Lucille’s
Marriage and Adventures.
It was about 3 A.M. one fine morning when I escaped from the Ursuline Convent; and made my way to the Hotel d’Angleterre, the porter in answer to my summons was about to refuse to give me refuge, when a young Englishman, who was just taking his candle in the hall, said, “he’d be damned if I should not be taken care of,” and ordered the chambermaid to be called to attend on [46] ]me, and added that he would be responsible for all expenses. “Certainly, my lord,” said the porter of the hotel, but he added
sotto voce,
“
I think he’s a fool to be so easily imposed upon.”
I was too glad to have found a protector, (especially when I found he was an aristocrat), so I quietly followed the femme de chambre, and was content to await awhile for the denouement of my adventure.
Breakfast was brought to me about eleven o’clock, and also a message to say that Lord Dunwich, would do himself the pleasure of waiting upon me in an hour’s time.
You may be sure I was all impatience to see the kind fellow who had stood my friend, and was most agreeably surprised to find his manners quite equal to his appearance when I saw him again.
His Lordship was greatly interested by the account of my escape from the convent, and said he was a very particular friend of my betrothed husband, the Earl of Ellington, [47] ]and would put me under the protection of a lady going to England, who would see me safe home. He was such a handsome fellow, and my gratitude was so gushing that at the moment I could have refused him no thing, and was delighted by the way he lingered over a kiss, he would insist upon as his due, my whole soul seemed to leap towards the generous fellow, and tears of disappointment stood in my eyes when he was gone.