Chapter 29

The Honourable GEORGE MOLESWORTH to RICHARD RISBY, Esq;

_Dover_.

Oh Dick! the most dreadful affair has happen'd!--Lord Darcey is distracted and dying; I am little better--Good God! what shall I do?--what can I do?--He lies on the floor in the next room, with half his hair torn off.--Unhappy man! fatigue had near kill'd him, before the melancholy account reach'd his ears.--Miss Warley, I mean Miss Powis, is gone to the bottom.--She sunk in the yacht that sailed yesterday from Dover for Calais.--Every soul is lost.--The fatal accident was confirm'd by a boat which came in not ten minutes before we arriv'd.--There was no keeping it from Lord Darcey.--The woman of the Inn we are at has a son lost in the same vessel: she was in fits when we alighted.--Some of the wreck is drove on shore.--What can equal this scene!--Oh, Miss Powis! most amiable of women, I tremble for your relations!--But Darcey, poor Darcey, what do I feel for you!--He speaks:--he calls for me:--I go to him.

Oh, Risby! my heart is breaking; for once let it be said a man's heart can break.--Whilst he rav'd, whilst his sorrows were loud, there was some chance; but now all is over. He is absolutely dying;--death is in every feature.--His convulsions how dreadful!--how dreadful the pale horror of his countenance!--But then so calm,--so compos'd!--I repeat, there can, be no chance.--

Where is Molesworth? I heard him say as I enter'd his apartment: come to me, my friend,--_holding out his hand_--come to me, my friend.--Don't weep--don't let me leave you in tears.--If you wish me well, rejoice:--think how I should have dragg'd out a miserable number of days, after--oh, George! after--Here he stopp'd.--The surgeon desir'd he would suffer us to lift him on the bed.--No, he said, in a faultering accent, if I move I shall die before I have made known to my friend my last request.--Upon which the physician and surgeon retir'd to a distant part of the room, to give him an opportunity of speaking with greater freedom.

He caught hold of my hand with the grasp of anguish, saying, Go, go. I entreat you, by that steady regard which has subsisted between us,--_go_ to the unhappy family:--if they can be comforted; ay, if they _can_, you must undertake the task.--_I_ will die without you.--Tell them I send the thanks, the duty, of a dying man;--that they must consider me as their own. A few, a _very_ few hours! and I shall be their own;--I shall be united to their angel daughter.--Dear soul, he cried, is it for this,--for this, I tore myself from you!--But stop, I will not repine; the reward of my sufferings is at hand.

_Now_, you may lift me on the bed;--_now_, my friend, pointing to the door,--_now_, my dear Molesworth, if you wish I should die in--_there fainted_.--He lay without signs of life so long, that I thought, all was over.--

I cannot comply with his last request;--it is his last I am convinc'd;--he will never speak more, Risby!--he will never _more_ pronounce the name of Molesworth.

Be yours the task he assign'd me.--Go instantly to the friends you revere;--go to Mr. and Mrs. Powis, the poor unfortunate parents.--Abroad they were to you as tender relations;--in England, your first returns of gratitude will be mournful.--You have seen Miss Powis:--it could be no other than that lovely creature whom you met so accidentally at ----: the likeness she bore to her father startled you. She was then going with Mr. Jenkings into Oxfordshire:--you admired her;--but had you known her mind, how would you have felt for Darcey!

Be cautious, tender, and circumspect, in your sad undertaking.--Go first to the old steward's, about a mile from the Abbey; if he is not return'd, break it to his wife and son.--They will advise, they will assist you, in the dreadful affair;--I hope the poor old gentleman has not proceeded farther than London.--Write the moment you have seen the family; write every melancholy particular: my mind is only fit for such gloomy recitals.--Farewel! I go to my dying friend.

Yours,

MOLESWORTH.