Belmour: A Modern Edition

Chapter 31

✦ 255 ✦ the letters, Lord Raymond was actually on his road to England. Mrs. Stainville, now reduced to the slender aliment of old billets doux, rings, bracelets, and pictures, found all the extreme delicacy of her health return;—she found, in spite of her desire to remain at Venice, that the air was so absolutely contrary to her, that she must change it, and try the well-known recipe of actual travelling; and thus, without communicating her intention of immediately returning to England, except to Emily, she ordered every preparation for her journey. When the time came fixed on by Mrs. Stainville for their departure, Emily shed many tears upon embracing, for the last time, Madame de Saint Valory, who had so much distinguished her, and to whose society she owed the only agreeable hours she had passed at Venice. Madame de Saint Valory, as they parted, taking her hand, said— “We will not, my young friend, correspond:—I know enough of the world, to be sensible, that, circumstanced as we both are, writing must become a task to you; and therefore could not contribute to any satisfaction of mind;—but on any event, that really interests you, I do request to hear from you, and to be remembered ; as my admiration for you, and my sincere friendship deserves.”—Saying this, she again pressed Emily to her bosom, and hastily retired. Chapter 31 during the journey, Mrs. Stainville, wishing to obliterate, as much as possible, the remembrance of her own misconduct , which she was sensible Emily must have perceived, and dreading the report she might make of her after their return ✦ 256 ✦ to England, omitted no attention or appearance of kindness; though she no longer affected that engouement which she no longer felt, and which she was certain could no longer impose on Emily, before whose superiour understanding and penetration the weakness of her mind had long shrunk.—But she knew not the true greatness of Emily’s character—knew not that she was incapable of the mean revenge, which Mrs. Stainville ’s imprudence had, indeed, put into her power; and that, far from wishing to expose the foibles of her character, she remembered only to lament its loss the dream of that former kindness towards her, which her youth and inexperience had once made her hope was friendship. They travelled by the way of the Tyrol, and a part of Switzerland , into which enchanting and then happy country Mrs. Stainville made an excursion, purposely, as she said, for Emily’s amusement; but in fact, Mrs. Stainville, though now impatient to return to England, wished still, by immediately following Lord Raymond’s steps, to make that impatience at least as little visible as she could. This excursion in Switzerland however excepted, they stopped nowhere for above a day or two, till they came to Paris, and there only for a fortnight.—The Marquise de Bellevue and her society were now no longer objects even of the slightest interest—Mrs. Stainville met them without pleasure, and quitted them without regret—even the charming Abbé sighed forth sou désespoir at the cruelty of her departure, and her making only “une apparition a Paris,” without producing the slightest effect.—To England Mrs. Stainville now directed all her wishes, and thither she was determined to return; although, during her journey, she had had time sufficient; to reason on the little chance she there had of meeting Lord Raymond still equally occupied with her, and of ever passing days to her so enchanting as those of Venice; at the worst, however, there ✦ 257 ✦ always remained the derniere ressource of a belle passion and a sentimental distress. In short, Mrs. Stainville’s chief reason, for stopping above the time necessary to procure a passport at Paris, was to equip herself properly in every article of dress, and the study in that first of schools the newest fashions of the day.—She in vain wished to force presents on Emily—brought milliners and mantua-makers into her room, and wanted to insist on their being employed at her expense—“What can it signify, dearest Emily?” said she: “you know, that what I venture to offer are the merest trifles—a gown of this or that, a chiffon;”—but Emily, except here and there something in reality of the most trifling value, and merely not to appear impolite, steadily refused .—“My dress,” said she, with a...