The colonel, too seriously attached to Adeline to know yet what he
wished, or what he hoped on this discovery of her situation, promised to
obey her, provided she would allow him to call on her now and then; and
Adeline was too full of gratitude to him for the service which he had
rendered her, to have resolution enough to deny his request. He then
called a coach for himself, and for Adeline, as she insisted on his
going immediately to her lodgings; and also begged that he would tell
the mulatto to send for advice, and prepare her little girl for
inoculation directly.
Adeline drove directly to her old lodgings in the country, where she was
most gladly received; and the colonel went to deliver his commission to
the mulatto.
He found her in strong hysterics; the tawny boy crying over her, and
the woman of the house holding her down on the bed by force, while the
little Editha had been conveyed to a neighbour's house, that she might
not hear the screams which had surprised and terrified her.
Colonel Mordaunt had opened the door, and was witnessing this
distressing scene, before any one was conscious of his presence; but
the tawny boy soon discovered him, and crying out--
'Oh! sir, do you bring us news of our friend?' sprang to him, and hung
almost breathless on his arm.
Savanna, who was conscious enough to know what passed, though too much
weakened from her own sufferings and anxieties to be able to struggle
with this new affliction, started up on hearing these words, and
screamed out 'Does she live? Blessed man! but say so, dat's all,' in
a tone so affecting, and with an expression of agonized curiosity so
overwhelming to the feelings, that Colonel Mordaunt, whose spirits were
not very high, was so choked that he could not immediately answer her;
and when at last he faltered out, 'She lives, and is quite well,' the
frantic joy of the mulatto overcame him still more. She jumped about his
neck, she hugged the tawny boy; and her delight was as extravagant as
her grief had been; till exhausted and silent she sunk upon the bed, and
was unable for some minutes to listen quietly to the story which Colonel
Mordaunt came to relate.
When she was composed enough to listen to it, she did not long remain
so; for as soon as she heard that Colonel Mordaunt had met Adeline in
her phrensy, and conveyed her to a place of safety, she fell at his
feet, embraced his knees, and, making the tawny boy kneel down by her,
invoked the blessing of God on him so fervently and so eloquently that
Colonel Mordaunt wept like a child, and, exclaiming, 'Upon my soul, my
good woman, I cannot bear this,' was forced to run out of the house to
recover his emotion.
When he returned, Savanna said 'Well--now, blessed sir, take me to my
dear lady.'
'Indeed,' replied he, 'I must not; you are forbidden to see her.'
'Forbidden!' replied she, her eyes flashing fire; 'and who dare to keep
Savanna from her own mistress?--I will see her.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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