Duty and Inclination/Chapter 68
CONCLUSION.
To virtue or to vice is given."
In the course of a short period from the event of his daughter's marriage, General De Brooke fixed his permanent residence in the beautiful villa, Mount Zephyr, where we found him and his family upon the commencement of our history. The late Lord Deloraine, to whom he had let it, having returned to Scotland for the benefit of his native air, the place had fallen into the hands of another tenant, who leaving it in a state of great improvement, the General and Mrs. De Brooke were induced, upon its being advertised for sale, to become the purchasers.
Among the most intimate and social of their neighbours were their old friends the amiable Sir Charles and Lady Valpée. Mr. Frederick Valpée was absent from home, having left his paternal seat for a long-projected tour abroad.
It may be well conceived that the spare apartments in the mansion of the De Brookes were often occupied by Mrs. Boville, her sister Mrs. Melbourne, and the good Dr. Lovesworth, whenever his ministerial duties permitted his affording his friends the indulgence of a visit.
Mrs. Arden, in living to become a widow, and in throwing off those restraints which formerly occasioned a variance between her brother and herself, became more united to the individual members of his family—leaving it to be supposed that her affections, no longer operated upon by selfish motives, resumed their early impressions. Frugal in the management of her income, which was considerable, she was afforded the benevolent gratification of making future liberal settlements on her nieces, whom she nominated her principal inheritors. And thus she experienced the grateful attentions of her family during a long course of a contented and respected old age.
It was also destined for Mrs. Philimore to become a widow, her husband not being able to survive the loss of a son, upon whom he had bestowed so perfect an education, and who had been at once his pride and glory. His widow lived to a good old age, manifesting to the latest period of it the true piety and resignation of the Christian character; keeping her social affections alive by frequent intercourse with her long-tried friend Mrs. De Brooke, and the sight of her ever-loved Oriana.
Lord Deloraine and his lady, leaving their magnificent domain and dwelling, descending to him from a long line of Scottish nobles, situated not far from the winding and meandering Forth, proceeded on a tour through the Western parts, leading towards Glasgow from whence, the autumn being fine, they extended their journey to the Lakes. In the following spring they revisited England, upon which event the joy prevailing at the villa of General De Brooke may be more easily conceived than described, extending to Mrs. Boville and Mrs. Melbourne.
The latter was then re-united to her husband, who, since his return from India, had, in consideration of his services, been promoted to the rank of Major-General, and was then, with much honour and credit to himself, occupying a staff appointment.
Mrs. Melbourne could scarcely be prevailed upon to relinquish her little god-daughter Rose, even to her father and his lady; nor did she do so, until she had made the stipulation of having her ultimately under her care, as her own adopted child.
Soon after the return of Lord and Lady Deloraine to their family mansion in Scotland, the birth of a son put them in possession of an heir; and, two years after, a daughter followed: so that this tender and attached couple were blessed with progeny, who early gave promise of inheriting the amiable qualities of their parents.
Harcourt, in having yielded Rosilia to a rival such as Lord Deloraine, did not find his disappointment so difficult to surmount as he had previously experienced in resigning her to Herbert, by whose mother he had been so falsely beguiled,—and was afterwards married to one calculated to bestow upon him the blessings of the connubial state.
As to Sir Howard Sinclair, ever ruled by his love of wealth, he married the widow Belmour, on her side influenced to the union by the honour she felt conferred by his title. The promised gratification of her pride, however, in being styled Her Ladyship, more than met with its counterbalance, in the ill-usage she received from the Baronet; from whom she was compelled to separate, contenting herself with a circumscribed allowance from her own property. While thus becoming the chastiser of her who had married him from motives of ambition, Sir Howard, also, was himself doomed to receive a punishment, due in a manner to his levities and vices. Sporting his curricle with a pair of young spirited horses, he was thrown from his seat; the rampant pair, plunging forward, drew the vehicle over the leg of Sir Howard, who had in the fall dislocated his shoulder. Having suffered amputation, he was obliged to hobble through life with an amputated limb, receiving by this means that final check to his vanity, which we may hope proved profitable towards effecting his reformation.
With regard to Melliphant, whom we left at his cousin Sir Arthur's ancient castle in Wales, no sooner were his wounds healed, than he was discovered by his creditors, whose demands against him being great and numerous, he was confined to the Fleet for the rest of his life,—giving him leisure for that reflection on his past proceedings, so necessary ere the last hour might surprise him, and suddenly close the scene of an ill-spent existence.
It remains only for us now to say, that time in its progress found Oriana again adorned with all her native vivacity; and Valpée, having returned home from his tour abroad, was often led to reflect upon the possibility of her entertaining a second attachment: in short, as we have elsewhere remarked, no woman was more adapted to draw him from the natural reserve of his character than Oriana.
The memory of the past, connected with the night of the fête champêtre in honour of his coming of age, she being the fair partner he had selected upon that occasion to open the ball, often returned with a pleasing charm upon his memory. And as Oriana on her part had ever felt a strong predilection for the amiable Valpée, she felt assured that had she never seen Philimore, and had never been withdrawn from the neighbourhood she then inhabited, it would have been undoubtedly Valpée to whom her first affections would have been engaged.
The respective families on either side much desiring the union, there is little doubt that in due course of time it took place.
THE END.