Belmour: A Modern Edition

Chapter 5

✦ 61 ✦ as those always are led farthest astray, whose errours originate from honest principles. Chapter 5 we left belmour in contemplation of the setting sun on a calm sea.—Night was now coming on fast—he had been for a considerable time sitting on a fragment of rock, his eyes fixed on the ocean, but lost in thought, and quite unmindful of approaching darkness, when his dog suddenly called forth his attention by springing up into his arms. The poor little animal , after hunting for some time in the wood close by, had, unheeded by Belmour, creeped gently along, trembling and hanging its tail, till it found itself under the protection of its master; when barking outrageously, and looking towards the wood behind, it obliged Belmour to turn, and among the trees he indistinctly saw the figure of a man, who, as he thought, was endeavouring to hide himself.—Belmour instantly sprang forward, and seized the man by the collar, concluding him to be some poacher, or ill-designing person.—The man, dreadfully alarmed, hollowed loudly, entreating to have his life spared.—“I am a poor man—for God sake! let me go—you can get nothing from me.”—“Fool!”—said Belmour, letting go his hold, “dost thou take me for a robber? But what art thou?” continued he, “what is thy business here, out of every road or path?”—The man, recovering from his fright, answered rather sulkily, “Why, I’m doing no harm, I lost my way, and I need not be put in fear of my life for that!”—Belmour regretted instantly the alarm he had occasioned the poor man, and in the gentlest tone asked him whence he came, and if he could ✦ 62 ✦ assist him. “Came,” said he, “why I came along with my cattle, left them in yonder field there, for the night, and was going on to doctor, what d’ye call him, at the parsonage.”—“Have you business with Mr. Rycot, the rector?”—“And what matters all that, I don’t suppose you’ll show me the way!”—“Indeed but I will,” replied Belmour; “if you will follow me, I will direct you to the parsonage—but it is some way, and you seem very lame—here, friend, lean on my arm, and I will conduct you.” “That’s main good of you, sir,” replied the man, struck with an offer he so little expected. The moon, which had just then risen, allowed him to distinguish the figure of his conductor, which much increased his confidence, and he felt remorse for the surly manner, in which he had at first spoken. Wishing to repair his fault, he of himself continued, “my business is not with the doctor, but I ha’ got some letters for the young lady as is with him.”—“For Miss Melville?” interrupted Belmour hastily .—“From whom?”—“But what right have I,” said he to himself , “to pry into the secrets of others?—no matter, no matter,” said he, again turning to the man.—The man continued, “Nay, an’ please your honour, I don’t know who it was as give me the letters, it was a young gentleman I never seed before—at the squire’s there, down in Cornwall.”—“I often carries letters and parcels for the squire, and for other folks in my way, as I comes along with my cattle; there was another gentleman by, too, and they bid me be sure and deliver the letters safe—that’s all I knows o’ the matter—oh dear! dear! I don’t know how I shall get along!—I almost broke my leg against yonder piece of stone there.”—After proceeding some little way, the man appeared to be in so much pain, that it seemed impossible to get him on any further, when, finding that they were opposite to a cottage, Belmour proposed to him to remain there for the night, if he could be lodged, and to give him the letters, which he said he could deliver, as in his way home he must pass almost close by the parsonage.—To this proposition the man ✦ 63 ✦ readily agreed, and a night’s lodging was procured. Belmour put a guinea into the man’s hand, telling him that he would send the apothecary to him, and then taking the letters in his hand, lightly stepped away. Belmour, from the moment he had received the...