And, Betty, give this cheek a little red.The departure of Isabel in the Windsor Castle, so immediately after the death of Colonel Revel, prevented her communicating to her mother the alteration which had taken place in her circumstances, and her intended return to England. The first intimation received by Mrs. Revel was from a hurried note sent on shore by a pilot-boat off Falmouth, stating Isabel's arrival in the' Channel, and her anticipation of soon embracing her mother, Isabel did not enter into any particulars, as she neither had time, nor did she feel assured that the letter would ever reach its destination.
The letter did however come to hand two days before Isabel and Mrs. Enderby arrived at the metropolis, much to the chagrin of Mrs. Revel, who imagined that her daughter had returned pennyless, to be a sharer of her limited income. She complained to Mr. Heaviside, who as usual stepped in, not so much from any regard for Mrs. Revel, but to while away the time of a far niente old bachelor.
"Only think, Mr. Heaviside," said the lady, who was stretched on a sofa, supported on pillows, "Isabel has returned from India. Here is a letter I have just received, signed by her maiden name! Her sisters so well married too! Surely she might have stayed out with one of them! I wonder how she got the money to pay her passage home! Dear me! what shall I do with her?"
"If I may be allowed to see the letter, Mrs. Revel," said the old gentleman—
"Oh, certainly, it's nothing but a note."
Mr. Heaviside read the contents.
"There is very little in it indeed, Mrs. Revel; not a word about the colonel, or why she left India. Perhaps the colonel may be dead."
"Then she might have gone to live with one of her sisters, Mr. Heaviside!"
"But perhaps he may have left her some property."
"And do you, a sensible man, think that if such was the case, my daughter would not have mentioned it in her note? Impossible, Mr. Heaviside!"
"She may intend to surprise you, Mrs. Revel."
"She has surprised me," replied the lady, falling hack upon the pillows.
"Well, Mrs. Revel, you will soon ascertain the facts. I wish you a good morning, and will pay my devoirs in a day or two to inquire after your health, and hear what has taken place."
To defray the expenses attending the "consignment" of the three Miss Revel's to India, Mrs. Revel had consented to borrow money, insuring her life as a security to the parties who provided it. Her unprincipled husband took this opportunity of obtaining a sum which amounted to more than half her marriage settlement, as Mrs. Revel signed the papers laid before her without examining their purport. When her dividends were become due this treachery was discovered, and Mrs. Revel found herself reduced to a very narrow income, and wholly deserted by her husband, who knew that he had no chance of obtaining further means of carrying on his profligate career. His death in a duel, which we have before mentioned, took place a few months after the transaction, and Mrs. Revel was attacked with that painful disease, a cancer, so deeply seated as to be incurable. Still she was the same frivolous, heartless being; still she sighed for pleasure, and to move in those circles in which she had been received at the time of her marriage. But, as her income diminished, so did her acquaintances fall off, and at the period of Isabel's return, with the exception of Mr. Heaviside, and one or two others, she was suffered to pine away in seclusion.
Isabel was greeted with querulous indifference until the explanation of the first ten minutes; then, as an heiress, with the means as well as the desire of contributing to her mother's comforts, all was joy and congratulation. Her incurable disease was for the time forgotten, and although pain would occasionally draw down the muscles of her face, as soon as the pang was over, so was the remembrance of her precarious situation. Wan and wasted as a spectre, she indulged in anticipation of again mixing with the fashionable world, and talked of chaperoning Isabel to private parties and public amusements, when she was standing at the brink of eternity. Isabel sighed as she listened to her mother, and observed her attenuated frame; occasionally she would refer to her mother's state of health, and attempt to bring her to that serious state of mind which her awful situation demanded; but in vain: Mrs. Revel would evade the subject. Before a week had passed she had set up an equipage, and called upon many of her quondam friends to announce the important intelligence of her daughter's wealth. Most of them had long before given orders not to be "at home to Mrs. Revel." The few to whom, from the remissness of their porters, she obtained admittance, were satisfied at their servants' negligence when they heard the intelligence which Mrs. Revel had to communicate. They were so delighted; Isabel was always such a sweet girl; hoped that Mrs. Revel would not be such a recluse as she had been, and that they should prevail upon her to come to their parties! An heiress is of no little consequence when there are so many younger brothers to provide for; and, before a short month had flown away, Mrs. Revel, to her delight, found that the cards and invitations of no inconsiderable portion of the beau monde covered the table of her confined drawing-room. To Isabel, who perceived that her mother was sinking every day under the exertion she went through, all this was a source of deep regret. It occurred to her that to state her engagements with Newton Forster would have some effect in preventing this indirect suicide. She took an opportunity of confiding it to her mother, who listened to her with astonishment.
"Isabel! what do I hear? What! that young man who calls here so often? You, that can command a title, rank, and fashion, engage yourself to a captain of an Indiaman! Recollect, Isabel, that now your poor father is dead, I am your legal protector; and without my permission I trust you have too much sense of filial duty to think of marrying. How you could venture to form an engagement without consulting me is quite astonishing! Depend upon it, I shall not give my consent; therefore, think no more about it."
How often do we thus see people, who make no scruples of neglecting their duties, as eagerly assert their responsibility, when it suits their convenience.
Isabel might have retorted, but she did not. In few words, she gave her mother to understand that she was decided, and then retired to dress for a splendid ball, at which, more to please her mother than herself, she had consented to be present.
It was the first party of any consequence to which Mrs. Revel had been invited. She considered it as her re-entree into the fashionable world, and the presentation of her daughter; she would not have missed it for any consideration. That morning she had felt more pain than usual, and had been obliged to have recourse to restoratives; but once more to join the gay and fashionable throng —the very idea braced her nerves, rendered her callous to suffering, and indifferent to disease.
"I think," said Mrs. Revel to her maid —"I think," said she, panting, "you may lace me a little closer, Martyn."
"Indeed, madam, the holes nearly meet; it will hurt your side."
"No, no, I feel no pain this evening —there, that will do."
The lady's maid finished her task, and left the room. Mrs. Revel rouged her wan cheeks, and, exhausted with fatigue and pain, tottered to an easy chair, that she might recover herself a little before she went down stairs.
In a quarter of an hour Isabel, who had waited for the services of Martyn, entered her mother's room, to announce that she was ready. Her mother, who was sitting in the chair, leaning backwards, answered her not. Isabel went up to her, and looked her in the face —she was dead !
