The Mysteries of London, v. 2/4Reynolds, George W. M. (George William MacArthur)
General
The Mysteries of London, v. 2/4
Reynolds, George W. M. (George William MacArthur)
London (England) -- Fiction; Penny dreadfuls
"The coach made its appearance soon after mid-day: there was not a
single person inside; and thus I was enabled to pour forth, without
restraint, that grief—that acute anguish which I experienced at being
compelled, by my own misconduct, to quit for ever the place of my birth.
Oh! then I felt how hard, how bitter it was to arrive at the conviction
that I had no longer _a home_! I was now wretched in the extreme: I had
lost those who were nearest and dearest to me! Not to me was it given to
close the eyes of the author of my being: not to me was it allowed to
receive the parting sigh of that brother who had met his death in the
cause of his sister's outraged honour! Wretch that I was;—I had no
longer a friend—and no longer a home!
"The coach, on its arrival in London, stopped at the _White Horse
Cellar_. I took a cab, and immediately proceeded to the house of the
surgeon who had written to me. There it was that my brother had breathed
his last! The duel had taken place in the neighbourhood of Bayswater: my
brother received his adversary's ball in the breast; and although he
lived for some hours afterwards, he never spoke again. Lord Dunstable
conjured the surgeon to show the unfortunate young man every attention,
and then took his immediate departure for the continent. But, from
motives of delicacy, neither poor Edgar nor his lordship had
communicated to the medical man the cause of the duel. It was only by
means of papers found about my brother's person that the surgeon
discovered that he had a sister, and ascertained where that sister
lived. In the hurry, alarm, and confusion which followed the duel, the
surgeon had forgotten to demand, and Lord Dunstable was too bewildered
to communicate, any particulars relative to the family or friends of the
young man who had fallen in the hostile encounter. Thus, had it not been
for certain memoranda which were discovered in my poor brother's
pocket-book, the surgeon would not have known to whom to write, and I
might have remained for months—or even years—in ignorance of that dear
relative's untimely fate. Full well did I comprehend the delicacy of his
own conduct: he had not left a written trace which might expose my shame
by revealing the motives that had led to the duel!
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