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ON HIS WAY THROUGH THE WORLD 465
Philip, who, I have said, is very fond of talking about Philip,
urveys his own faults with great magnanimity and good-humour,
and acknowledges them without the least intention to correct them.
" How selfish we are !" I can hear him say, looking at himself in
the glass. "By George! sir, when I heard simultaneously the
news of that poor old man's illness, and of Charlotte's return, I
felt that I wanted to see her that instant. I must go to her, and
speak to her. The old man and his suffering did not seem to affect
me. It is humiliating to have to own that we are selfish beasts.
But we are, sir—we are brutes, by George ! and nothing else." _______
And he gives a finishing twist to the ends of his flaming moustaches
as he surveys them in the glass.
Poor little Charlotte was in such affliction that of course she
must have Philip to console her at once. No time was to be lost.
Quick! a cab this moment: and, coachman, you shall have an
extra for drink if you go quick to the Avenue de Valmy ! Madame
puts herself into the carriage, and as they go along, tells Philip
more at length of the gloomy occurrences of the last few days.
Four days since the poor General was so bad with his quinsy that
he thought he should not recover, and Charlotte was sent for. He
was a little better on the day of her arrival; but yesterday the
inflammation had increased; he could not swallow; he could not
speak audibly; he was in very great suffering and danger. He
turned away from his wife. The unhappy Generaless had been
to Madame Bunch, in her tears and grief, complaining that after
twenty years' fidelity and attachment her husband had withdrawn
his regard from her. Baynes attributed even his illness to his
wife; and at other times said it was a just punishment for his
wicked conduct in breaking his word to Philip and Charlotte. If
he did not see his dear child again he must beg her forgiveness
for having made her suffer so. He had acted wickedly and ungratefully,
and his wife had forced him to do what he did. He
prayed that Heaven might pardon him. And he had behaved
with wicked injustice towards Philip, who had acted most generously
towards his family. And he had been a scoundrel—he knew
he had—and Bunch, and MacWhirter, and the Doctor all said so—
and it was that woman's doing. And he pointed to the scared
wife as he painfully hissed out these words of anger and contrition :
—"When I saw that child ill, and almost made mad, because I
broke my word, I felt I was a scoundrel, Martin ; and I was ; and
that woman made me so; and I deserve to be shot; and I shan't
recover; I tell you I shan't." Dr. Martin, who attended the
General, thus described his patient's last talk and behaviour to
Philip.
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