England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories, English
One bright day in May, Dolly, pining for the outdoor sunshine, betook
herself to Hyde Park, a penny roll in her pocket for her dinner. The sun
glittered in the blue sky, the air was warm, the birds chirped in the
trees and hopped on the green grass. Dolly sat on a bench enjoying the
sweetness and tranquillity, thinking how very delightful life might be
when no evil stepped in to mar it.
Two Quakeress ladies approached arm-in-arm, talking busily. Dolly
started up with a cry: for the younger one was Elizabeth Deavor. She had
come to London with a friend for the May meetings. The two girls were
delighted to see each other, but Elizabeth was pressed for time.
"Why did thee never write to me, Dorothy? I had but one letter from
thee, written at Gloucester, telling me, thee knows, all about thy poor
father." And, to this question, Dolly murmured some lame excuse.
"I wanted to write to thee, but I had not thy address. I promised thee
I would look out for Tom--"
"And have you seen him again?" interrupted Dolly in excitement. "Oh,
Elizabeth?"
"I have seen the boy again, but it was not Tom: and I am very sorry
that my fancy misled me and caused me to excite thy hopes. It was only
recently, in Fourth month. I saw the same boy standing in the same
place before thy old gate, his arms folded, and looking at the house as
before, in the moonlight. I ran out, and caught his arm, and held it
while he told me who he was and why he came there. It was not thy
brother, Dorothy, but the likeness to him is marvellous."
"No!--not he?" gasped Dolly, woefully disappointed.
"It is one Richard East," said Elizabeth; "a young sailor. He lived with
his mother in that house before she died, when he was a little boy; and
when he comes home from a voyage now, and is staying with his friends in
Melcheapen Street, he likes to go up there and have a good look at it.
This is all. As I say, I am sorry to have misled thee. We think there
cannot be a doubt that poor Tom really lost his life that night in the
canal. And art thee nicely, Dorothy?--and is thy husband well? Thee art
looking thin. Fare thee well."
Summer passed, Dolly hardly knew how. She was often reduced to straits,
often and often went dinnerless. Mrs. Turk only had a portion of what
was due to her by fits and starts. Mr. Mapping himself made light of
troubles; they did not seem to touch him much; he was always in spirits
and always well dressed.
"Alick, you should draw a little of that money in the bank," his wife
ventured to suggest one day when Mrs. Turk had been rather troublesome.
"We cannot go on like this."
"Break in upon our 'nest-egg!'" he answered. "Not if I know it, Dolly.
Mrs. Turk must wait."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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