Tales of the Wonder Club Volume III Part 27

"Poor young thing!" observed Mr. Crucible, compa.s.sionately. "Well, who can wonder at it?"

During these remarks, to which Mr. Oldstone paid no attention whatever, being absorbed in the reperusal of his newspaper, he was suddenly observed to flush as with pleasure. His brow cleared, his eye sparkled.

Then, suddenly rising from his chair, he crumpled up his paper, thrust it again into his pocket, rubbed his hands with satisfaction, then with a relieved expression in his face he slowly left the room without a word.

"Wonder what's come over Oldstone!" muttered one of them. "He seems quite himself again."

No sooner was our antiquary outside the door than he beckoned the landlord aside, who was still looking grave, and asked him how he had left his daughter.

"Dreadful cut up like, sir, 'bout somethin' or other," replied that worthy, "but Dr. Bleedem says as how we ain't got no call to be afeared, and that when she has finished the cordial she'll come round agin as right as a trivet."

"Now look here, Jack," began our antiquary, rubbing his hands together cheerily, and with difficulty repressing his delight. "What'll you bet that in five minutes time I don't bring her round again, cordial or no cordial?"

"Do you think you could, sir?" asked our host, somewhat incredulously, yet becoming infected, in spite of himself, by Mr. Oldstone's a.s.surance and good humour.

"I do, mine host, most certainly I do," replied the antiquary.

"Can I see the patient?"

"Willingly, sir," rejoined the landlord. "There is her room," and pointed to the door.

"Now, Jack, you shall see which is the best doctor, Bleedem or I. If in five minutes I don't lead her out by the hand, smiling and in her right mind, my name's not Obadiah Oldstone."

Here, he opened Helen's chamber door, and for the s.p.a.ce of five minutes was closeted with her, leaving our host completely bewildered. The girl started at seeing her friend and adviser enter her chamber, and looked at him inquiringly. "Helen, my pet," he began, "I am the bearer of good news--news that will do you more good than any cordial Dr. Bleedem can give you."

The girl looked hopeful, seeing her counsellor's cheerful manner, though her eyes were still red and swollen with weeping. "Tell me, tell me!"

she cried in agony.

"Patience, patience," replied the antiquary, in the most provoking manner; "all in due time. Well, my dear," he continued, "all that I read out in the paper this morning, and which you unfortunately overheard (Oh! you wicked puss, for playing the eavesdropper); well, child, all that happened a fortnight ago. Since then there is later news. The boy has been rescued by a band of carabineers who have long been on the track of the brigands, who were taken completely by surprise. A skirmish took place, and the brigands were exterminated to a man; a few only of the carabineers being wounded. Your friend, Mr. Vand.y.k.e McGuilp, was at once set at liberty, and he is now enjoying the best of health and spirits. So cheer up, girl."

"Oh! sir," cried Helen, half laughing and half crying, "you are not trying to comfort me by----."

"By a false report," broke in Oldstone. "Certainly not, child. Here, read for yourself. Can't you believe me?"

Helen took up the paper with trembling hands, and ran her eyes eagerly over the column. Then with a sweet smile and sign of relief she sank back on her cushions, crying, "Thank G.o.d." She then burst out again into a fresh fit of weeping, from sheer weakness, which, however, soon changed into a laugh. Then rousing herself, she leapt from her bed, bathed her face with cold water, and having dried it, she seized the hand of her aged friend and counsellor and kissed it, saying, "G.o.d bless you, sir. You were ever my good angel."

"Then follow me downstairs, and look as beaming as you can. Your parents will wonder at the change, but I shall say nothing." Seizing her hand, Oldstone led her down the flight of steps, at the foot of which stood her father, watch in hand.

"There, Jack," said the antiquary in triumph, "What did I say? Have I been successful? Look at her, and tell me if I am a good doctor or no."

Our host scanned his daughter's now happy features, then turning to Mr.

Oldstone, he said, "Well, sir, its just wonderful! It's like witchcraft a'most. I don't know what you have been doing to her, sir, but I never see such a change in my life."

Here Dame Hearty made her appearance, caressed her daughter, and began to ask questions.

"Now, no questions, Dame Hearty, from either you or your husband," broke in Oldstone. "That's our secret. You may, if you like, set it down to Dr. Bleedem's cordial."

"Well, we won't bother her, if as how you don't wish it, sir," answered her father. Helen then followed her mother into the kitchen, and was soon slaving away harder than she had ever done before in her life.

"Well, boys," said Mr. Oldstone, cheerily, addressing his fellow-members as they looked enquiringly at him on his return, "I suppose you want to know the reason of the change in my countenance since the morning. Well, take this paper and read for yourselves. You will see where I have marked it." Here he handed the paper to Mr. Hardcase, who, taking it from him, proceeded to read the account of our artist's fortunate rescue from the brigands by the carabineers, which we need not repeat.

"Ah!" observed the lawyer, at the conclusion, "this accounts for everything. Now, Oldstone, if you had read this article first, and the other afterwards, we should have been spared a scene."

Oldstone answered with something like a snort, "Bah! who could tell that the girl was eavesdropping?" Then noticing the quizzical expression on the faces of some of the members, and guessing that they were about to make Helen's little love episode a subject for discussion or banter, he raised his hand as if in prohibition, being determined to nip it in the bud, and bringing it down with a bang on the table, he began, "Gentlemen, to change the conversation, I propose that we celebrate our young friend McGuilp's miraculous escape from his captors by a.s.sembling this evening round a merry bowl of punch--eh, doctor?--and drinking his health with a three times three."

"Take care, Oldstone!" remonstrated Dr. Bleedem; but the rest of the members applauded the proposition of the chairman, and prevailed. In fact, a merry evening was spent, when our artist's health was drunk, as proposed, as well as that of all his family and belongings. Our host was then called in, and had to drain a gla.s.s to the health and prosperity of our artist. Dame Hearty was next called in, and had to do the same. One of the members voted for Helen also drinking the toast.

Before Oldstone could offer any opposition, our landlord called out, "Now, then, Helen, my girl, come and drink to the health and prosperity of Mr. McGuilp, your portrait painter, with a hip, hip, hip, hurrah!--d'ye hear? Come, now, you can't get out of it."

The girl would willingly have hidden herself, and had literally to be dragged in by her father, blushing and timid. Loud cheers greeted the girl's appearance, and a gla.s.s was filled for her from the punch-bowl by Mr. Oldstone himself with the silver ladle, at the bottom of which a golden guinea had been inlaid.

"All right, my girl," said Mr. Oldstone, "toss it off. No harm in just one gla.s.s. Now, then, all--to the health of our absent artist friend, Mr. Vand.y.k.e McGuilp, and all his belongings--also to his speedy return--with a hip, hip, hip, hurrah!"

With a charming modesty and grace, like that of a high-born lady, did this simple country girl join in the toast proposed; then, putting down her gla.s.s on the table, she curtseyed elegantly to the company, and wishing them all good-night retired.

Loud applause followed this flying visit of Helen to their orgie, and they would have recalled her; but a glance from Mr. Oldstone kept them in check. At midnight the party broke up, and each returned to his bed comfortable, without having indulged to excess, and even Mr. Oldstone walked bravely off to his bed una.s.sisted.

CHAPTER XII.

A week had pa.s.sed since our last chapter. Our antiquary, finding himself once more alone, had brought out his writing materials, determined no longer to put off his much-delayed letter to his friend, when a smart tap at the door, and immediately afterwards the entry of our host's pretty daughter, caused him to look up. She appeared more radiant than ever, and held up a bulky epistle with a foreign post mark. Full well she knew the handwriting. It was addressed to Mr. Oldstone, as usual, so she placed it in his hands.

"At last!" exclaimed the antiquary. "Now we shall see for ourselves. Sit down, my girl, sit down."

The invitation had been hardly given when the daughter of our host had already seated herself, and leaning her elbow on the table and her head in her hand, looked all attention.

Oldstone broke the seal, put on his spectacles, and thus began:--

_Letter from Mr. Vand.y.k.e McGuilp to Mr. Oldstone._

"Rome, Oct. --, 17--.

"MY ESTEEMED FRIEND,

"I offer you my most humble apologies for my delay in answering your interesting and most welcome letter, which, in fact, I have only just received. You will see by what follows that there were some extenuating circ.u.mstances, which may go far towards exculpating my apparent neglect. Your letter arrived at the 'Cafe Greco,' where I usually have my letters directed, the day after my departure from Rome. They could not forward it, not knowing my whereabouts, so I did not get it until after my return.

"I must now go back some months to explain to you how, from over anxiety about finishing a picture, I had put off my trip for the summer so late as to be about the last man left in Rome; for all those who can abandon the Eternal City before the great heat comes on. At the time I speak of I actually believe there were more statues in Rome than living men. The models even had all returned to their respective villages, and the steps of the Spanish Staircase in the Piazza di Spagna were deserted. You may remember, sir, how even in your day they congregated in groups on this broad and elegant flight of steps, waiting for custom, lighting up the scene with their bright costumes.

Well, the heat grew at length unbearable, till, what with over-work and the climate, I found myself prostrate with Roman fever. I was necessarily confined to my bed, and it was with difficulty that I could find a doctor. At last they sent me a Capuchin friar, who professed to have some knowledge of medical science--very limited, I should imagine, though perhaps enough for my purpose. He prescribed me medicine, and sent to attend upon me the cobbler's wife, who lives on the ground floor, and who makes my bed and sweeps out my room for me. The poor old woman has a sick husband, and looks far from healthy herself. She is yellow, almost toothless, with a strong beard, very far from clean--and oh! her breath! There, I will say no more. The poor old thing did her best, no doubt, and I don't want to be ungrateful. I couldn't help wishing, I remember, that instead of being laid up here I could have been laid up in England--somewhere in the country--say at the 'Headless Lady,' and had the pretty Helen to wait upon me. It would be worth while getting ill then."

"Stay," broke in Helen; "does he say that? Let me see. You are not joking with me, sir?"

"No, my dear," answered Oldstone, "I am not joking. You may see for yourself; but I don't know if I ought to read you all this nonsense.

Won't it content you just to know that he is alive and well?"

Without heeding her friend and counsellor, Helen rubbed her hands together with glee, and laughed, saying, "Oh! I _do_ wish he would come and be ill in our house--oh! no, I don't mean that, do I? I mean that he would come and live here altogether, without being ill, and that I could be with him always, all day long, and never leave him."