for a wife,
or return to Ireland without one; for it was my
fixed resolve never to marry any woman whom I
could not love, how splendid soever her establishment
might be. You have now, madam, my
history; in it I have but one thing to blame
myself for, which is, not informing Caroline of
my poverty, before the irrevocable vow passed
our lips. But I have only to plead in excuse the
excess of my passion, which would not allow me
resolution to be sincere, lest by that sincerity I
should lose all that made life desirable: for it
was death to reflect only on the bare possibility
of being deprived of Caroline, or falling in her
esteem.”

“Well, sir,” said I, “you have now to make the
trial when you have put it out of her power to
recede; for I do assure you, she has not more
than three hundred pounds in the world; which
will be little enough handsomely to clothe her.”
I then left the room; on the stairs I met Caroline:
“So you have made a fine piece of work
with your precipitancy,” said I, “your husband
is a beggar almost.” But it would be endless to
recount all the alteractions, bickerings, and ill
nature, that succeeded to this explanation. At
length it was agreed that we should all go to
Ireland. I sold my furniture, and thought my
annuity, added to their income, would enable
them to assume a more respectable appearance.
We settled in Dublin, and O `Donnel began to
get into practice in his profession; but their annual

expenses always greatly exceeded their income,
and in less than three years, they were
involved in debts and difficulties. Caroline had
been noticed by some persons of the first distinction;
and this kind of society obliging her to be
expensive in her dress, he was continually upbraiding
her with extravagance. At length, he
was actually sent to prison; his estate, which he
had previously mortgaged to its full valne, together
with his household furniture, &c. was
seized, and Caroline thrown again upon my protection,
with her daughter, who was born in the
second year of her marriage. We retired to a
small inconvenient lodging. O `Donnel saw no
probable means of extricating himself from his
difficulties. I did not think myself bound to
maintain a man, who had acted so dishonorable a
part by my child; he was left to endure the
punishment due to his folly. In the mean time,
lord Linden offered his protection to Mrs.
O `Donnel; his person was handsome; his offers
liberal in the extreme; his manners most prepossessing;
in a word, Caroline loved him.

`You mistake, Mrs. Bellamy,' said I, with a
blush of indignation, `she loved her own ease;
her own gratification—and if in these distressing
circumstances she left her husband, and threw
herself into the arms of an infamous seducer,
for the sake of affluence and splendor, she is the
most contemptible of human beings.'

`She accepted his lordship's liberal offers,'
said the despieable mother, `and I advised her to
it.'

`Great God,' said I, elevating my hands and,
eyes, with a look of astonishment and horror.

`What!' said she, with the malignant grin of a
demon, `you think yourself so pure and immaculate,
that it is impossible you could do such a
thing.'

`No, no,' I replied hastily, `but may Heaven
in its mercy never tempt me beyond my
strength, or leave me to fall into such guilt and
misery.'

`Guilt!' she retorted, `Mrs. Darnley, I would
have you understand that I think Caroline's leaving
her husband was the most laudable action of
her life.'

`Do not say so,'—I cried—`do not let me supose
you so lost to honor, to virtue; I can hear
no more—permit me to wish you a good night.'

She gave her head a half scornful, half complaisant
inclination, and I retired to my chamber,
too much astonished to sleep; too much depressed
to weep. Adieu.