Harley undertook her cause: he related the treacheries to which she had
fallen a sacrifice, and again solicited the forgiveness of her father.
He looked on her for some time in silence; the pride of a soldier’s
honour checked for a while the yearnings of his heart; but nature at last
prevailed, he fell on her neck and mingled his tears with hers.
Harley, who discovered from the dress of the stranger that he was just
arrived from a journey, begged that they would both remove to his
lodgings, till he could procure others for them. Atkins looked at him
with some marks of surprise. His daughter now first recovered the power
of speech.
“Wretch as I am,” said she, “yet there is some gratitude due to the
preserver of your child. See him now before you. To him I owe my life,
or at least the comfort of imploring your forgiveness before I die.”
“Pardon me, young gentleman,” said Atkins, “I fear my passion wronged
you.”
“Never, never, sir,” said Harley “if it had, your reconciliation to your
daughter were an atonement a thousand fold.” He then repeated his
request that he might be allowed to conduct them to his lodgings, to
which Mr. Atkins at last consented. He took his daughter’s arm.
“Come, my Emily,” said he, “we can never, never recover that happiness we
have lost! but time may teach us to remember our misfortunes with
patience.”
When they arrived at the house where Harley lodged, he was informed that
the first floor was then vacant, and that the gentleman and his daughter
might be accommodated there. While he was upon his enquiry, Miss Atkins
informed her father more particularly what she owed to his benevolence.
When he turned into the room where they were Atkins ran and embraced
him;—begged him again to forgive the offence he had given him, and made
the warmest protestations of gratitude for his favours. We would attempt
to describe the joy which Harley felt on this occasion, did it not occur
to us that one half of the world could not understand it though we did,
and the other half will, by this time, have understood it without any
description at all.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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