John Marchmont's Legacy, Volume I (of 3)   By: M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon (1835-1915)

BY [M.E. Braddon] THE AUTHOR OF "LADY AUDLEY'S SECRET," ETC. ETC. ETC.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL.I.

Published by Tinsley Brothers of London in 1863 (third edition).

THIS STORY

Is Dedicated

TO

MY MOTHER

CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE MAN WITH THE BANNER. CHAPTER II. LITTLE MARY. CHAPTER III. ABOUT THE LINCOLNSHIRE PROPERTY. CHAPTER IV. GOING AWAY. CHAPTER V. MARCHMONT TOWERS. CHAPTER VI. THE YOUNG SOLDIER'S RETURN. CHAPTER VII. OLIVIA. CHAPTER VIII. "MY LIFE IS COLD, AND DARK, AND DREARY." CHAPTER IX. "WHEN SHALL I CEASE TO BE ALL ALONE?" CHAPTER X. MARY'S STEPMOTHER. CHAPTER XI. THE DAY OF DESOLATION. CHAPTER XII. PAUL. CHAPTER XIII. OLIVIA'S DESPAIR. CHAPTER XIV. DRIVEN AWAY.

JOHN MARCHMONT'S LEGACY.

VOLUME I.

CHAPTER I.

THE MAN WITH THE BANNER.

The history of Edward Arundel, second son of Christopher Arundel Dangerfield Arundel, of Dangerfield Park, Devonshire, began on a certain dark winter's night upon which the lad, still a schoolboy, went with his cousin, Martin Mostyn, to witness a blank verse tragedy at one of the London theatres.

There are few men who, looking back at the long story of their lives, cannot point to one page in the record of the past at which the actual history of life began. The page may come in the very middle of the book, perhaps; perhaps almost at the end. But let it come where it will, it is, after all, only the actual commencement. At an appointed hour in man's existence, the overture which has been going on ever since he was born is brought to a sudden close by the sharp vibration of the prompter's signal bell; the curtain rises, and the drama of life begins. Very insignificant sometimes are the first scenes of the play, common place, trite, wearisome; but watch them closely, and interwoven with every word, dimly recognisable in every action, may be seen the awful hand of Destiny. The story has begun: already we, the spectators, can make vague guesses at the plot, and predicate the solemn climax; it is only the actors who are ignorant of the meaning of their several parts, and who are stupidly reckless of the obvious catastrophe.

The story of young Arundel's life began when he was a light hearted, heedless lad of seventeen, newly escaped for a brief interval from the care of his pastors and masters.

The lad had come to London on a Christmas visit to his father's sister, a worldly minded widow, with a great many sons and daughters, and an income only large enough to enable her to keep up the appearances of wealth essential to the family pride of one of the Arundels of Dangerfield.

Laura Arundel had married a Colonel Mostyn, of the East India Company's service, and had returned from India after a wandering life of some years, leaving her dead husband behind her, and bringing away with her five daughters and three sons, most of whom had been born under canvas.