Nuttie's FatherYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
General
Nuttie's Father
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
They found all the officials of the Park already aware and on the
alert, and quite certain of the impossibility of nurse's prime dread
that the boy had fallen into the water unseen by any one and been
drowned. She was even ready to look into every bush, in case he had
been frightened and hidden himself; and nothing would satisfy her but
to stay making these researches, when her master had decided on
endeavouring to find 'Parker' at the club, and to ascertain from him
particulars of time and place.
He was found there. The dinner-hour had brought him back, he being a
man in authority there, very well dressed and deferential, declaring
himself immensely distressed at the occurrence, and at having accosted
Gregorio and attracted his attention. It was about four o'clock, he
thought, and he described the exact spot where the little boy had been
sailing his vessel fastened to a string. They might have been talking
twenty minutes or half an hour when Gregorio missed his charge, and
since that time both had been doing all in their power to find him,
until half-past seven, when he had to return to his club, and Gregorio
went to see whether the child had been taken home.
By this time Mr. Egremont looked so utterly exhausted, that Mr. Dutton
availed himself of the hope that the boy might be found safe at home to
take him back; but alas! nothing had been heard there.
The poor man was in a restless, unmanageable state of excitement,
almost as terrifying to his daughter as the distress that occasioned
it. He swallowed a tumblerful of claret, but would not eat nor go to
bed; and indeed, Gregorio alone having had the personal charge of him,
latterly sleeping in his dressing-room, none of the other servants knew
what to do for him. Mr. Dutton agreed with her that it would be better
to send for his doctor, as probably he ought to have a sedative, and
neither would take the responsibility of giving it; while he himself
declared he neither would nor could rest till he had his boy again.
The doctor was dining out, and they had two terrible hours; while Mr.
Egremont paced to the windows; threw himself on the sofa; denounced
Gregorio; or, for a change, all the system of police which had made no
discovery; and Ursula for letting the boy be so helpless. Mr. Dutton
sometimes diverted his attention for a few minutes, and hoped he would
doze, but the least sound brought him to his feet again, and the only
congenial occupation was the composition of a description of poor
little Alwyn's person and dress, which set Nuttie crying so
uncontrollably, that she had to run out of the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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