Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851Various
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
He lay some time with his eyes closed; and Caleb could feel--for Mr.
Lisle held him firmly by the hand, as if to prevent his going away--a
convulsive shudder pass over his frame. At last he slowly opened his
eyes, and Caleb saw that he was indeed about to depart upon the long
journey from which there is no return. The lips of the dying man worked
inarticulately for some moments; and then with a mighty effort, as it
seemed, he said, while his trembling hand pointed feebly to a bureau
chest of drawers that stood in the room: "There--there, for Lucy; there,
the secret place is--" Some inaudible words followed, and then after a
still mightier struggle than before, he gasped out: "No word--no
word--to--to Sowerby--for her--Lucy."
More was said, but undistinguishable by mortal ear; and after gazing
with an expression of indescribable anxiety in the scared face of his
awestruck listener, the wearied eyes slowly reclosed--the deep silence
flowed past; then the convulsive shudder came again, and he was dead!
Caleb Jennings tremblingly summoned the house-servant and the landlady,
and was still confusedly pondering the broken sentences uttered by the
dying man, when Mr. Sowerby hurriedly arrived. The attorney's first care
was to assume the direction of affairs, and to place seals upon every
article containing or likely to contain any thing of value belonging to
the deceased. This done, he went away to give directions for the
funeral, which took place a few days afterward; and it was then formally
announced that Mr. Sowerby succeeded by will to the large property of
Ambrose Lisle; under trust, however, for the family, if any, of Robert
Lisle, the deceased's brother, who had gone when very young to India,
and had not been heard of for many years--a condition which did not at
all mar the joy of the crafty lawyer, he having long since instituted
private inquiries, which perfectly satisfied him that the said Robert
Lisle had died, unmarried, at Calcutta.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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