The Desultory Man: Collection of Ancient and Modern British Novels and Romances. Vol. CXLVII.James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
General
The Desultory Man: Collection of Ancient and Modern British Novels and Romances. Vol. CXLVII.
James, G. P. R. (George Payne Rainsford)
Fiction
This time (thought the traveller) I will pierce the mystery, if it
cost me my life. Leaving his horse in the lane, he entered the garden
by the breach in the wall; he passed the old statue, he ascended the
broken steps, and soon found himself in the solitary vestibule. There
his nervous terrors redoubled. It seemed as if all the inhabitants of
the Red Sea had agreed to haunt his imagination at once. Still,
however, he went on, and began to mount the ruined staircase. He had
reached the first landing, and was about to continue his ascent, when
the whole building seemed to give way at once, and he sunk senseless
amid the crashing ruin.
11 was a bright, clear, autumnal morning; all nature seemed to waken
refreshed from her sleep; the dew began to sparkle in the early beams;
the birds sang up the rising sun; and the clouds of night rolled
sullenly away, as if to avoid the brilliant presence of the day, when
some peasants, who were gaily going forth to their morning labour,
were suddenly struck by seeing a horse saddled and bridled, but
without a rider, engaged in cropping a scanty breakfast of the herbage
which grew at the side of the road. A few steps further showed them
our poor traveller, lying senseless and bleeding near a heap of
stones. The good souls took him up, and carried him to one of their
cottages, where they succeeded in bringing him once more to life. It
was only, however, for a short period. He gave directions for sending
off a messenger to his friends, and to the inquiries concerning the
state in which he was found, replied, by relating the above adventure,
after which he lingered for an hour or two without speaking, and
expired.
The people of the neighbourhood are divided in opinion respecting the
traveller's narrative. Some opine that he fell asleep on his horse,
dreamed the whole story, and was killed by a very opportune and
natural tumble. But others, with much more show or probability,
attribute the whole to the machinations of some evil spirit.
SCRAPS--No. V.
THE LAW OF BABYLON.
MEMOIR.
Sheweth,
That although there be one person in this society who has obstinately
and wilfully refused to make any contribution in writing towards our
evening's amusement, it is, nevertheless, proposed to excuse him on
the same principle that the grand Desterham of Babylon excused a
certain wit of that city.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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