Varney the Vampire 1(112)

 

Flora was already seated in that apartment. Indeed, she had been accustomed to meet Charles Holland there before others of the family made their appearance, but, alas! this morning the kind and tender lover was not there.

 

The expression that sat upon the countenances of her brothers, and of Mr. Marchdale, was quite sufficient to convince her that something more serious than usual had occurred, and she at the moment turned very pale. Marchdale observed this change of change of countenance in her, and he advanced towards her, saying,--

 

"Calm yourself, Flora, we have something to communicate to you, but it is a something which should excite indignation, and no other feeling, in your breast."

 

"Brother, what is the meaning of this?" said Flora, turning aside from Marchdale, and withdrawing the hand which he would have taken.

 

"I would rather have Admiral Bell here before I say anything," said Henry, "regarding a matter in which he cannot but feel much interested personally."

 

"Here he is," said the admiral, who at that moment had opened the door of the breakfast room. "Here he is, so now fire away, and don't spare the enemy."

 

"And Charles?" said Flora, "where is Charles?"

 

"D--n Charles!" cried the admiral, who had not been much accustomed to control his feelings.

 

"Hush! hush!" said Henry; "my dear sir, bush! do not indulge now in any invectives. Flora, here are three letters; you will see that the one which is unopened is addressed to yourself. However, we wish you to read the whole three of them, and then to form your own free and unbiased opinion."

 

Flora looked as pale as a marble statue, when she took the letters into her hands. She let the two that were open fall on the table before her, while she eagerly broke the seal of that which was addressed to herself.

 

[Illustration]

 

Henry, with an instinctive delicacy, beckoned every one present to the window, so that Flora had not the pain of feeling that any eyes were fixed upon her but those of her mother, who had just come into the room, while she was perusing those documents which told such a tale of heartless dissimulation.

 

"My dear child," said Mrs. Bannerworth, "you are ill."

 

"Hush! mother--hush!" said Flora, "let me know all."

 

She read the whole of the letters through, and then, as the last one dropped from her grasp, she exclaimed,--

 

"Oh, God! oh, God! what is all that has occurred compared to this? Charles--Charles--Charles!"

 

"Flora!" exclaimed Henry, suddenly turning from the window. "Flora, is this worthy of you?"

 

"Heaven now support me!"

 

"Is this worthy of the name you bear Flora? I should have thought, and I did hope, that woman's pride would have supported you."

 

"Let me implore you," added Marchdale, "to summon indignation to your aid, Miss Bannerworth."

 

"Charles--Charles--Charles!" she again exclaimed, as she wrung her hands despairingly.

 

"Flora, if anything could add a sting to my already irritated feelings," said Henry, "this conduct of yours would."

 

"Henry--brother, what mean you? Are you mad?"

 

"Are you, Flora?"

 

"God, I wish now that I was."

 

"You have read those letters, and yet you call upon the name of him who wrote them with frantic tenderness."

 

"Yes, yes," she cried; "frantic tenderness is the word. It is with frantic tenderness I call upon his name, and ever will.--Charles! Charles!--dear Charles!"

 

"This surpasses all belief," said Marchdale.

 

"It is the frenzy of grief," added George; "but I did not expect it of her. Flora--Flora, think again."

 

"Think--think--the rush of thought distracts. Whence came these letters?--where did you find these most disgraceful forgeries?"

 

"Forgeries!" exclaimed Henry; and he staggered back, as if some one bad struck him a blow.

 

"Yes, forgeries!" screamed Flora. "What has become of Charles Holland? Has he been murdered by some secret enemy, and then these most vile fabrications made up in his name? Oh, Charles, Charles, are you lost to me for ever?"

 

"Good God!" said Henry; "I did not think of that"

 

"Madness!--madness!" cried Marchdale.

 

"Hold!" shouted the admiral. "Let me speak to her."

 

He pushed every one aside, and advanced to Flora. He seized both her hands in his own, and in a tone of voice that was struggling with feeling, he cried,--

 

"Look at me, my dear; I'm an old man old enough to be your grandfather, so you needn't mind looking me steadily in the face. Look at me, I want to ask you a question."