Читать книгу The Bandits of the Osage - Emerson Bennett - Страница 10

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Great was the wonderment among the gossips, when the news went forth of Emily's great fortune,— for rumor soon swelled it into a fortune— and the following six months were employed by all the unmarriageable spinsters and old ladies with spectacles, in conjectures and discussions as to the strange singularity of such an event; and she who had in her earlier years been considered in birth far beneath them, was now, by this incident, placed far above. Oh! the inconsistency of human beings!

A new epoch was now opened to Emily; for Webber, punctual to what he considered a duty, took immediate steps to place her in one of the best institutions in the city of New York, in charge of a distant relative, who, moving in the best circles of society, gave her not only the advantages of intellectual education, but also that of acquiring the ease, grace and dignity belonging to the true etiquette of fashion. Soon after this disposition of Emily, Webber made a tour to the West, purchased a farm as already shown, and removed thither with his family.

Four years passed, and Emily saw nothing of the Webbers. During this period she had grown to womanhood, and what had promised so well when young, was amply fulfilled in maturer years. She became attractive in person, graceful in accomplishments, while her intellectual faculties far exceeded ordinary minds. Her temperament was truly poetic, with nothing of affectation or coquetry (which spoils so many) in her manner.— She was a warm patriot and enthusiast; and when conversing on some noble theme, dull must be the eye that would not flash, or the mind that would not fire, with the inspiration thrown from her speaking eyes and glowing flowery language.

It was in New York that Edward Merton, then a student in the University, first became acquainted with Emily; and struck, we might add fascinated, with manners and appearance so far above the gay flirting things with which she was surrounded, he sought, gained an introduction, and almost immediately commenced paying her his addresses. The result of those addresses, thus far, the reader has already seen.

Although it was generally believed that Emily was rich, yet she knew to the contrary; and possessed of a pride too noble to take advantage of such a reputation, she, through a sensitive delicacy, repulsed the advancements often made by those whom she considered her superiors in point of wealth. Wealth was certainly a great bar to the progress of Merton; a bar, in fact, which he found far more difficult to pass than he at first supposed; and although his nobleness of heart, his sincere, ardent passion, inspired within her own breast feelings of affection—of love—yet pride prevailed; and Merton, to whom she revealed her scruples, saw with painful regret that unless there were some counteracting power, Emily might love, but would never consent to be his.

Tired of city life, and the gay frivolties of the day, Emily longed for the quiet retreat of her guardian; and having made preparations to that effect, about six months prior to the opening of our story, she, accompanied by Merton, whose father resided in St. Louis, set out for the West.

Happy, most happy, was the meeting between Emily and her friends, who had been to her as parents and brothers. Webber, when he came fairly to recognise the "long lost one," as he termed her, could scarcely restrain himself for joy.— Even John, as he extended the hand of welcome, seemed to smile with less of deceit and more of earnestness than was his wont; while Rufus approached her with that bashful timidity, almost amounting to awe, which persons of sensitive minds often exhibit when they fancy themselves in the presence of their superiors.

A great change had been wrought in the personal appearance of Emily. She had left them as it were a child, and as such they remembered her; consequently there was surprise mingled with their joy, to behold such a fine, graceful, lady-like form, combined with such ease and dignity of manner, returned in place of the image on which memory still dwelt. But as it is not our purpose to enter into details here, therefore let it suffice, that up to the time of the commencement of our story, things had run on smoothly.

Merton, whose collegiate course was finished, was now preparing to practice law in St. Louis; but sometimes finding bright eyes a much more pleasing study, not unfrequently wandered off in the direction of Webber's; and almost as frequently, through a singular coincidence, he and Emily might be seen mounted on their fine steeds, scouring the country in various directions:—in fact, it was on one of these excursions, in which they were first introduced to the reader. As their proceedings since then have been made known, we trust sufficient has been said to justify us in proceeding with our tale.