de.

'Where are they?' said he: 'have they all left me--servants and all?'

'There are servants within call if you want them; but you had better lie
down now and be quiet: none of them could or would attend you as
carefully as I shall do.'

'I can't understand it at all,' said he, in bewildered perplexity. 'Was
it a dream that--' and he covered his eyes with his hands, as if trying
to unravel the mystery.

'No, Arthur, it was not a dream, that your conduct was such as to oblige
me to leave you; but I heard that you were ill and alone, and I am come
back to nurse you. You need not fear to trust me: tell me all your
wants, and I will try to satisfy them. There is no one else to care for
you; and I shall not upbraid you now.'

'Oh! I see,' said he, with a bitter smile; 'it's an act of Christian
charity, whereby you hope to gain a higher seat in heaven for yourself,
and scoop a deeper pit in hell for me.'

'No; I came to offer you that comfort and assistance your situation
required; and if I could benefit your soul as well as your body, and
awaken some sense of contrition and--'

'Oh, yes; if you could overwhelm me with remorse and confusion of face,
now's the time. What have you done with my son?'

'He is well, and you may see him some time, if you will compose yourself,
but not now.'

'Where is he?'

'He is safe.'

'Is he here?'

'Wherever he is, you will not see him till you have promised to leave him
entirely under my care and protection, and to let me take him away
whenever and wherever I please, if I should hereafter judge it necessary
to remove him again. But we will talk of that to-morrow: you must be
quiet now.'

'No, let me see him now, I promise, if it must be so.'

'No--'

'I swear it, as God is in heaven! Now, then, let me see him.'

'But I cannot trust your oaths and promises: I must have a written
agreement, and you must sign it in presence of a witness: but not
to-day--to-morrow.'

'No, to-day; now,' persisted he: and he was in such a state of feverish
excitement, and so bent upon the immediate gratification of his wish,
that I thought it better to grant it at once, as I saw he would not rest
till I did. But I was determined my son's interest should not be
forgotten; and having clearly written out the promise I wished Mr.
Huntingdon to give upon a slip of paper, I deliberately read it over to
him, and made him sign it in the presence of Rachel. He begged I would
not insist upo