The Poacher; Or, Joseph RushbrookMarryat, Frederick
General
The Poacher; Or, Joseph Rushbrook
Marryat, Frederick
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Fathers and sons -- Fiction; Murder -- Fiction; Poachers -- Fiction
Emma, who was sitting by her mother, turned pale; she had not imagined
that our hero would have followed up his expressed intentions of the
morning, and she asked Mr Small if he knew when O'Donahue would leave
Portsmouth. The reply was, that he had taken his place on the early
coach of the next morning: and Emma fell back on the sofa, and did not
say anything more.
When the company had all left, Mrs Phillips rose and lighted a chamber
candlestick to go to bed, and Emma followed the motions of her mother.
Mrs Phillips shook hands with our hero, wishing him a great deal of
pleasure, and that he would return quite restored in health. Emma, who
found that all chance of an interview with our hero was gone, mustered
up courage enough to extend her hand and say,--"I hope your absence will
be productive of health and happiness to you, Mr O'Donahue," and then
followed her mother.
Joey, who, was in no humour for conversation, then bade farewell to Mr
Small and Mr Sleek, and, before Emma had risen from not a very
refreshing night's rest, he was two stages on his way from Portsmouth.
CHAPTER FORTY ONE.
IN WHICH OUR HERO HAS HIS HEAD TURNED THE WRONG WAY.
Although it may be very proper, when an offence has been offered us, to
show that we feel the injury, it often happens that we act too much upon
impulse and carry measures to extremities; and this our hero felt as the
coach wheeled him along, every second increasing his distance from Emma
Phillips; twenty times he was inclined to take a postchaise and return,
but the inconsistency would have been so glaring, that shame prevented
him; so he went on until he reached the metropolis, and on arriving
there, having nothing better to do, he went to bed. The next day he
booked himself for the following day's coach to Manstone, and having so
done, he thought he would reconnoitre the domicile of Major and Mrs
McShane, and, now that Furness was no longer to be dreaded, make his
existence known to them. He went to Holborn accordingly, and found the
shop in the same place, with the usual enticing odour sent forth from
the grating which gave light and air to the kitchen; but he perceived
that there was no longer the name of McShane on the private door, and
entering the coffee-room, and looking towards the spot where Mrs
McShane usually stood carving the joint, he discovered a person
similarly employed whose face was unknown to him; in fact, it could not
be Mrs McShane, as it was a man. Our hero went up to him, and inquired
if the McShanes still carried on the business, and was told that they
had sold it some time back. His next inquiry, as to what had become of
them, produced an "I don't know," with some symptoms of impatience at
being interrupted. Under such circumstances, our hero had nothing more
to do but either to sit down and eat beef or to quit the premises. He
preferred the latter, and was once more at the hotel, where he dedicated
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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