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ON HIS WAY. THROUGH THE WORLD 585
wouldn't—and _________ " Here she broke out into a fit of hysterics.
The doctor had to ring up his servants ; to administer remedies to
his little nurse ; to put her to bed in his own house.
" By the immortal Jove," he said afterwards, " I had a great
mind to beg her never to leave it ! But that my housekeeper would
tear Caroline's eyes out, Mrs. Brandon should be welcome to stay
. for ever. Except her h's, that woman has every virtue : constancy,
gentleness, generosity, cheerfulness, and the courage of a lioness !
To think of that fool, that dandified idiot, that triple ass, Firmin "
—(there were few men in the world for whom Goodenough entertained
a greater scorn than for his late confrere, Firmin of Old Parr
Street)—" think of the villain having possessed such a treasure—
let alone his having deceived and deserted her—of his having
possessed such a treasure, and flung it away ! Sir, I always
admired Mrs. Brandon; but I think ten thousand times more highly
of her, since her glorious crime, and most righteous robbery. If
the villain had died, dropped dead in the street—the drunken
miscreant, forger, housebreaker, assassin—so that no punishment
could have fallen upon poor Brandon, I think I should have
respected her only the more !"
At an early hour Dr. Goodenough had thought proper to send
off messengers to Philip and myself, and to make us acquainted
with the strange adventure of the previous night. We both
hastened to him. I myself was summoned, no doubt, in consequence
of my profound legal knowledge, which might be of use in poor little
Caroline's present trouble. And Philip came because she longed to
see him. By some instinct she knew when he arrived. She crept
down from the chamber where the Doctor's housekeeper had laid
her on a bed. She knocked at the Doctor's study, where we were
all in consultation. She came in quite pale, and tottered towards
Philip, and flung herself into his arms, with a burst of tears that
greatly relieved her excitement and fever. Firmin was scarcely
less moved.
" You'll pardon me for what I have done, Philip ?" she sobbed.
" If they—if they take me up, you won't forsake me ?"
"Forsake you ? Pardon you? Come and live with us, and
never leave us !" cried Philip.
"I don't think Mrs. Philip would like that, dear," said the
little woman sobbing on his arm : " but ever since the Greyfriars
school, when you was so ill, you have been like a son to me, and
somehow I couldn't help doing that last night to that villain—I
couldn't."
"Serve the scoundrel right. Never deserved to come to life
again, my dear," said Dr. Goodenough. "Don't you be exciting