me. I am sent before, dear love, to tell you
your sister is coming, and not coming alone.'
'Who is coming with her? any one beside Will? have you come to say she
hath found Andrew? has she indeed?' I cried.
'Ay,' said Harry, 'he is found; but I fear we may lose him again. Have
you here a place, Lucy, here a dying man may lie softly and easily, the
little time he has left? If not, make one ready quickly--but no stairs
for him, remember. I would help you, dear heart,' he said tenderly,
'were it not that I must keep watch here for their coming.'
I turned my lips to his hand, as I unclasped my arms from him; then I
flew to do as he had bidden. I dragged the coverings off our own bed and
hastily spread a couch in that room where we commonly sat; I set lights,
food, cordials in readiness on the table; then I ran back to the door,
half afraid my Harry would have vanished like a dream; but there he was,
watching yet; so I took my place beside him, and loaded him with
questions about the finding of Andrew. I learned he had a large share in
it.
'A poor seaman who loved me,' he said, 'met me this morning when I
landed at Woolwich; and he testified such extravagant joy on seeing me
that I own I half thought him mad.'
'Then what can you think of me?' I put in; at which Harry said,--
'Nay, Lucy, you were ice compared to this poor fellow. He is one that
hath tasted Andrew's bounty, and that not long since; for his wife
sickened of the Plague, and our Andrew at his own cost provided a
physician for her, and many other comforts; and 'tis owing to that, the
man thinks, that she is now sound and well.'
'Where was this?' I said, wondering.
'Here, in London,' said Harry. 'Now close on this woman's recovery came
the seizing of Andrew, and 'tis but lately that the poor grateful sailor
discovered how his benefactor had been lying long in Newgate, where he
was thrown by one Ralph Lacy's procurement.'
'Ah!' I said, 'that wretch! but he has paid for it, Harry. But why could
Althea never find Andrew before?'
'I cannot tell by what devilish prompting it was,' he said, 'that Lacy
bore Andrew and every one else down, that his true name was not Golding,
but Dewsbury--William Dewsbury, as I think; and that he had shifted his
name to avoid prosecution, having been once imprisoned already; and
what our poor friend said to the contrary being slighted as a lie, his
true name has never been given him. So inquiry after him has been
crip
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