By this time Adeline was in a state of complete phrensy, and was again
darting down the street in spite of the gentleman's efforts to hold her,
when another gentleman, whom curiosity had induced to stop and listen
to what passed, suddenly seized hold of her arm, and exclaimed, 'Good
Heavens! what can this mean? It is--it can be no other than Miss
Mowbray.'
At the sound of her own name Adeline started: but in a moment her senses
were quite lost again; and the gentleman, who was no other than Colonel
Mordaunt, being fully aware of her situation, after reproving the
young men for sporting with distress so apparent, called a coach which
happened to be passing, and desired to know whither he should have the
honour of conducting her.
But she was too lost to be able to answer the question: he therefore,
lifting her into the coach, desired the man to drive towards
Dover-street; and when there, he ordered him to drive to Margaret-street,
Oxford-street; when, not being able to obtain one coherent word
from Adeline, and nothing but expressions of agony, terror, and
self-condemnation, he desired him to stop at such a house, and,
conducting Adeline up stairs, desired the first assistance to be
procured immediately.
It was not to his own lodgings that Colonel Mordaunt had conducted
Adeline, but to the house of a convenient friend of his, who, though not
generally known as such, and bearing a tolerably good character in the
world, was very kind to the tender distresses of her friends, and had no
objection to assist the meetings of two fond lovers.
It is to be supposed, then, that she was surprised at seeing Colonel
Mordaunt with a companion, who was an object of pity and horror rather
than of love: but she did not want humanity; and when the colonel
recommended Adeline to her tenderest care, she with great readiness
ordered a bed to be prepared, and assisted in prevailing on Adeline
to lie down on it. In a short time a physician and a surgeon arrived;
and Adeline, having been bled and made to swallow strong opiates, was
undressed by her attentive landlady; and though still in a state of
unconsciousness, she fell into a sound sleep which lasted till morning.
But Colonel Mordaunt passed a sleepless night. The sight of Adeline,
even frantic and wretched as she appeared, had revived the passion which
he had conceived for her; and if on her awaking the next morning she
should appear perfectly rational, and her phrensy merely the result
of some great fright which she had received, he resolved to renew his
addresses, and take advantage of the opportunity now offered him, while
she was as it were in his power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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