Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Camilla; or, A Picture of Youth
John Stuart Mill · en
The greatest confusion ensued; Edgar, with admirable adroitness,
preserved the elder girls from suffering by the accident; and Lionel
took care of himself by leaping instantly from the plank: Sir Hugh,
extremely bruised, could not get up without pain; but all concern and
attention soon centred in the little Eugenia, whose incessant cries
raised apprehensions of some more than common mischief.
She was carried to the house in the arms of Edgar, and delivered to the
governess. She screamed the whole time she was undressing; and Edgar,
convinced she had received some injury, galloped off, unbid, for a
surgeon: but what was the horror of Sir Hugh, upon hearing him
pronounce, that her left shoulder was put out, and that one of her knees
was dislocated!
In an agony of remorse, he shut himself up in his room, without power
to issue a command, or listen to a question: nor could he be prevailed
upon to open his door, till the arrival of Mrs. Tyrold.
Hastily then rushing out, he hurried to meet her; and, snatching both
her hands, and pressing them between his own, he burst into a passionate
flood of tears, and sobbed out: 'Hate me, my dear sister, for you can't
help it! for I am sorry to tell it you, but I believe I have been the
death of poor Eugenia, that never hurt a fly in her life!'
Pale, and struck with dread, yet always possessing her presence of mind,
Mrs. Tyrold disengaged herself, and demanded where she might find her?
Sir Hugh could make no rational answer; but Edgar, who had run down
stairs, purposing to communicate the tidings more gently, briefly stated
the misfortune, and conducted her to the poor little sufferer.
Mrs. Tyrold, though nearly overpowered by a sight so affecting, still
preserved her faculties for better uses than lamentation. She held the
child in her arms while the necessary operations were performing by the
surgeon; she put her to bed, and watched by her side the whole night;
during which, in defiance of all precautions, a high fever came on, and
she grew worse every moment.
The next morning, while still in this alarming state, the unfortunate
little innocent exhibited undoubted symptoms of the small pox.
Mr. Tyrold now also established himself at Cleves, to share the parental
task of nursing the afflicted child, whose room he never left, except to
give consolation to his unhappy brother, who lived wholly in his own
apartment, refusing the sight even of Camilla, and calling himself a
monster too wicked to look at any thing that was good; though the
affectionate little girl, pining at the exclusion, continually presented
herself at his door.
The disease bore every prognostic of fatal consequences, and the fond
parents soon lost all hope, though they redoubled every attention.
Sir Hugh then gave himself up wholly to despair: he darkened his room,
refused all food but bread and water, permitted no one to approach him,
and reviled himself invariably with the contrition of a wilful murderer.