Part 23 (1/2)
The reeon were soon cut short by the loud roar of the guns overhead, as the frigate opened her fire on the ene sound of the return shot, as they tore through the stout planks, and split asunder even the oaken timbers It was evident that the two shi+ps were very close together by the loud sound of the eneuns and the effects of his shot Notco the ladder, and first one wounded ht below and placed before the surgeon He had scarcely begun to exaht below badly wounded
”Ah! sir,” said one of the seaain on deck, in answer to a question froeon, ”there are ”
”What, is the day going against us?” asked the surgeon
”No, sir; I hope not But the ene before she gives in”
Paul looked out; but he soon closed his eyes, and he would gladly have closed his ears to the shrieks and groans of anguish which assailed theeons, or waiting their turn to have their wounds dressed, or their limbs amputated Paul was more particularly anxious about his old friends; and whenever anybody was brought near him, he inquired after them The report was, from those who had seen theain he waited Now there was a cessation of firing
Once ht down in even still greater numbers than at first Paul's spirits fell very low He had never felt so miserable, and so full of dread What, if after all the _Proserpine_ should be overain fall into the hands of the French, or should perhaps Devereux, or O'Grady, or his firm friend Reuben Cole, be killed! Suddenly he remembered what his mother often had told him, that in all troubles and difficulties he should pray; and so he hid his face in the pillow, and prayed that his countryht coht be preserved By the time he had ceased his fears had vanished; his spirits rose He had done all he could do, and the result he kneas in the hands of Hied He heard reuessed that the enemy was indeed vastly superior, and that many a man, if not possessed of an indoo; but that their captain would fight on till the shi+p sunk beneath his feet, or till not athe badly wounded, and th there was a cry of grief, and their brave captain hiht below Still the first-lieutenant reht the shi+p, and his captain's last order to him was never to yield while the remotest hope of victory remained
”Aeon, after his wound had been exauise froerous,” was the answer
”I should be resigned,” said the captain, ”could I know that the victory would be ours”
At that instant the sound of cheering came down into the cockpit The captain heard it, and lifted up his head with a look of intense eagerness Directly afterwards an officer appeared His head was bound up, and his coat at the shoulder was torn and bloody It was Devereux
”The ene all sail to the southward,” he exclaimed, in a hurried tone ”We are unable to follow, for our fore-top-one, and the fore-mast and mizen-mast, until they are fished, cannot carry sail”
”Thank heaven! thank heaven!” whispered the captain, falling back The surgeon, whom he had sent to attend to others worse wounded than hiht, hurried back to him with a restorative cordial; but he shook his head as he vainly put it to his allant spirit of the captain had departed The ene thus nobly sustained this fierce engageain as she was, and having on board nearly twice asfished, sail was ate reached Portsmouth As she had suffered much in the action, she required extensive repairs; and the sick and wounded were sent on shore to the hospital In the list of the former was Paul; in the latter, Devereux Paul still continued very weak and ill Devereux was not dangerously hurt; but the surgeons would not allow hio to his friends, and they showed no disposition to come to hiot Devereux to do so for hiht as he could of his illness
Two days had scarcely elapsed, when they were told that a young lady was beloaiting to see Mr Gerrard
”It o and see her before she comes here, Devereux, and tell her how ill I am, and prepare her for the sort of place she is to come to”
Hospitals in those days, especially in the war tied to what they are nohen every attention is paid to the comfort and convenience of the patients At that tihts, s to the sensibilities even of ordinary persons, but especially so to those of a young lady brought up in the quiet and retiree; but Mary Gerrard, who now entered the Portsmouth hospital, escorted by Devereux, had at that ht--an earnest desire to reach the bedside of her brave young brother, who she thought was dying After the first greetings were over, Paul, seeing her look very sad, entreated her not to grieve, as he was sure that he should get well and go hoht, and so did Devereux, though from what the doctor said, there could be little doubt that he was very ill Mary did not tell hi sure that the knowledge of this would agitate him, and retard, if it did not prevent, his recovery She entreated that she ht and day with her brother; but this was not allowed, and so she was obliged to take lodgings near at hand, where she reht when turned out of the hospital Devereux, however, co as he was alloith his friend, while O'Grady and Reuben Cole ca him; so that Paul was not so badly off after all The consequence was, that in spite of the doctor's prognostications, Paul rapidly improved As soon as he was in a fit condition to be aged; and here Devereux, as also recovering froo out, was a constant visitor, that is to say, he ca, and stayed all day He caht have been suspected that he now caer a midshi+pman, for he had received his co, provisionally on his passing the usual examination, in consequence of the action in which he had taken part, when he had acted as second in co killed or wounded Mary could not fail to like hih she knew the whole history of the disastrous lawsuit between her father and the Devereux faed to them in any way
It did not occur to Paul that his friend and his sister were beco sincerely and deeply attached to each other He asked Devereux one day why, now that he was strong enough, he did not go hoone?” asked Devereux
”No, indeed, I do not,” answered Paul; ”but it surprised o and see them”
”Did they show any anxiety to come and see me, when they supposed I ounded and ill, and perhaps dying?” he asked, in an animated tone
”No, Paul; but there is one who did come to see my best friend, who saved my life, and watched over me with more than the tenderness of a brother when I was sick, and for that person I have conceived an affection which I believe will only end with my life”
”Who can you mean, Devereux?” asked Paul, in a tone of surprise
”Why, who but your sister Mary!” exclaimed Devereux ”Do you think that I could have spent so el of light, as she is, and not love her with all my heart?”