Page:Edgar Huntly, or The Sleep Walker.djvu/43

 to emulate a father's clemency, and restore this unhappy man to purity and to peace."

Day after day passed without hearing any thing of Clithero; I began to grow uneasy and impatient: I had gained so much, and by means so unexpected, that I could more easily endure uncertainty with respect to what remained to be known: but my patience had its limits. I should doubtless have made use of new means to accelerate this discovery, had not his timely appearance made them superfluous.

Sunday being at length arrived, I resolved to go to Inglefield's, seek an interview with his servant, and urge him, by new importunities, to confide to me the secret. On my way thither, Clithero appeared in sight. His visage was pale and wan, and his form emaciated and shrunk. I was astonished at the alteration which the lapse of a week had made in his appearance. At a small distance I mistook him for a stranger; as soon as I perceived who it was, I greeted him with the utmost friendliness. My civilities made little impression on him, and he hastened to inform me that he was coming to my uncle's for the purpose of meeting and talking with me: if I thought proper we would go into the wood together, and find some spot where we might discourse at our leisure, and be exempt from interruption.

You will easily conceive with what alacrity I accepted his invitation. We returned from the road into the first path, and proceeded in silence, till the wildness of the surrounding scenery informed us that we were in the heart of Norwalk. We lighted on a recess to which my companion appeared to be familiar, and which had all the advantages of solitude, and was suitable to rest: here we stopped. Hitherto my companion had displayed a certain degree of composure; now his countenance betokened a violent internal struggle. It was a considerable time before he could command his speech; when he had so far effected the conquest of his feelings, he began.