13.07.2015 Views

KENILWORTH - Penn State University

KENILWORTH - Penn State University

KENILWORTH - Penn State University

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Kenilworthstrong possibility of Leicester’s restoration to favour, and regulatedtheir demeanour towards him, as those who might oneday claim merit for not having deserted him in adversity. It istime, however, to leave these intrigues, and follow Tressilianand Raleigh on their journey.The troop consisted of six persons; for, besides Wayland,they had in company a royal pursuivant and two stout serving-men.All were well-armed, and travelled as fast as it waspossible with justice to their horses, which had a long journeybefore them. They endeavoured to procure some tidings asthey rode along of Varney and his party, but could hear none,as they had travelled in the dark. At a small village about twelvemiles from Kenilworth, where they gave some refreshmentto their horses, a poor clergyman, the curate of the place,came out of a small cottage, and entreated any of the companywho might know aught of surgery to look in for aninstant on a dying man.The empiric Wayland undertook to do his best, and as thecurate conducted him to the spot, he learned that the manhad been found on the highroad, about a mile from the village,by labourers, as they were going to their work on thepreceding morning, and the curate had given him shelter inhis house. He had received a gun-shot wound, which seemedto be obviously mortal; but whether in a brawl or from robbersthey could not learn, as he was in a fever, and spokenothing connectedly. Wayland entered the dark and lowlyapartment, and no sooner had the curate drawn aside the curtainthan he knew, in the distorted features of the patient, thecountenance of Michael Lambourne. Under pretence of seekingsomething which he wanted, Wayland hastily apprisedhis fellow-travellers of this extraordinary circumstance; andboth Tressilian and Raleigh, full of boding apprehensions,hastened to the curate’s house to see the dying man.The wretch was by this time in the agonies of death, fromwhich a much better surgeon than Wayland could not haverescued him, for the bullet had passed clear through his body.He was sensible, however, at least in part, for he knewTressilian, and made signs that he wished him to stoop overhis bed. Tressilian did so, and after some inarticulate murmurs,in which the names of Varney and Lady Leicester werealone distinguishable, Lambourne bade him “make haste, orhe would come too late.” It was in vain Tressilian urged the448

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!