And how did our poor Charlotte pass her time during a tedious and tempestuous passage? Naturally delicate, the fatigue and sickness which she endured rendered her so weak as to be almost entirely confined to her bed; yet the kindness and attention of Montraville, in some measure contributed to alleviate her sufferings, and the hope of hearing from her friends soon after their arrival, kept up her spirits, and cheered many a gloomy hour.
But during the voyage a great revolution took place, not only in the fortune of La Rue, but in the bosom of Belcour: whilst in the pursuit of his amour with mademoiselle, he had attended little to the interesting, inobtrusive charms of Charlotte; but when, cloyed by possession, and disgusted with the art and dissimulation of one, he beheld the simplicity and gentleness of the other, the contrast became too striking not to fill him at once with surprise and admiration. He frequently conversed with Charlotte; he found her sensible, well informed, but diffident and unassuming. The langor which the fatigue of her body and perturbation of her mind spread over her delicate features, served only, in his opinion, to render her more lovely: he knew that Montraville did not design to marry her, and he formed a resolution to endeavor to gain her himself, whenever Montraville should leave her.
Let not the reader imagine Belcour’s designs were honorable. Alas! when once a woman has forgot the respect due to herself by yielding to the solicitations of illicit love, she loses all her consequence, even in the eyes of the man whose art has betrayed them, and for whose sake they have sacrificed every valuable consideration.
The heedless Fair, who stoops to guilty joys,
A man may pity—but he must despise.
Nay, every libertine will think he has a right to insult her with his licentious passions; and should the unhappy creature shrink from the insolent overture, he will sneeringly taunt her with pretence of modesty.
XVII
A Wedding
On the day before their arrival at New York, after dinner, Crayton arose from his seat, and placing himself by mademoiselle, thus addressed the company—
“As we are now nearly arrived at our destined port, I think it but my duty to inform you, my friends, that this lady,” (taking her hand) “has placed herself under my protection. I have seen and severely felt the anguish of her heart, and through every shade which cruelty or malice may throw over her, can discover the most amiable qualities. I thought it but necessary to mention my esteem for her before our disembarkation, as it is my fixed resolution, the morning after we land, to give her an undoubted title to my favor and protection by honorably uniting my fate to hers. I would wish every gentleman hence, therefore, to remember that her honor henceforth is mine; and,” continued he, looking at Belcour, “should any man presume to speak in the least disrespectfully of her, I shall not hesitate to pronounce him a scoundrel!”
Belcour cast at him a smile of contempt, and bowing profoundly low, wished mademoiselle much joy in the proposed union; and assuring the colonel that he need not be in the least apprehensive of anyone throwing the least odium on the character of his lady, shook him by the hand with ridiculous gravity, and left the cabin.
The truth was, he was glad to be rid of La Rue, and so he was but freed from her, he cared not who fell a victim to her infamous arts.
The inexperienced Charlotte was astonished at what she heard. She thought La Rue had, like herself, only been urged by the force of her attachment to Belcour, to quit her friends, and follow him to the seat of war: how wonderful, then, that she should resolve to marry another man! It was certainly extremely wrong. It was indelicate. She mentioned her thoughts to Montraville. He laughed at her simplicity, called her a little idiot, and patting her on the cheek, said she knew nothing of the world.
“If the world sanctifies such things, ’tis a very bad world I think,” said Charlotte. “Why, I always understood they were to have been married when they arrived at New York. I am sure mademoiselle told me Belcour promised to marry her.”
“Well, and suppose he did?”
“Why, he should be obliged to keep his word, I think.”
“Well, but I suppose he has changed his mind,” said Montraville, “and then, you know, the case is altered.”
Charlotte looked at him attentively for a moment. A full sense of her own situation rushed upon her mind. She burst into tears, and remained silent. Montraville too well understood the cause of her tears. He kissed her cheek, and bidding her not make herself uneasy, unable to bear the silent but keen remonstrance, hastily left her.
The next morning by sunrise they found themselves at anchor before the city of New York. A boat was ordered to convey the ladies on shore. Crayton accompanied them; and they were shown to a house of public entertainment. Scarcely were they seated, when the door opened and the colonel found himself in the arms of his daughter, who had landed a few minutes before him. The first transport of meeting subsided, Crayton introduced his daughter to Mademoiselle La Rue as an old friend of her mother’s, (for the artful Frenchwoman had really made it appear to the credulous colonel that she was in the same convent with his first wife, and though much younger, had received many tokens of her esteem and regard).
“If,
