CHAP. XIX.

"Our escape is much beyond our loss."

MORGAN ap Griffith immediately led the way to the inn where he was accustomed to put up. As might have been expected, every person in it was in bed. Repeated knocking and calling at length brought some one to the window. "Let some person come town, and let us in immediately," cried Morgan. "Here's two laties and a gentleman, who have peen out all night, and here's pains, and penalties, and proken pones, and somepody must get up, and make candles and jullips, and pring clean clothes, and make goot fires. And here must pe toctors, and surgeons, and physicians, Cot bless us, and save us!"

"Lord, Mr. Griffith! what could tempt you to come out on so unseasonable a night, and such bitter cold weather? I don't think there's a spare bed in the house. However, I'll come down and let you in." And then, having closed the window, the shivering party had to wait in

the street, till the young lady, who was one of the chambermaids, had dressed herself to her satisfaction, which was not speedily accomplished, as, having long cast an eye of affection on the multiform charms of Mr. Morgan ap Griffith, she was loath to appear before him en dishabille.

The violent pain which his arm gave him, prevented Sir Charles from experiencing that severity of cold, which almost benumbed his companions. It was with the greatest difficulty he could restrain expressing his sufferings; but delicacy to the feelings of Constance induced him to stifle every sensation, which could agitate or distress her while the sensibility which she avowed for his situation, the soft tone in which she addressed him, and her expressions of regret for his disaster, sunk deep into his heart, and bound the link which attached him to her, still closer than ever.

The door was at length opened, and the fair chambermaid led the way to a cold and comfortless parlour, which, however, she endeavoured to render more tolerable, by applying a candle to the fuel in the grate, previously placed ready for that purpose. Morgan ap Griffith offered himself to go for a surgeon, and the girl having given him directions where to apply, placed a sofa near the fire for Sir Charles, and then proposed getting a change of attire for the females. Sir Charles objected to this proposal, insisting that they should immediately retire to bed; but the chambermaid overruled this objection, by affirming, that there was not a bed unoccupied in the house and, yielding to necessity, they were

obliged to content themselves with dry clothes, which they retired to another apartment to put

on.

He

The surgeon in the mean time arrived. examined the arm of Sir Charles; but the swelling was too great to enable him to ascertain with precision the extent of the injury which had been sustained. Applying a dressing for the reduction of it, he ordered him to retire to bed, immediately after the copious bleeding which he prepared to effect, to prevent the disagreeable consequences of his other bruises; commanding him at the same time to abstain from animal food, and all fermented liquors.

On her return to the parlour, Constance heard the event of his visit from the chambermaid (whom I shall henceforth call Mary), and, nodding significantly to her, she stepped out of the room, the girl, who understood the hint, following her. The life of the gentleman may depend upon the circumstance of his being kept quiet and easy," said she, slipping an infallible argument, in the form of a guinea, into her hand; get him a comfortable bed, and you will for ever oblige me."

The girl put her hand to her head, and appeared to be considering; and then taking a candle, she hastily quitted the room. In less than a quarter of an hour, she returned with the information, that she had procured and prepared a bed, which Constance went instantly to inspect. Finding every thing clean and comfortable, she prevailed on Sir Charles to suffer Morgan ap Griffith to convey him there; and, having pre

eured a cup of tea, sent Jane with it to his apartment. After having partaken of the same nourishment, Mary, at her request (for the guinea had rendered Mary extremely obliging), brought two blankets into the parlour. One was spread on the floor for Jane, the other on the sofa for her mistress; and, charging Mary to keep a constant watch on the sick gentleman, and to see that he wanted nothing, she locked the parlour door, each being rolled in a blanket, sunk into a sound sleep, for which the fatigues of the past day and night had so well prepared them.

Mary, in the mean time, retired to the kitchen, to comfort and refresh the benevolent Morgan ; and, though she found his company more than usually pleasing, because there was no one to interrupt their tender protestations and glances, she nevertheless forgot not the commands of Constance, frequently taking a turn into the apartment of Sir Charles, and placing on a small table, by his bed side, balm tea, lemonade, or something calculated to be of service to him.

On the following day, Constance was really ill; but her own feelings did not prevent her from being extremely anxious about Sir Charles. The surgeon was very assiduous in his attentions; and from him she learned the swelling was so much abated, that he hoped, in the course of the day, to be able to set the disjointed arm, which did not appear to have received a compound fracture. This information relieved her from a weight of anxiety; and the departure of some of the guests, who had taken private lodgings, permitting her to have the accommodation of a

two-bedded room for herself and her maid, she determined to retire to it, and nurse the violent cold she had taken. Previously to effecting this determination, she found it necessary to pay a visit of ceremony, to thank an elderly lady, who had actually got from her bed, on the night before, to resign it to Sir Charles.

The lady, whose name was Wilson, received her very graciously, expressing herself highly gratified, in having had an opportunity of being serviceable, and her wishes for the restoration of Sir Charles; adding at the same time, "If I did not fear to be intrusive, I would take the liberty of visiting the invalid in his apartment."

Constance looked delighted.. She wished herself to see him, but there was an indelicacy the idea of going to his apartment alone, or only accompanied by her woman, which had hitherto totally prevented the attempt. Now, however, under the sanction of a respectable female, whose age and sedate manners gave her consequence and dignity, there could be no longer any impropriety in the action. And she replied with vivacity, "How good you are! I will send my woman immediately, and ask admittance."

Jane almost instantly returned with the information, that the surgeon was with the invalid, and that Sir Charles must therefore defer the pleasure of seeing them till the evening. Constance, having expressed her hope, that an acquaintance so happily begun might be continued during the time they remained together at the inn, bade the lady farewell and departed; having previously made an agreement with her, to