Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/277

 an end to my misfortunes, yet when I considered my mother, I looked on it with great dread. "'My landlord happened to be a very humane, good-natured man, and on my telling him my helpless condition, desired me not to make myself uneasy, for that he would for the present bring me necessaries, and he did not doubt but by the representation of my circumstances, to a very charitable gentleman who was lately come to the Count de 's, he should get me some relief. "'My distemper became so violent that I was hardly sensible; but by the great care that was taken of me, it abated by degrees; and as soon as I came to recollect how long I had lain there, I asked who was the generous benefactor to whom I owed the preservation of my life; and was immediately told by my, landlord that he had found a method of making my case known to the Marquis de Stainville, who had given strict orders to have the utmost care taken of me, and sent money for that purpose. At the sound of that name I started up in my bed, and stared so wildly that the poor man was quite frightened. At last I cried out, "Are you sure it is the Marquis de Stainville? Are you positive you don't mistake the name?" "No, no, sir," replied the man; "I know I am right in what I say; he married the Count de 's daughter, and is here at his house," I had lived so retired from the time of my father's death, and had been so little inquisitive about anything that passed in the world, that I had never so much as heard of your marriage: however, on the man's positive assurance that he was not mistaken, I began to think this goodness was like the nature of my old friend; but then it seemed to be improbable that a man who was capable of being so charitable to strangers could abandon his friend in the highest distress. This put it into my head that possibly my letter