Osborne

“ The tears started to Miss Osborne's eyes, and forgetting that her remark would imply a keen reproof to her thoughtless friend, she said, "What have I done, that you should accuse me of being deficient in the delicacy which should ever characterize a lady?"
"Who would think of defending herself from a charge that has no foundation?" rejoined Lucretia, putting her arms round her neck, with girlish affection.
"What is the matter, young ladies?" inquired Henry Osborne, who entered the library at that moment.
"Nothing,---only I have offended Grace, as I often do the Graces," answered Lucretia ”

“ He believed Osborne to be the possessor of every perfection, to be the handsomest, the bravest, the most active, the cleverest, the most generous of created boys. He shared his money with him: bought him uncountable presents of knives, pencil-cases, gold seals, toffee, Little Warblers, and romantic books, with large coloured pictures of knights and robbers, in many of which latter you might read inscriptions to George Sedley Osborne, Esquire, from his attached friend William Dobbin—the which tokens of homage George received very graciously, as became his superior merit. ”

“ If I understand rightly, the other is to marry a wealthy brewer at Croydon—a very good match for her, but not a desirable connection for Osborne; Emma would either grow ashamed of her own family and their station, or she would be pained by being obliged to neglect them in some degree. But she will never accept Osborne!"
"I cannot wish the temptation thrown in her way—I should be by no means sure of the result," said Lady Gordon.
"You cannot prevent it however," replied Sir William, "if Osborne has any such thoughts in his head—he is his own master, and cannot be kept away from her. ”

“ Nature, left to herself, might here have had the rugged richness of an unpolished gem, but the hand of man has gilded its native splendour. The air smells pleasant, and soft breezes blow whisperingly through the richly-foliaged trees. From the raised turrets of Osborne the view commanded is incomparable for its width and variegated beauty. Money has not been stinted in embellishing the scene. ”

“ He now spoke of Osborne to Elizabeth without acrimony. "My indignation against that man was all thrown away," he said; "we do not rebuke the elements when they destroy us, and why should we spend our anger against men?—a word from Osborne, they say, would save me—the falling of the wind, or the allaying of the waves, would have saved Alithea—both are beyond our control. ”

“ Osborne warmly seconded his sister's wish, and extended a polite invitation to the uncle of his friend.
"I see no reason why you should leave us at all to-night, my dear Miss Osborne," said Hutchinson.
"Why Grace would think me a lunatic if I should propose to her to live one night without her father's kiss and blessing" said Lucretia.
"And not far from right, my mad-capped niece," replied he, playfully touching her shoulder. "However, as you both will; you know your lovely friend is always welcome twenty-four hours in a day." ”

“ Many a time has he sat alone upon the brow of a rock or hill, watching the clouds of heaven, or gazing on the setting sun, or communing with the thousand aspects of nature in a thousand moods, his young spirit relaxed into that elysian reverie which, beyond all other kinds of intellectual enjoyment, is the most seductive to a youth of poetic temperament.
There were, indeed, in Osborne’s case, too many of those light and scarcely perceptible tokens which might be traced, if not to a habit of decline, at least to a more than ordinary delicacy of constitution. ”

“ She rode as near to the Osbornes as she thought prudent, and was about to turn back, when she saw a great cloud of smoke arising.
"It must be the Osborne house," she exclaimed, and urged her horse forward. When she came to where she could see she reined in her horse and gazed at the scene in horror. Not only was Mr. Osborne's house in flames, but his barn and outbuildings, as well as stacks of grain. ”

“ But though they met at the breakfast-table, they purposely avoided addressing each other. Perhaps the natural subject of conversation between the two, at such a time, would have been Osborne's long journey the night before; but he had never spoken of the place he had come from, whether north, south, east, or west, and the squire did not choose to allude to anything that might bring out what his son wished to conceal. ”

“ On their way home, Somerville walked with Miss Osborne; and Lucretia, of course, accepted the proffered arm of Mr. Osborne.
Oh, how dangerous may one brief evening prove to the sliding hearts of the youthful and the guileless; and how tasteless is every thing in life, compared with the sparkling cup that young love offers before we know his name.
Grace returned home with an elasticity of spirit unusual to her placid nature ”

“ She answered only by an incredulous look.
"Here comes Lord Osborne into the room," continued he, "looking as if he were going to be hanged. Just turn your eyes this way, Miss Watson."
"Thank you," replied Emma, without complying; "but I will not add to Lord Osborne's modest confusion by looking at him."
"His modest confusion—what a good idea. Why he is the most impudent man in Great Britain. What bribe do you suppose his mother had to offer him, to induce him to come into the music saloon to-day?"
"It is difficult for me to guess. Agreeable company and excellent music no doubt." ”

“ Each at the moment breathed the low, anxious, and tender timidity of love, in it purest character. The souls of both vibrated to each other, and felt depressed with that sweetest emotion which derives all its power from the consciousness that its participation is mutual. Osborne spoke low, and his voice trembled; the girl was silent, but her bosom panted, and her frame shook from head to foot. At length, Osborne spoke.
“I sometimes sit here alone, and amuse myself with my flute; but of late—of late—I can hear no music that is not melancholy.” ”

“ Osborne's wealth and importance in the city had very much increased of late years. He had been glad enough to put the elder George in a good private school, and a commission in the army for his son had been a source of no small pride to him; but for little George and his future prospects the old man looked much higher. He would make a gentleman of the little chap, a collegian, a parliament man—a baronet, perhaps. He would have none but a tip-top college man to educate him. ”

“ The table was laid in the shade, on the grass, and the feasters sat about on rugs and shawls. As Osborne took his place along with Mrs. Carpenter's niece, he noticed that Miss Congreve had not yet reappeared. He called his companion's attention to the circumstance, and she mentioned it to her aunt, who said that the young girl had last been seen in company with Mr. Stone—a person unknown to Osborne—and that she would, doubtless, soon turn up.
"I suppose she's quite safe," said Philip's neighbor—innocently or wittily, he hardly knew which; "she's with a clergyman." ”

“ Come, Squire, I mustn't hear anything against Osborne; we may praise one, without hitting at the other. Osborne hasn't had the strong health which has enabled Roger to work as he has done. I met a man who knew his tutor at Trinity the other day, and of course we began cracking about Roger—it's not every day that one can reckon a senior wrangler amongst one's friends, and I'm nearly as proud of the lad as you are. ”

“ Occupied with these thoughts she scarcely noticed the grandeur of the Hall, the magnificent staircase, the elegance of the ante-rooms as they approached, and was only roused from her reverie by the overpowering blaze of light in the drawing-room. Lady Osborne was alone in the room, seated on a sofa from which she did not rise to receive them, but graciously extended her thin and richly jewelled hand to Mrs. Willis, and bowed courteously to her companions. ”

“ The proposal was a grave one, and gravely as it was meant, Osborne would have been glad to have Graham offer some resistance. But he sat looking at him with a solemn stare which (in the light of subsequent events) cast a lugubrious shade over the whole transaction. "The deuce!" thought Osborne. "Has it made him stupid?—What you need," he said aloud, "is to have something else to think about. An idle man can't expect to get over such troubles. I have some business to be done at St. Paul, and I know that if you'll give your attention to it, you're as well able to do it as any man. ”

“ I am myself going to America; you shall accompany me.' By degrees I afterward explained the service I needed; yet I only half disclosed the truth. Osborne never knew the name or position of the lady who was to be my companion across the Atlantic. A man's notions of the conduct of others are always coloured by his own ruling passion. Osborne thought I was intent on carrying off an heiress.
"With this ally I proceeded to Cumberland—my mind more intent on the result of my schemes than their intermediate detail. I learned before I went that Mr. Neville was still in town. ”

“ Being also a lad, for all my tender years, of an active fancy and apt to muse by myself, and to build castles in the air, or, as some say, in Spain, for my delight, I did not forget the story of Edward Osborne, that was 'prentice to Sir William Hewet, clothworker, some time Lord Mayor of London, how he leapt from the window of one of the bridge houses, and saved his master's daughter that had been dropped into the river by a careless maid. All the dwellers on the bridge have the story ready, so to speak, on the tip of their tongues, as if it were a credit to themselves ”

“ Osborne made the whole plan known to the king. The king, on reflection, said to Osborne, "Very well; continue in communication with Rolf, and help him mature his plan. Let him thus aid in getting me out of the castle, and we will make such arrangements as to prevent the assassination." Osborne did so. He also gained over some other soldiers who were employed as sentinels near the place of escape. Osborne and Rolf furnished the king with a saw and a file, by means of which he sawed off some iron bars which guarded one of his windows. ”

“ A young apprentice, named Osborne seeing the accident, leaped from a window into the fierce current below the arches, and saved the infant. Years after, many great courtiers, including the Earl of Shrewsbury, came courting fair Mistress [Pg 826] Anne, the rich citizen's heiress. Sir William, her father, said to one and all, "No; Osborne saved her, and Osborne shall have her." And so Osborne did, and became a rich citizen and Lord Mayor in 1583. He is the direct ancestor of the first Duke of Leeds. There is a portrait of the brave apprentice at Kiveton House, in Yorkshire. ”

“ He was looking with a dull deadly fixity of fear at Parkinson. 'You think,' said Osborne slowly, deliberately, 'that the poet need not fear the advance of science?' 'I do.' 'But,' added Osborne in an impressive monotone, 'you are equally sure the priest need not fear the advance of modern science?' 'I should not care to generalise on that point.' 'As far as you yourself are concerned?' Parkinson leant forward and sideways until he could lean his elbow on the chair and rest his head upon his elbow. His eyes were no longer fixed on Osborne, but turned on some old scene, some distant apparition. ”

“ All that day down at Grote they waited for news from Sir Henry, but none came. Lord Osborne, always optimistic, saw the most hopeful significance in his silence.
“Depend upon it, my dear,” he said to Dora as she went to bed that night, “depend upon it Sir Henry has seen my lady again, and has quite forgotten that we might be in some anxiety, because, as he knows now, forgetting he ain’t told us, there’s nought to be anxious about. That’s like those busy men—Lord, my dear! fancy passing your life in other people’s insides, so to speak—why it would make you forget your own name. ”

“ Henry Osborne turned to give his hand to Lucretia,---but Somerville had already offered his services. Grace, too, unconsciously glanced that way, before she took the proffered arm of Doctor Willard, but suddenly retreated, when she met the penetrating dark eye of the young officer. At a convenient distance they paused, and watched the motions of the party they wished to reconnoitre. Six men, with bibles fastened on their necks by silken cords, stood around a large hole, from which four others were trying to raise something, by means of large iron levers. ”

“ Even in later times her white skin and yellow hair were admired, though Osborne, in his ‘Traditionall Memoyres,’ unkindly describes the former as ‘far more amiable than the features it covered.’ But though the world and she might now seem to smile on one another, there were other reasons besides her youth and good looks why it behoved her to move warily in the strange court and country in which her lot had fallen. ”

“ Peter Osborne may be regarded as the founder of the fortunes of his family. His eldest son. Sir John Osborne (1552-1628) , enjoyed his father's place in the exchequer, and was also a commissioner of the navy, He was knighted on 1 Feb. 1618-19, and died 2 Nov. 1628, being buried at Campton Church, Bedfordshire, where a tablet to his memory still remains. Sir John Osborne purchased of Richard Snow before 1600 Chicksands Priory, in Bedfordshire, which has since his time been the family seat. He had married Dorothy, daughter and coheiress of Richard Barlee of Essingham Hall, Essex ”

“ Lucretia smiled at the good old lady's perturbation. "Captain Somerville's heart," said she, "is like the waves cut by a passing vessel---a moment after, you can find no traces of an impression. Grace Osborne can never be in my way. I have always loved her;--- and if Somerville can win her heart, and she can keep his, I shall surely be rejoiced to see a man I value so much united to a being so pure and lovely." ”