Page:Duty and Inclination 2.pdf/84

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
82
DUTY AND INCLINATION.

Newbury, where Mrs. De Brooke and Oriana were already in waiting to give them the joyful meeting. The health of the latter seemed perfectly restored, and she listened with much gratification to all her sister had to communicate as having passed since their separation.

The country place their parents had come to inspect with the desire of taking, lay within a few miles of Bath, it being no other than the beautiful villa in which we found the De Brookes at the beginning of our narrative. It was there that the General, with his family, fixed his residence; it was there that he had hoped to have found peace and rest from the past turmoils of life, in that enchanting spot, in which he might have desired to have ended his days, had not Fate, ever unpropitious to him, chased him from it. In constant expectation of some military remuneration, like the widow from her cruise, he had been drawing from his little fund, dreading to fall into those pecuniary embarrassments by which formerly he had been so long a sufferer.

After several weeks' residence in his villa, an alleviation was given to the usual turn of his reflections by a letter from his sister, couched in the kindest terms, expressive of her gratification in having made acquaintance with Rosilia, and her