he beat his head, he rent up his hair. He was unable to
continue in one posture, and to remain in one place. He burst away from
the spot with vehemence, as if he sought to leave behind him his
recollection and his existence. He seemed to tear up the ground with
fierceness and rage. He returned soon again. He approached the sad
remains of what had been Emily, and gazed on them with such intentness,
that his eyes appeared, ready to burst from their sockets. Acute and
exquisite as were his notions of virtue and honour, he could not prevent
himself from reproaching the system of nature, for having given birth to
such a monster as Tyrrel. He was ashamed of himself for wearing the same
form. He could not think of the human species with patience. He foamed
with indignation against the laws of the universe, that did not permit
him to crush such reptiles at a blow, as we would crush so many noxious
insects. It was necessary to guard him like a madman.

The whole office of judging what was proper to be done under the present
circumstances devolved upon Doctor Wilson. The doctor was a man of cool
and methodical habits of acting. One of the first ideas that suggested
itself to him was, that Miss Melvile was a branch of the family of
Tyrrel. He did not doubt of the willingness of Mr. Falkland to discharge
every expense that might be further incident to the melancholy remains
of this unfortunate victim; but he conceived that the laws of fashion
and decorum required some notification of the event to be made to the
head of the family. Perhaps, too, he had an eye to his interest in his
profession, and was reluctant to expose himself to the resentment of a
person of Mr. Tyrrel's consideration in the neighbourhood. But, with
this weakness, he had nevertheless some feelings in common with the rest
of the world, and must have suffered considerable violence, before he
could have persuaded himself to be the messenger; beside which, he did
not think it right in the present situation to leave Mr. Falkland.

Doctor Wilson no sooner mentioned these ideas, than they seemed to make
a sudden impression on Mrs. Hammond, and she earnestly requested that
she might be permitted to carry the intelligence. The proposal was
unexpected; but the doctor did not very obstinately refuse his assent.
She was determined, she said, to see what sort of impression the
catastrophe would make upon the author of it; and she promised to
comport herself with moderation a