The Flower of the Flock, Volume 3 (of 3)Egan, Pierce
General
The Flower of the Flock, Volume 3 (of 3)
Egan, Pierce
Fiction
The next day she was a raving maniac, and subsequently the most terrible
delirium gave place to a babbling idiocy.
Still nothing was heard of Mr. Grahame, nor Margaret, nor Helen.
Evangeline alone had the trial to endure. She had the aid of a
physician, and that of Mrs. Truebody, the nurse to her mother--that was
all. Her father did not return. A week elapsed; still he came not, nor
came there any communication from him.
A few days more, and Mr. Jukes made his appearance as representative of
the Sheriff of Middlesex. Mr. Grahame had put in no appearance to the
writs with which he had been served. Judgment went by default, and
execution was obtained. Mr Jukes levied, and placed both Nutty and Sudds
in possession.
Evangeline did not understand what it meant; and, in her distress, she
thought of Charles Clinton. She wrote to him, and made an assignation
with him; for she feared, she knew not wherefore, to ask him to come to
the house.
The appointment was kept, and she told him all. She implored him to
advise her how to act, and to explain to her how it was that strange,
dirty men, could force themselves into the house, stay there, and it was
not in her power to call in policemen and have them turned out. He made
all clear to her; assigned the reason of the flight of her father to his
fear of arrest for debt, or want of moral courage to face the disgrace
of his fall being proclaimed to the world. He explained to her that, in
a few days, the whole contents of the mansion would be sold, and that
she and her mother would be turned, homeless and penniless, into
the street. He counselled her to write to the wealthiest of her near
relatives, lay bare all the facts, and ask them to come forward to
assist her in her cruel and unhappy condition. He undertook to manage to
delay the return of the writ of execution until she could get an
answer; and, with soothing words and sanguine prophecies, with earnest
entreaties to keep a good heart, he accompanied her to her home, and
parted with her under a promise to meet again as soon as her application
to her Scotch relations was answered.
In three days she received it. There was no delay in the reply. The
cold-hearted and selfish, who spontaneously refuse to help those in
distress, are usually prompt in announcing their purpose. Evangeline
received a reply, expressing great surprise and indignation at what
had happened, and, under the circumstances, at the application. If
Mr. Grahame had not thought fit to provide for his children in his
prosperity, it was not to be expected that his relations would do so
in their distress. The writer lamented the events but hoped it would
terminate less unfavourably than she had expected &c., &c.
She wept bitterly when she read the note; it almost broke her heart. She
was frightened to distraction at the prospect before her. What could she
do, not alone for herself, but for her most miserable parent?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account