CHAPTER XI.

house of Professor Holloway, which stood on the

outskirts of the town. I was conveyed to the On emerging from the burial-ground into the garden-gate, which Hodges unlocked ; and again high-road, a sudden gust of wind turned back a securing it, wheeled me to the back of the dwellportion of the carpeting, allowing the rain to beat ing, opened a door, and passed with the truck into against my head and face, and enabling me a small room, appropriated to Hodges for his disagain to use my eyes, so far as the darkness would interred bodies, in which a good fire was burning. allow. If I had been peculiarly impressed with “ This looks comfortable," he said; “I knew the beauty and splendor of the sunlighted world I should want a good drying a'ter such a job on as displayed to me through the window when they such a night. I feel quite shivery, and shan't be were first placing me in the coffin, I was still more no worse for a rummer of hot brandy and water. deeply affected by the midnight glories that irra- Where did I put the bottle ?" diated the sky, where the black and driving He withdrew into an inner apartment, probably clouds partially revealed them. They drew my for the purpose of changing his wet clothes, for thoughts upwards to the mysterious and omnipo- his absence was of some duration. tent Unseen, the Creator and Upholder of the Either from the effect of the refreshing nightuniverse, arnid whose countless worlds the globe air on my being taken out of the vault, or of the which we inhabit might be deemed no more than shower-bath to which I had been subjected, or of a particle of starry dust ; but in the belief that not the reaction produced by my present exposure to even the humblest dweller upon this insignificant a flaming fire, I became sensible, at this precise speck would address himself to Heaven in vain, juncture, of a change in my corporeal system. It and that the Creator of all would listen to the began with a gentle thrilling and throbbing at my prayers of all, I silently implored forgiveness for bosom, succeeded by scarcely perceptible tremors my past sins, and supplicated a deliverance froin and shudderings, and a slight twitching of the the terrible fate that menaced me. Supported by limbs, accompanied by a sense of painful numbthis act of devotion, I awaited my doom with less ness and cold at the extremities. My frozen blood, agony of soul than I had previously endured. thawed by the grateful warmth, struggled 10

The road being that which led to my own house, resume circulation, though its first efforts were I was familiar with all the objects of which I could sluggish, and limited to the neighborhood of the obtain a glimpse as I passed along. My heart heart. Slowly, however, it crawled onwards to yearned strangely towards them; and as I gazed, the members, and, after a while, I found that I had fully believing it to be for the last time, upon a the power to move my limbs, but only in a very well-known tree, or even a field-gate, I felt as if I small degree. Doubting the reality of this incipiwere being torn away from an old friend. Guess ent reänimation, and wishing to test the delighehow immeasurably this tender sorrow must have ful hope that thrilled through my nerves,

I sumbeen increased when we reached the entrance to moned my newly-awakened powers by making a my own residence, and Hodges, putting down the strenuous effort to change my position; and though barrow, said,

I did not quite succeed in my object, I had the “ Hang me, if I baint aʼmost tired. The stiff- satisfaction of hearing the truck upon which I un aint no great weight, but these sandy roads be was stretched creak beneath me. Ineffably dulcet so uncommon heavy a'ter rain. Why, this is the and harmonious to mine ear was that untuneful old cove's roosting-place, I do declare. Ah! sound, for it confirmed the cessation of my catashould n't wonder if he'd give a good lot of his lepsy, and announced, as with an angel's voice, money-bags to get out of the barrow, ring the bell, the glad tidings of my speedy restoration to life, walk upstairs, and turn into a warm bed, instead and light, and happiness. of being stretched out on a cold dissecting-table.” But how far inferior did that voice seem to the

In every fibre did my heart feel the contrast ; for matchless music of my own, when, after several memory conjured up the years I had passed, and vain efforts, my tongue was partially untied, and the many social and domestic pleasures I had en- I succeeded in uttering the words“ Thank God! joyed in that home which I was never to see again, Thank God!" though they were breathed in an which had now, by such iniquitous means, become almost inaudible whisper. Scarcely had it passed the property of my parricidal son. At this mo- my lips ere the foreman reëntered, walked to the ment my grief and indignation were aggravated fire, and was in the act of raising it with the by a sound of hilarious laughter from the dining- poker, when my spasmodic twitchings shook the room, where I conjectured that the miscreant and carpeting with which I was covered. The fellow his boon companions from Newmarket had not yet had been too long conversant with midnight viola concluded their Bacchanalian orgies. A thousand tions of the grave to have any apprehensions of times more than ever did I now languish for a ghosts, but he was evidently frightened, for he restoration to life, that I might expose and punish started back with the poker in his hand, ejaculating, his atrocities, and dispossess him of the estates as one of my legs again moved he had so villanously usurped.

“ The Lord above! The Lord above! May I Owing to the lateness of the hour and the in- never stir if the stiff-un baint alive and kicking !" clemency of the weather, we did not encounter a While he was still staring, utterly aghast and single wayfarer on our further progress to the bewildered, I sought to draw him towards me,

CHAPTER XII.

ܪ

dial;

that I might be better heard, by uttering the word

-“ Hodges !”—a sound at which he started in still greater alarm, muttering perturbedly to him

Curious as was the concurrence of circumstances self

which had produced my apparent death and real “He's no more dead than I am, and he knows

burial, the concatenation of events which termimy name!

Here's a fix-here is a precious job ! nated in my disinterment and my restoration to life Sure as fate I shall be pulled up afore the magis

was by no means less extraordinary. Among the trates, and it 's a Botany Bay affair, that's what subordinate causes contributing to the latter result, it is. ’T would n't take much to hush up the was the fortunate fact that Doctor Linnel, reachmatter, and make all sure with this here his ing his home at a late hour, and having an accueye fell upon the poker as he spoke—" and I'm mulation of letters to read, had not retired to rest blessed if I don't think it would be an act of pure hurried statement of what had occurred; so that

when Hodges rang the night-bell and gave him a kindness to put him out of his misery ; besides, a fellow may always take another chap's life to pre- by my side in a very short time after the despatch

he was enabled to hasten back, and to be kneeling serve his own."

of my messenger. My new danger flashed upon me in an instant, and not losing a moment in trying to repair the

“Do not speak a word,” was his first injuncperilous mistake I had made by the mention of his tion; " you have no strength for talking. Leave name, I said, in the loudest tone I could utter

everything to me; I will take care of you." “ Save my life and I will make your fortune !"

Ordering a mattress to be brought and to be --words which acted like a charm.

His altered spread before the fire, he placed me upon it; botcountenance showed that a new light had broken tles of hot water were applied to the soles of my in upon him; he came close to the truck, and feet; he poured into my mouth a renovating corputting down his ear, asked me what I had said ;

after which preliminaries I was rubbed with exclaiming, as I distinctly repeated my promise

warm flannels until both my operators were thrown “ It's a barg'n—it's a barg'n.

Save ye?

into a profuse perspiration, and I myself felt a Lord love ye, that's what I will, with all the

vital glow throughout my whole frame. pleasure in life. I’m a reg'lar body-snatcher, as

“ All goes well,” said the doctor ; “but I many a better man has been, but I baint a murderer:

must have you in my own house and under my I would n't go for to Burke a fellow-creature. own eye, or I cannot answer for your recovery. No; that's the very last thing as ever I should We must remove you before daylight. Bring me think on."

a couple of blankets immediately." On intimating that my feet felt frozen and dead,

These being found, and hung before the fire till he uncovered them, and placed the truck in such they were quite hot, were carefully wrapped a position that they faced the fire ; and on my

around me, when the doctor and Hodges, both pronouncing the word “ tea,” for I was miserably

of whom were powerful men, placed me on their faint and thirsty, he cried with an expression of shoulders, and carried me to the residence of the ineffable contempt

former, where I was laid in his own bed, still “What's the use of them wishy-washy things ? enveloped in the heated blankets. Tenderly as I No, no ; you shall have something better than had been conveyed, the motion had quite exhausted

me; and I lay extended, without speech or change So saying, he took a case-bottle of brandy from of posture, until I fainted, or gradually sank into a closet, filled a small spoon, and poured it into

a gentle sleep. my mouth. At first I was unable to swallow, but

All that could be accomplished by consummate the warmth of the spirit gradually relaxed the skill, combined with an unremitting and most demuscles, and restored the power of deglutition, so

voted friendship, was now exerted in my behalf, that, after a few fruitless efforts, it passed down and with such success that I myself was astonished

The dose was repeated ihree or four at the rapidity of my progress, though I was still times, its administrator observing that—" if brandy occasionally prostrated by a milder form of the would n't save me, nothing in the world would n't alarming attacks which had preceded my trance. save me." Its effects, at all events, were rapid,

Linnel had expressly stipulated that my marvelfor I felt the quickened circulation tingling through

Jous resuscitation should, for the present, be kept my whole frame. In answer to his inquiry what

a profound secret. he should do next, I desired him to run for Doctor

“ You cannot be restored to your rights,” urged Linnel, who resided, most fortunately, in a neigh

that discreet friend, you cannot resume your boring street. This order being instantly obeyed, ,

station in society, without active exertions, and an I was left alone to reflect, with a devoutly grate-exposure to social and domestic trials of too exful heart, upon the strange life-involving perils to citing, not to say too harrowing, a nature to be which I had been twice exposed, and upon the safely encountered in your present critical state. still more strange, not to say providential, occur

Any painful agitation might occasion a relapse—a rences by which I had been hitherto saved from danger against which we must especially guard destruction.

ourselves. When you are strong enough to face the world, I will not only give you notice, but

tea."

my throat,

66

will stand by your side to support you in your sacrifice of eight hundred a year, and Mason allows undertaking."

you to make it." Neglecting nothing that could contribute to my “ That was my great fear. Knowing the depth cheer of mind, as well as to the corroboration of and delicacy of his attachment, and his disintermy health, my kind friend, who frequently saw ested regard for my welfare, I doubted whether I my daughter, brought me such gratifying accounts should get his consent; but he met the proposition of her deep but unobtrusive grief for my presumed with the frankness of a fine and noble nature. death, that I yearned with more than a paternal" Were the cases reversed,' said he, “my heart fondness to clasp the dear girl once more to my tells me that I should not hesitate a single moment heart. Linnel, however, would not permit this to make the sacrifice to you ; and I do not, thereuntil three weeks had elapsed, when he entered fore, hesitate a single moment in accepting the my room, saying:

sacrifice from you.

We shall still possess a mod“ Here is a letter from dear Sarah, requesting erate competency; and though I am but young, I permission to call and ask my advice, on a matter have seen enough of the world to know that wealth of importance, at twelve o'clock to-day. Now, without happiness is poverty, and that poverty with if you will promise to command your feelings as happiness is wealth.'' well as you can, you shall be ensconced in the “ Mason is a wise man, and you are a sensible arm-chair of our little back drawing-room, and girl ; but if you have made up your minds to this overhear our interview ; and after I have duly plan, why the deuce should you wait for two years? prepared her for the startling intelligence, I will Why not marry as soon as you are out of mournannounce your resuscitation, and apprise her of ing?'' your presence."

“ Because I would not ask Mason to take me All was done as he had arranged ; but, though without some sort of marriage-portion, however I had promised to lie perdu till the close of their small. By saving for two years the greater part interview, I could not avoid indulging myself in of the handsome income which my father assigned one momentary peep as she entered the room. me in his will, I shall be enabled to reserve some Her deep mourning, and the shade of sorrow surplus after buying and furnishing a small house ; upon her features, imparted a more touching inter- so that we shall literally start with love in a cotest to her beauty. Oh! how lovely did she ap- tage, and a purse to meet any unexpected demands." pear to me at that moment! Oh! how my heart My dear Sarah, I tell you once more that you thrilled when I caught the first accents of her soft are an uncommonly sensible girl, and I approve of and winning voice!

everything you have done or have proposed doing, After pleading the long intimacy that had ex- though I do not think it will be necessary to defer isted between myself and Linnel as an excuse for your marriage for two years; and if you can listen the trouble she was giving, she continued to a long story, to a narrative of events so strange

“ You are aware that by my dear father's will as to be almost incredible, I will tell you why.” I am reduced from a handsome independence to With infinite tact, and the most guarded circumcomparative poverty, if I marry Mr. Mason." spection, did he then begin to prepare his auditress

“I am ; and if my friend had consulted me on for the startling disclosures he had to make. First the subject, I should have told him it was a fool- reminding her that I had been subject to suspenish and unjustifiable act. What possible objec. sions of animation, some of which had continued tion could he have had to such a man as Mason ?" for many hours, he added, that there were well

“I believe that he had none whatever, but I attested instances of trances lasting so long, that am sure that he acted from the kindest motives. the sufferers had been buried, even after having He thought that the daughter of so rich a man been kept above ground for the customary week, ought to make a grand alliance."

and had actually revived, as had been repeatedly “ In other words, he wanted to gratify his own proved by subsequent inspection of coffins and ambition at your expense. A common fatherly vaults. « Now, your poor father," he continued, feeling, but not very paternal, for all that.”

“ contrary, as I well know, to your earnest and “ I had promised my dear father, in his life even angry remonstrances, was scandalously hurtime, that I would never marry Mr. Mason with ried to the grave in three days after his death. out his consent; and nothing should have induced Under these unusual circumstances there would be me to violate that pledge; but now that I am left nothing improbable in his revival, nothing improb—now that I am alone--now that, unfortunately, able in his being rescued from his miserable situaI have no-no- The dear girl's voice was tion—nay, it is by no means impossible that at this broken by emotion, and she paused a moment ere very moment, recovered from the effects of his preshe could resume. “Do you think, doctor

mature interment, he may be-" ask you as his oldest and best friend—do you “ For God's sake do not trifle with my feelings," think it would show any want of respect to my said Sarah, starting up in the greatest agitation, father's memory, if, after the expiration of two and vehemently clasping her companion's hand. years, I were still to take this excellent, this ex- “Oh, if you love me, tell me, do tell me—is there emplary, this irreproachable man as my husband ?" a chance, a hope, a possibility, that my dear, dear

“ None whatever, if you think he is worth the father may still be living—that I may again em

66

CHAPTER XIII.

brace him—that I may devote myself to his recov- | bother about deferring the burial. He can't exery—that I may testify my love, my duty, my pect me to be very squeamish, when he wanted to unbounded gratitude to Heaven by--"

cut me off with a shilling. Cut off himself now. Unable any longer to restrain the fond and im- Ha! ha! ha!" passioned yearnings of my soul, I sobbed out the The barking of dogs and the shouts of men being words,

heard from the water, the lovers jumped up, and “My child! my child! my own dear child !" leaning on the sill of the open window gazed out

Recognizing my voice, she uttered a cry of joy, upon the sport ; at which moment I made my rushed into the back room, threw her arms around noiseless entry into the summer-house, and seated me, pressed me repeatedly to her heart, and kissed myself in one of the chairs which had just been me over and over, in a paroxysm of hysterical vacated. For two or three minutes this unwelrapture.

come addition to the party remained unnoticed, but

the lady at length turned round, uttered a piercing A very different scene, an ordeal which I both scream, and covering her eyes with her hands sank desired and dreaded, awaited me on the following shuddering to the ground. Her companion was day, when I had resolved to disclose my resuscita- starting to her assistance when my figure caught tion to my unnatural son, to dispossess him of the his eye, and he became instantly transfixed, his fortune and estates he had so flagitiously usurped, eyes staring, his face petrified with horror, and his and to announce to him his utter repudiation and lips hoarsely ejaculatingdisinheritance. He was now on a visit at Oakfield “God of heaven ! my father's ghost !" Hall, for he was too much infatuated with the de- Unable to restrain my long suppressed indignasigning Julia to be long absent from her. Linnel, tion, I rushed upon him, grappled him by the who would not let me undertake anything of an collar, and shaking him with all the vehemence in agitating nature except under his personal guid- my power, I shouted in his ear,ance, accompanied me in his carriage to the hall, “No, unnatural monster ! no, miscreant! no, where, on inquiring at the park lodge, we were parricide ! it is your father's living flesh and blood, informed that the party we were seeking had just as this grasp may convince you, and as I would entered the summer-house with Miss Thorpe, that still more effectually prove by striking you to the they might view the sport on the water, as Sir earth, and trampling on your prostrate body, had Freeman Dashwood had taken down the dogs to I strength to second my will. It is the father hunt ducks. Alighting accordingly from the car- whose life you sought to destroy—whom you riage, and leaning on my friend's arm, I walked hurried to the grave with such guilty precipitation towards the summer-house, which stood in the —who has been snatched from the jaws of death immediate vicinity of the lodge ; and on reaching and recovered from his trance by a series of proviit sat down upon the steps to recover my breath, dential mercies, in order that he may become the when, the door being ajar, I became an uninten- instrument of Heaven in exposing and punishing tional auditor of the following colloquy :- your atrocious crimes."

“I say, Julia ! was n't it lucky that the gov- No sooner did the object of these denunciations ernor died before he made any alteration in his discover that he had to deal with a human being will? I shall come into lots of tin, besides all the instead of a spectre, than all his terror appeared estates. When he took a crotchet into his head he to be dissipated ; his countenance resumed its cuswas as obstinate as a mule; and he had sworn that tomary expression, and he cried, in his usual if ever I married you he would cut me off with a familiar tone,shilling.”

“Well, father, I have often seen you in a passion, “ And if he had, dear George! it would not but hang me if ever I saw you in such a towering have made the smallest difference in my eyes. rage as this." Where there is a sincere attachment, filthy lucre “ Villain !"' I resumed, for I was maddened by is never thought of. Thank Heaven, I am neither his audacious nonchalance, " what is the name of sordid nor seltish. Indeed, if there's one person the chemist who sold you the poisonous mixture in the world whom I despise more than another, to which I became a victim?" it is the girl who marries for money.”

“Do you mean Raby's Restorative ? capital “ All very fine; but it's no bad thing to have stuff that! His name- - his name? Hang me if the cash, whether you marry for it or not. I tell I can recollect just now." you what-I have made up my mind to one thing. “ In what street of Newmarket does he live ?" I'll have the best hounds and hunters in all Suf- “ Street-street? I have forgotten that too. folk, and the best drag and the best racers in all Oh no, I have n't. I remember now; I bought it England at the next Newmarket meeting. And of a fellow that travels about the country.” there's another thing to which I have made up my “Miserable liar ! this shuffling is a confession mind ; I'll marry you before the month is out." of your guilt. With the same regard for truth

“What, my dear George ! so soon after your you will doubtless deny that you destroyed the father's death?"

codicil of my will." “ Yes, to be sure ; why not? Waiting for a “ Codicil! what codicil? I am ready to take twelvemonth would n't make him more dead than my oath that I never—" he is, as I told Sarah when she kept up such a “Hold your impious tongue, and do not add

perjury to your other enormities. With my own when I expressed a wish that their nuptials should eyes, while I was lying entranced, and not dead be solemnized without any unnecessary delay. as you supposed, did I see you tear it up and com- Enraptured by the daily improvement in her father's mit it to the parlor-fire.”

health and spirits, combined with such a delightful “No !—did you, though? What an artful and unexpected change in her own fate and prosdodge on your part! and what a precious spoon I pects, my dear child seemed actually to imagine must have been not to shut the bed-room door!” herself in heaven, and to my apprehensions she

Not less irritated than disgusted by his obdurate appeared to diffuse a heaven around her. Her manner and offensive language, I hastened the radiant and smiling face was an incarnate sunbeam; termination of our colloquy by saying,

her dulcet voice, melodized by joy, was the music “ Hark ye, sirrah, while I address you for the of the spheres ; her duteous and affectionate offices last time. I have made a new will, by which you were the ministerings of a guardian angel. God are utterly and irrevocably disinherited, with the bless her! there were moments when her fasciexception of an annual pittance just sufficient to nating endearments almost made me forget my preserve you from destitution, but only payable so repudiated son. long as you reside abroad. The moment you set But they did not banish from my memory the foot upon the soil of England, its payment ceases. vow made to my own soul while I was lying enHere is a letter to my London agent, who will tranced and entombed, that in the event of my provide you a sum of money for your outfit. revival I would refund the sums I had unfairly Away! hide your infamy in some of our colonies ; gained in the execution of my government conthe nearer to the Antipodes the better.

Avaunt! tracts. After having calculated their amount, with Let me never see you more! Begone before I interest, which raised the total to several thousand curse you !”

pounds, I remitted the whole anonymously to the “ The Devil and Doctor Faustus! here's a pretty Chancellor of the Exchequer. Naturally fond of go!" was all the reply of the hardened and un- money, I always found delight in reckoning up feeling reprobate ; and I had hardly quitted the my profits ; yet can I truly declare that I experisummer-house when I heard once more the vacant enced ten times more pleasure in refunding this and hideous laugh by which I had been previously portion of my fortune, than I had ever felt in insulted.

legitimately gaining ten times as much. Not without difficulty did my tottering footsteps So completely had my attention been engaged support me back to the carriage ; I was lifted into by the recent marvellous occurrences, and by the it by the doctor and his servant, and was no sooner preparations for the approaching marriage—so deposited on the seat than nature sank under the carefully, moreover, did I abstract my thoughts exertions I had made, and I fainted away. from the painful subject of my son—that several:

From my knowledge of Miss Thorpe's character, weeks slipped away without my adverting to the I was not in the least surprised to learn that this long and singular silence of the London agent to disinterested heroine, who piqued herself upon whom I had consigned him. Its cause was at being neither sordid nor selfish, who held in special length explained by the following letter-full contempt the girl that could marry for money, enough, Heaven knows! of sadness and humiliadespatched a letter to my son on the very next day, tion, and yet not altogether divested of mitigating stating that her own sacred sense of filial duty considerations. would not allow her to espouse any man against “My Dear Friend,—More than once have I his father's consent, and that, therefore, their en taken up my pen to write to you, and as often gagement must be considered as finally cancelled. have I wanted courage to complete my letter, I never heard, however, that she returned the fearing to afflict you with evil tidings in your valuable presents made to her by her infatuated present delicate state ; and I have since been lover.

silent, because it required some little time to ascertain the exact situation of your son, of whose

whereabouts I was left in ignorance for a whole With equal good judgment and kind feeling, month. On his first arrival I observed a good my friend invited Sarah to spend a few days in deal of levity, not to say wildness, in his manner his house, well knowing that her society and her and discourse, but not sufficient to denote any assistance as a nurse would be far icre efficient positive aberration of mind. He seemed quite than all his medicaments in restoring my bodily reconciled to his immediate expatriation, and health and my cheer of mind. On the morning of accompanied me on board a splendid vessel bound her arrival I appointed her lover to meet her, when for New Zealand, in which I secured a good berth I joined together the hands of the delighted couple ; for him, and paid his passage-money. On the gave my formal consent to their union, sanctifying following morning I obeyed your directions, by it by my blessing, and adding, that so far from advancing him a sufficient sum to provide a handlessening the sum I had originally left to my some outfit, and to give him an advantageous start daughter, I would settle twice the amount upon on his arrival in the colony. her on the day of her marriage. Mason now be-. “ That night he quitted my house, nor did I: came an almost daily visitant at the house, and hear of him again till I learnt that he had been neither he nor his betrothed evinced any regret committed to prison for an unprovoked and violent

CHAPTER XIV.