The Rovers Secret | Page 8

the
lights in it, which were of a deep dusky golden tone. The eyebrows
were beautifully arched, and the lashes of the eyes were represented as
unusually long. The eyes themselves were very deep hazel, or black--it
was impossible to say which; the nose perfectly straight; the lips, of a
clear, rich, cherry hue, were full and slightly pouting; the mouth
perhaps the merest shade larger than it ought to have been for perfect
beauty; the chin round, with a well-defined dimple in its centre.
Altogether, it was the loveliest face I had ever seen; and I stood for
some time gazing in a trance of admiration on it, the feeling being
mingled with one of deep regret that fate had, in snatching away the
living original, deprived me of such rich possibilities of mutual love. I
felt keenly that, had she continued to live, my life would, in all
probability, have been widely different and very much happier than it
ever had been. Musing thus, I turned the case over in my hand, and
found that there was a contrivance for opening it at the back. I soon
discovered the spring, upon pressing which the back flew open,
disclosing a circlet of glossy chestnut hair reposing upon an oval of
pale yellow silk, in the centre of which were painted the words "Maria
Lascelles; aet. 18. C.L."
Closing the case again and placing it carefully in my bosom, I turned
my thoughts to my new prospects; and whilst collecting together a few

of my more treasured valuables to take with me, and packing the
remainder away in a place of safety, I suffered myself to indulge in
much pleasant speculation upon my immediate future.
On the following morning, about ten o'clock, my father and I left town
in a post-chaise, and, stopping only for an hour about mid-day to dine
at a pleasant little road-side country inn, arrived, at about seven o'clock
in the evening, at our destination. This was a large brick- built edifice
evidently constructed especially to serve the purposes of a scholastic
establishment, standing in its own somewhat extensive grounds, and
situated in a lonely spot about half a mile from the sea, and--though
actually in Hampshire--some four miles only from the port of Poole in
Dorsetshire. I was speedily presented to the principal, who at once
made a favourable impression upon me, afterwards abundantly
confirmed; and, after perhaps half an hour's conversation with him, my
father formally delivered me over to his care and left me--his leave-
taking, though somewhat hurried, being decidedly warmer than his
abstracted manner during the journey had led me to expect.
At this school, let it suffice to say, I remained for the following seven
years; enjoying, during that period of my life, such happiness as, up to
then, my imagination had never been able to conceive; and devoting
myself to my studies with a zest and enthusiasm which won the
warmest encomiums from the several masters who had charge of my
education. French, geography, mathematics, and navigation were my
favourite subjects; and I also developed a very fair amount of talent
with my pencil. Athletics I especially excelled in; and by the time I had
been three years at the school I had become almost amphibious. It
affords me particular pleasure to reflect that, notwithstanding my
previous total want of training, I was, from the very outset of my
school career, an especial favourite with my fellow-pupils, never
having had more than one quarrel serious enough to result in a fight, on
which occasion I succeeded in giving my antagonist--a great bully who
had been cruelly tyrannising over a smaller boy--so severe a trouncing
that a resort to this rough-and-ready mode of settling a dispute never
again became necessary, so far as I was concerned. During this period
there was only one thing that troubled me, which was, that I never saw

my father. Owing to what at the time seemed to me an uninterrupted
series of unfortunate coincidences, it invariably happened that when
holiday-time came round my father had urgent business calling him
away from home; and arrangements had accordingly to be made for my
spending my holidays at the school. This, in itself, constituted no very
great hardship; there were several other lads--Anglo-Indians and others
whose friends resided at too great a distance to admit of the holidays
being spent with them-- who always remained behind to bear me
company; and, as we were allowed to do pretty much what we liked so
long as we did not misconduct ourselves or get into mischief, the time
was passed pleasantly enough; but, notwithstanding his singular
treatment of me, I loved my father, and regarded it as a positive
hardship that so long a time should be permitted to elapse without