Part 20 (1/2)

Staggering a few paces backward--a death-like sickness overspread my heart--a crowd of confused and terrible eh my hts Once before, I had saved from death an object so fatal to my repose I exerted all ured with blood; I ordered the servants to raise and carry hie, low sopha, on which they laid hi the blood froerous contusion in his head, but that the scull, as I had at first apprehended, was not fractured I cut the hair froe I didat hand, I ventured to open a vein: the blood presently flowed freely, and he began to revive I bathed his tear, opened the s to let the air pass freely through, raised his head with the pillows of the sopha, and sprinkled his face and breast with cold water I held his hand inpulse quicken--I fixedelse was forgotten, and my nerves seeth opened his eyes, gazed upon me with a vacant look, and vainly attempted, for some time, to speak At last, he uttered a few incoherent words, but I perceived his senses andering, and I conjectured, too truly, that his brain had received a concussion He ain

'Where am I,' said he, 'every object appears to me double'

He shut his eyes, and rehim to take it, he once more raised himself, and looked up--Our eyes met, his ild and unsettled

'That voice,'--said he, in a low tone, 'that countenance--Oh God! where a, but transient, e hand he seized and sed the ain relapsed into a kind of lethargic stupor I then gave orders for a bed to be prepared, into which I had hiht be kept perfectly quiet

I retired to my apartment, my confinement was yet but recent, and I had not perfectly recoveredefforts I had itation offit, (to which I was by no means subject) and remained for some time in a state of perfect insensibility On my recovery, I learnt that Mr Lucas, the assistant of er; I sent for hiated hi the state of the patient He shook his head--I related to him the methods I had taken, and enquired whether I had erred? He seon,' said he, 'you acted very properly, but,'

observing my pallid looks, 'I wish your little nursery may not suffer from your humanity'--

'I lay no claim,' replied I with emotion--'to extraordinary humanity--I would have done the saentleman is an old acquaintance, _a friend_, whoreatly respected'

'I am sorry for it, for I dare not conceal froerous condition'

I changed countenance--'There is no fracture, no bones are broken'--

'No, but the brain has received an alar concussion--he is also, otherwise, much bruised, and, I fear, has suffered some internal injury'

'You distress and terrifyfor breath--'What is to be done--shall we call in further advice?'

'I think so; in the mean time, if you are acquainted with his friends, you would do well to apprize them of what has happened'

'I know little of them, I know not where to address the my hands with encreased emotion, unconscious of what I did, 'for God's sake save him, if you would preserveand curious fro his patient to my care, he quitted me, and rode to the next town to procure the aid of a skilful and experienced Physician I walked up and down the room for some time in a state of distraction

'He will die'--exclaiustus! _too tenderly beloved_, thou wert fated to be the ruin of my peace! But, whatever may be the consequences, I will perform, for thee, the last tender offices--I will not desert ht to me my infant, it smiled in my face--I pressed it to itated bosoive it a pernicious sustenance?

CHAPTER XXI

In the evening, I repaired to the chaazed mournfully on his flushed, but vacant countenance--I took his hand--it was dry and burning--the pulse beat rapidly, but irregularly, beneath ers His lips h inarticulately--but souish a few incoherent sentences In casting my eyes round the room, I observed the scattered articles of his dress, his cloaths were black, and in his hat, which lay on the ground, I discovered a crape hatband I continued to hold his burning hand in mine

'She died,'--said he--'and my unkindness killed her--unhappy Emma--thy heart was too tender!'--I shuddered--'No, no,'--continued he, after a few ive her hand without her heart, _and that heart was onlyuish

Overcome by a variety of sensations, I sunk into a chair, and, throwing ed my tears

Soth, speaking rapidly, in a raised voice--'My son,'--said he, 'thou hast no mother--but Emma will be a mother to thee--she will love thee--_she loved thy father_--her heart was the residence of gentle affections--yet, I pierced that heart!'

I suspected, that a confused recollection of having seenfroht, after the accident, into our house, had probably recalled the associations for: I rushed from the apartment All the past ihts, with fatal mechanism, ran back into their old and accustoal, maternal, duties, every consideration _but for one object_ faded from before me!