Toward morning however, exhaustion overcame all, and he slept long and
profoundly. How long indeed he did not know, for he had forgot to wind
up his watch; but, at all events, he woke refreshed and calm, his
headache gone, and the pain of his hurt ankle so much relieved, that
he fancied he could do any thing, and at once sprang out of bed. He
instantly found his mistake; for the moment he attempted to set that
foot to the ground, he reeled, and would have fallen but for his hold
of the bedstead; and, on examining more closely, he found his leg
enormously swelled, and bidding fair, as the smuggler had predicted,
to confine him to the house for more than one day. Notwithstanding
this discovery, he determined to make his way to the window before any
one interrupted him, in order to examine the locale, and what was
passing without; and by means of the table and the chairs he contrived
to effect his purpose.
The scene that presented itself was one that may be met with about
once every three miles along the greater part of the southern and
eastern coasts of England--a small sandy bay, opening out into the
wide blue sea, with two or three high cliffs on either hand, and
nothing more. In the present instance, however, an object struck the
eyes of Henry Beauchamp, which was not without its peculiar interest.
It was a small low-rigged cutter, just making her way out to sea, with
a full steady wind, and a press of sail. He looked up to the sky, and,
as far as he could judge from the position of the sun, concluded that
one or two hours must have passed since noon. At the same time, there
was no sound of voices below. A lad was seen mending one of the boats
on the shore; and a man, in whom he easily distinguished the old
smuggler, was standing on the nearest bank, with a glass to his eye,
either watching the progress of the cutter, or examining a vessel that
could just be seen hull down in the offing. All seemed to imply that
those who had brought him thither had effected their escape from
England; and after gazing out for a moment, he returned to his bedside,
and proceeded to dress himself as well as he could. The gentleman who
threaded the Dædalian labyrinth, and slew Mrs. Pasephæ's illegitimate
son at the end of it, had not half such a piece of work of it as Henry
Beauchamp had to get into his clothes. It is wonderful how much more use
one makes of one's foot even in dressing one's self than one knows any
thing about; and what would have come of it in the present instance can
hardly be divined, had it not so happened that, after Beauchamp had
struggled with innumerable difficulties for nearly half an hour, the old
smuggler presented himself, as a somewhat rude valet-de-chambre, and
saved his guest from martyrdom.
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