Prev | Current Page 362 | Next

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred), 1832-1902

"When London Burned : a Story of Restoration Times and the Great Fire"

Wilkes. All you want now is nourishment; but take it
carefully at first, and not too much at a time; stick to broths for
the next two or three days, and when you do begin with solids do so
very sparingly."
"There was a gentleman here yesterday asking about you," John Wilkes
said, as Cyril, propped up in bed, sipped his broth. "It was Mr.
Harvey. He rang at the bell, and I went down to the lower window and
talked to him through that, for of course the watchman would not let
me go out and speak to him. I had heard you speak of him as one of
the gentlemen you met at the minister's, and he seemed muchly
interested in you. He said that you had done him a great service, and
of course I knew it was by frightening that robber away. I never saw
a man more pleased than he was when I told him that the doctor
thought you were as good as cured, and he thanked God very piously
for the same. After he had done that, he asked me first whether you
had said anything to me about him. I said that you had told me you
had met him and his wife at the minister's, and that you said you had
disturbed a robber you found at his house. He said, quite sharp,
'Nothing more?' 'No, not as I can think of. He is always doing good
to somebody,' says I, 'and never a word would he say about it, if it
did not get found out somehow. Why, he saved Prince Rupert's ship
from being blown up by a fire-vessel, and never should we have known
of it if young Lord Oliphant had not written to the Captain telling
him all about it, and saying that it was the gallantest feat done in
the battle.


Pages:
350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374