Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/282

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when the profound stillness of the spot was broken by a loud cry for help ; he listened, doubtful of his having* heard aright, when tlie cry was repeated with even greater vehemence than before, and, starting to his feet, he hastened in the direction from whence it proceeded.

" The tale told itself at once : some scattered garments lay on the beach ; a human head was just visible above the waves at a little distance from the shore ; and an old man, wringing his hands in agony, was running to and fro, shrieking for assistance. The invalid, whose strength was now sufficiently restored, threw off his coat, and rushed towards the sea, with the intention of plunging in, and dragging the drowning man a-shore.

'• * Hasten here, Sir, in God's name ; help, help. Sir, for the love of Heaven. He is my son, Sir, my only son,' said the old man, fran- tically, as he advanced to meet him. ' My only son, Sir, and he is dying before his father's eyes.*

" At the first word the old man uttered, the stranger checked him- self in his career, and, folding his arms, stood perfectly motionless.

" ' Great God ! ' exclaimed the old man, recoiling—' Heyling I '

" The stranger smiled, and was silent.

boy, look, look;' and, gasping for breath, the miser&,ble father pointed to the spot where the young man was struggling for life.
 * ' * Heyling ! ' said the old man, wildly — ' My boy, Heyling, my dear

" ' Hark ! ' said the old man — ' He cries once more. He is alive yet. Heyling, save him, save him.'

" The stranger smiled again, and remained immovable as a statue.

'' " I have wronged you,' shrieked the old man, falling on his knees, and clasping his hands together — * Be revenged ; take my all, my life ; cast me into the water at your feet, and, if human nature can repress a struggle, I will die, without stirring hand or foot. Do it, Heyling, do it, but save my boy, he is so young, Heyling, so young to die.'

" < Listen,' said the stranger, grasping the old man fiercely by the wrist — ' I will have life for life, and here is one. My child died before his father's eyes, a far more agonising and painful death than that young slanderer of his sister's worth is meeting while I speak. You laughed — laughed in your daughter's face, where death had already set his hand — at our sufferings, then. What think you of them now ? See there, see there.'

" As the stranger spoke, he pointed to the sea. A faint cry died away upon its surface : the last powerful struggle of the dying man agitated the rippling waves for a few seconds : and the spot where he had gone, down into his early grave, was undistinguishable from the surrounding water.

" Three years had elapsed, when a gentleman alighted from a private carriage at the door of a London attorney, then well known to the public as a man of no great nicety in his professional dealings, and requested a private interview on business of importance. Although evidently not past the prime of life, his face was pale, haggard, and dejected ; and it did not require the acute perception of the man of business, to discern at a glance, that disease or suffering had done mere