Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

that she would perish for want, if he forsook her.

Only conceive the horror of this young man's situation, my dear uncle," continued lady Beverly; "a creature so weak and oppressed to be the support and stay of another, when his purse, of which Firmor had seen the contents, in his justifiable search for his name, during the hours in which he raved, and was unconscious of his friendly offices-that purse contained only two guineas!"

[ocr errors]

Merciful Heaven!" said the baronet, in a tone of anguish; "Sidney, what is to be done ?".

"Leave us," said Wentworth, turning to lady Beverly and her fair companion; "leave us, Grace."

The ladies retired.

tr

Wentworth, seizing the hand of his father, "I am ready," said he; "command me: Durweston is this miserable sufferer!" "Too surely you say right," replied

the baronet.

"Seek doctor Firmor; say,

G 3

that

that I have authorized you to seek from him all the information he can with honour give you; and by your first avowing the name of this unhappy young man, you will convince him you have an interest in him distinct from curiosity."

"I will bring peace to you, my dear sir," said Sidney; and once more grasping the hand of the baronet, he withdrew. Giving orders to his groom to bring his horse, he placed his cousin and Miss Beverly in their carriage; and with a speed in unison with the agitation of his mind, he took his way to the parsonage.

It had wholly escaped Wentworth to inquire where sir George had left the parson; for it must be in the memory of our readers, that her ladyship had not brought her narration to its close, when the selfarraigned baronet interrupted the thread of her story. Sidney, however, deemed haste a specific remedy in all cases of mental as well as bodily ailment; as such, he had dismounted, and entered the garden

of

of the vicarage, ere his groom had turned the angle formed by the church-yard wall.

To the inquiries of our hero, no decisive answer could be given. The doctor had left home in the morning, in company with sir George Beverly, and had not yet returned. Sidney paused; he must now proceed to Beverly Hall to make his inquiries and he was secretly arraigning his stupidity, which had suffered him to let so important a point escape him. At this moment, a servant of sir George's made his appearance.

1

"My lady's love to you, sir," said Richard, and she forgot to tell you, that doctor Firmor remains at the inn, at P-; till a messenger he has sent some distance returns."

Arthousand thanks, my good friend !" said: Sidney.“ Tell your lady I will see her soon as possible, and that I beg she will go to Adderfield in the morning, as it is not likely I shall return to-night."

The servant departed, and again Sidney proceeded

G4

proceeded on his journey. Arrived at the inn, disappointment again met our hero, The doctor had taken a chaise, and gone towards London. The innkeeper expressed his hope that the good doctor would overtake the sick gentleman: "he was as mad as a March hare, when he left

this."

[ocr errors]

Why did not you prevent him?" said Wentworth.

"Why, bless your honour, he was as cunning as a bedlamite; he gave Sally chambermaid his golden seal, and begged she to order the ostler to have a chaise ready, and he would slide down to it unbeknown to us; but we happened to meet him; and then he spoked quite sensible like, and said the hagitation of his mind would make him worse if he staid, than if he went. Well, we postulated, but all would not do; and he got into the chaise; and then, if you had seen him, he flung up his arms, as if he was praying; and then he looked at us, and said he was much bet

[ocr errors]

ter ;

ter; and he bid God bless us-and said, perhaps we might hear from him."

Wentworth drew a very different conclusion from the elucidation of the landlord. To him there appeared no symptems of madness; but, on the contrary, strong ebullitions of despairing sanity-a feeling which, founded on justness of principle, had led him to brave an undertaking, which might eventually produce the affliction so feelingly deplored.

Our Englishman, whose zeal was not to be restrained, after waiting two hours at the inn, again mounted his horse, and pursued the rector to the next post-town, where, in a retired apartment of an inferior inn, he found the good Firmor employed in writing a letter.

As Wentworth was ushered into the room, doctor Firmor arose-" My dear Mr. Wentworth, you are the man, of all others, I most wish to see at this mo*ment."

"I am truly glad to hear this," replied

[blocks in formation]
« ПредишнаНапред »