The Convict: A TaleJames, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
The Convict: A Tale
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Prisoners -- Fiction
Then came the account of her deliverance from the perilous situation
in which she had been found. "Do you know," she said, "if I had not
been a great deal frightened and a little hurt, I could have laughed
as I lay; for it was more ridiculous than anything else, to feel one's
self half buried in that way, and not able to move in the least.
Luckily it was the earth fell upon me first, and then the stones upon
that, so that I could only move my arms; and when I tried to do that,
it instantly set some of the stones rolling again, by which my poor
arm was broken; so then I lay quite still, thinking some one must come
by, sooner or later, till I heard a carriage coming up the hill, and
saw by the light of the lamps two gentlemen walking fast before it. I
called to them as loud as I could, and they both ran up. The one was
kind enough, and was going to pull me out at once; but if he had done
so, most likely he and I and his companion would have been all killed,
or very much hurt. The other, however, stopped him, and kindly and
wisely and gently, secured all the fragments of the wall that were
still hanging over, so that he could get me out without danger; and
then he lifted off the stones one by one, and he, and the servants,
and the other gentleman removed the weight of the earth and lifted me
up; and all the time he spoke so kindly to me, and comforted and
cheered me, so that I shall always feel grateful to him till the last
day of my life."
"And so shall I, my sweet Helen," said Edgar Adelon, eagerly; "but
which was it, the dark one or the fair one?"
"Oh! the dark one," replied Helen Clive; "the tallest of the two. I
think the post-boy told my father that it was Lord Hadley."
"No, no," said her lover; "the fair one is Lord Hadley, the dark one
is Mr. Dudley, his tutor, and I am glad of it; first, because I like
him best, and secondly, because I am more likely with him to have an
opportunity of showing my gratitude for what he has done for you, dear
girl. If ever I have, I shall not forget it, Helen."
"You must not, and you will not, I am sure, Edgar," answered Helen
Clive. "I think that men's characters and nature are often shown more
by the manner in which they do a thing, than by the act itself; and
though I felt grateful enough for deliverance, yet I will confess I
felt more grateful still for the kind and gentle way in which he spoke
to me, asked if I were much hurt, told me not to be frightened, that
they would soon release me; and still, while he used the very best
means of extricating me, kept talking cheerfully to me all the time."
"God bless him!" said Edgar Adelon; "I shall love that man, I am
sure."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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