'And so will I,' replied Mrs Pemberton. 'Is there any thing else that I
can do for thee?'
'Yes: I have two pensioners at Richmond,--a poor young woman, and her
orphan boy,--an illegitimate child,' she added, deeply sighing, as she
recollected what had interested her in their fate. 'I bequeath them to
your care: Savanna knows where they are to be found. And now, all that
disturbs my thoughts at this awful moment is, the grief which my poor
mother and Savanna will feel;--nay, they will be quite unprepared for
it; for they persist to hope still, and I believe that even Dr Norberry
allows his wishes to deceive his judgment.'
'They will suffer, indeed!' cried Mrs Pemberton: 'but I give thee my
word, that I will never leave thy mother, and that Savanna shall be our
joint care.'
'It is enough--I shall now die in peace,' said Adeline; and Mrs
Pemberton turned away to meet Mrs Mowbray, who, with Dr Norberry at that
moment entered the room. Mrs Mowbray met her, and welcomed her audibly
and joyfully: but Mrs Pemberton, aware of the blow which impended over
her, vainly endeavoured to utter a congratulation; but throwing herself
into Mrs Mowbray's extended arms, she forgot her usual self-command, and
sobbed loudly on her bosom.
Dr Norberry gazed at the benevolent Quaker with astonishment. True, she
was '_drab-coloured_;' but where was the repulsive formality that he had
expected? 'This woman can feel like other women, and is as good a hand
at a crying-bout as myself.' But Mrs Pemberton did not long give way to
so violent an indulgence of her feelings; and gently withdrawing herself
from Mrs Mowbray's embrace, she turned to the window, while Mrs Mowbray
hastened to the bed-side of Adeline. Mrs Pemberton then turned round
again, and, seizing Dr Norberry's hand, which she fervently pressed,
said in a faltering voice, 'Would thou couldst _save_ her!'
'And--and _can't_ I? can't I?' replied he, gulping. Mrs Pemberton looked
at him with an expression which he could neither mistake nor endure; but
muttering in a low tone, 'No! dear, sweet soul! I doubt I can't, I doubt
I can't, by the Lord!' he rushed out of the room.
From that moment he never was easy but when he could converse with Mrs
Pemberton; for he knew that she, and she only, sympathized in his
feelings, as she only knew that Adeline was not likely to recover. The
invalid herself observed his attention to her friend, nor could she
forbear to rally him on the total disappearance of his prejudices
against the fair Quaker; for, such was the influence of Mrs Pemberton's
dignified yet winning manners, and such was the respect with which she
inspired him, that, if he had his hat on, he always took it off when she
entered the room, and never uttered any thing like an oath, without
humbly begging her pardon; and he told Adeline, that were all Quakers
like Mrs Pemberton, he should be tempted to cry. 'Drab is your only
wear.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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