The Mysteries of Montreal | Page 4

about the middle of June, 18--, a gentleman called to see
me, accompanied by a lady closely veiled. He said he wished me to
procure suitable lodging for her, and to attend her on her accouchement,
which was now close at hand, stating that no money would be spared to
furnish everything necessary either to her comfort or convenience. As I
did not know of any lodging suitable to a person of her station, I was
puzzled how to act; I did not want to lose a patient, and yet could not,
even if so disposed, make room for her in my own house. I knew that
my next door neighbor (an elderly French-Canadian lady) was
accustomed to take in lodgers; so, leaving the lady and gentleman for a
while in my parlor, I went to see if I could make arrangements for the
reception of the former. Madame Charbonneau, my neighbor, had all
her rooms occupied, but said she was willing for a consideration to give
up her drawing-rooms for a time to the fair patient. This was eminently
satisfactory to me, as, in the event of an emergency, I would be close at
hand; I accordingly arranged for Mrs. Trotter's accommodation, and on
reporting to Mr. Dombey, the gentleman aforementioned, he seemed to
be perfectly satisfied. From, what I afterwards learned, I am able to
inform the reader that Mr. Dombey was junior partner in the house of
Dombey & Son, dry goods merchants, in this city, his father, Jacob
Dombey, sen., being considered one of the wealthiest importers in
Canada. In his youth Jacob Dombey, jun., had been pampered and
petted beyond measure, his every whim being carried out even at great
expense; arrived at the age of twenty-one he became enamored of a
young lady whose father kept a small toy-shop on Notre Dame street,
and nothing would content him but a marriage with the "Goddess," as
his innamorata was called. At first he was quite proud of his pretty wife,
and was to be seen daily in Sherbrooke street, driving her behind a
splendid span of spirited bay horses, but after a few months he grew
tired of this routine, and with his bosom friend, Richard Fairfax, might
be seen, nightly at the theatres and other places of amusement, while
his poor wife sat in patient loneliness awaiting his return.

Mrs. Trotter was the daughter of a Civic Official of high standing, and
had married at a very early age a retired English Officer, who, being
well advanced in years, left her at the age of twenty-four a widow with
four children. Trotter was possessed of little besides his pension, which
died with him; so Mrs. T. was obliged to eke out a miserable
subsistence on the receipts from a little city property left her by her
father. Soon after her husband's demise Mrs. Trotter removed to
Lachine (a small village on the river side about nine miles above
Montreal), in order to live more economically, and soon became
acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Dombey, who had taken up their abode
there for the summer season. Mrs. Dombey took quite a fancy to the
fascinating widow, and they soon became inseparable.
Every evening on the promenade might be seen Mrs. Trotter leaning on
the arm of Mr. Dombey, his wife following accompanied by his friend
Fairfax; or they were together on the river boating, or enjoying a picnic
on "Dixie" Island. Occasionally, when the weather was unfavorable to
out-door amusements, they would engage in a rubber of whist,
generally ending the evening with a little music. Dombey did not know
one tune from another, but his wife praised Mrs. Trotter's singing so
highly that he soon imagined that in that art, as in others, she was
nearly, if not altogether, perfect. When it became time for Mrs. Trotter
to go home, Jacob used to escort her to her cottage on the river bank,
about a mile distant from his own residence, and after a few weeks
there sprang up an intimacy between them which culminated in the
incidents which gave rise to my narrative.
On the day following that on which I had engaged her apartments Mrs.
Trotter took up her abode at Madame Charbonneau's, and about six
weeks afterwards her baby, a beautiful girl, was born; she sent a
message to Mr. Dombey's office, and in the afternoon he called to see
her. He was greatly pleased with the baby, and took it up fondly in his
arms, and on leaving placed a roll of bank bills in my hand, telling me
to get everything necessary for either the mother or her child, also to
get the latter whatever clothing it might require. After that he called
almost daily, and when Mrs. Trotter was sufficiently