THE

COMMONER'S

DAUGHTER.

By the Author of "A Few out of Thousands."

CHAP. XVIII.

We had nearly reached the village of Havelstone, our first stage, when I noticed a strange alteration in Lord Dornington. His complexion in the morning had been so flushed, that, in my secret disgust, I mentally accused him of having had recourse to art-a practice for which, scandal said, there was Royal authority: now it was pallid, and his countenance appeared full of anxiety. There was a wild look about his usually inexpressive eyes, which gave me great alarm; sometimes it appeared to me that the Earl was grinning in a kind of ghastly mirth. He attempted at last to speak ; and then, to my horror and dismay, I perceived the power of speech was lost. I rose up in the carriage.

"Lord Dornington! can you not speak?" No answer-only a nodding of the head, like the Chinese mandarins children use for toys. "Great Heaven! Give me your hand, my

Lord."

vulsion came

But it had fallen lifeless by his side! A conover his face, the right jaw dropped, and the mouth was twisted horribly awry. I pulled the check-string. The footman opened the door in a minute after.

Where is my lord's valet?-quick. Oh! he is very ill, dying I fear-make haste." Carew, Lord Dornington's valet, came quickly to the door of the carriage. He was an elderly man, shrewd and careful. He changed colour as he looked at his lord.

"Pray, my lady, be good enough to descend, and keep yourself, if possible, calm. My lord is struck with paralysis. How long is it since he has been seized?"

"Good Heaven! only within the last few minutes, certainly. He was conversing a little while ago, then a silence ensued, and I thought

he was

fatigued. What is to be done?" "Very little, my lady, I fear, till we can get medical aid. Quick John; let one of the postillions take one of the horses and ride back to London, and bring down Sir Charles Arnew, my lord's physician, to Rownham; we had best

go on there."

bath, and I fear there is no accommodation nearer than Rownham."

As he spoke, he took Lord Dornington's snuffbox out of the Earl's coat-pocket, and placed a quantity on the nostrils; but his face was merely momentarily convulsed, and the stimulant had no effect. Next, he tried to pour wine down his master's throat-an unavailing attempt, for his patient seemed to have lost all power to swallow. I wrung my hands-"Death and misfortune follow me everywhere."

"I think, after all, my lady, we had best stop at the Roebuck: we are but a mile from there, and we must extemporise a bath. I fear taking the responsibility of my lord going any further, without medical advice."

"Do as you think best: I am no judge."

Carew assisted me then into the carriage, and entered it himself, directing the postillions to proceed at a moderate pace with the three remaining horses. He chafed his lord's hands with eau de Cologne, while I wetted the poor temples continually with the same essence.

"Speak, my lady, please," said Carew, "and see if he knows you."

"Dear Lord Dornington, do you know me? "Tis your wife, Isabella! Are you in pain ?"

He rolled his eyes; but we could see that he understood what was said. Yet, when we drew up before the Roebuck Inn, the convulsions returned so intensely, that I believed life could not endure the torture. Mine, indeed, was a terrible situation; but my duty, at least, lay clear before me, and, after the first agitation of my feelings had subsided, I set myself assiduously to the task I had once previously anticipated, but which had come to me so much earlier than I had foreseen. Like most persons of feeble intellect, Lord Dornington had totally succumbed under this shock of paralysis. We extemporised a bath, and, inquiring if there was a doctor in the village, was directed to the apothecary, Mr. Nitrene, who, when he arrived, simply shook his head solemnly, approved of what had been done, and said he would send a "draught."

"Pooh! man," said the valet, with great "Would it not be best to remain at an inn?"irreverence towards this rural Galen, who "I scarcely know, my lady," said the man; seemed chiefly to dwell on the fact that his

My lord ought at once to be placed in a warm patient was a lord-"I know more than that