Delphi Complete Works of the Brontes Charlotte, Emily, Anne Brontë (Illustrated) (285 page)

here Travers paused again to wipe off the death-sweats which were starting in large drops from his pallid forehead.

“you have nobly cleared St Clair’s character” said the Duke of Wellington “now inform us by whom & how the wound of which you are dying has been inflicted”

“By my master,” replied the unhappy man “I informed him this morning as we were returning from his Uncle’s country seat in the valley that I intended to reform & lead a better life, for that the sins I had already committed lay like a leaden weight at my heart. At first he laughed at me & pretended to think I was in jest, but on my assuring him that I never was more serious in my life, he grew gloomy, we walked together for some time in silence, but at length just as we came to a very lonely part of the road he drew his sword & stabbed me suddenly in the side saying as I fell, with a loud laugh “now go & reform in Hell” I can speak no longer & you know the rest”

The last part of Traver’s communication was uttered in a very faint & broken voice, when the excitement of talking was past he fell into a sort of lethargy which continued about ten minutes & then with a single gasping groan & convulsive shudder of the whole frame his soul & body parted for ever asunder.

The Crowd were now again admitted into the hall, the judges returned to their station & the Duke of Wellington after publicly declaring that St Clair’s honour was unblemished & that the charge brought against him had risen entirely from the machinations of a malignant enemy, ordered his fetters to be taken off & commanded them to be fastened on the limbs of Colonel Percy & the Green Dwarf instead, subsequently he condemned the former of these worthy personages to Death & the latter to ten years labour at the galleys.

Matters being thus settled the Duke rose from his seat & taking St Clair by the hand he said “my lord I claim you as my guest whilst you remain in Verdopolis, you must comply with my request were it only to show that you bear no malice against me for the six weeks imprisonment to which you have been subjected.”

Of course St Clair could not resist an invitation thus courteously urged & accordingly he accompanied the Duke to Waterloo Palace. On his way thither he informed his noble conductor of the mysterious incognito who had visited him in his dungeon & expressed a strong desire to discover who he was that he might recompense him accord-
^ln
g to the signal service he had received at his hands. “Was it Ensign Bud do you think?” said the Dukef. “no” replied St Clair “he was taller & the tones of his voice were
^Ve
ry different. indeed if I may be permitted to form so presumptuous a conjecture on such slight grounds, I should say that I am at this moment conversing with my unknown friend”
 
he Duke smiled but returned no answer.

“I am not mistaken then” continued St Clair eagerly “& it is to your Grace that I owe a continuance both of life & honour”

as he spoke the silent gratitude which beamed forth from his fine eyes expressed his thanks more clearly than any words could have done. “Well” said the Duke “I will confess that you have made a true guess, & now I suppose you would like to know the reasons which led me in the first place to give you that warning on the banks of the Senegal. It was simply this . I had witnessed the sort of quarrel which took place between you & Colonel Percy during supper in my pavil- lion. I saw him lay his hand on his sword & then relinquish it with a look & a muttered exclamation which told me plainly that the gratification of present revenge was postponed only for some more delicious future prospect & as the life of the chieftain of Clan-Albyn was of some value in my estimation I determined at least to set him on his guard against the attempts of an insidious enemy. Then for my visit in the prison that was prompted by the information Ensign Bud had communicated to me & I thought that that method of summoning him to give evidence which I pointed out would make a deeper impression on the minds of the other judges than if the ordinary way of calling a witness were followed.”

As the Duke concluded this explanation they reached Waterloo Palace. They immediately proceeded to the dining-room where dinner was already prepared. During this meal St Clair spoke very little & eat less, his spirits which had been in some degree excited by the unexpected events of the morning now began to flag. The thought of lady Emily & of the forlorn & wretched condition to which she was probably reduced communicated a mournful gloom to his mind. The Duke perceived this & after a few vain attempts to dispel it he said, “I see what you are thinking of my lord so come I’ll carry you to my wife. perhaps her sympathy will be some consolation to your distress” St Clair followed almost mechanically as his noble host led the way to the drawing room. On entering they found the Duchess seated on the sofa & engaged in some ornamental labour of the needle, beside her was a little Indian stand supporting her work-box & a few books, near this & with her back turned to the door was seated another elegant female form over whose rich brown tresses was thrown a transparent veil of white gauze according to the graceful fashion of the times, her head was resting on her hand in a pensive posture & when the Duke & his guest were announced she did not rise nor give any other symptom of being conscious of their presence except a sudden & convulsive start, the Duchess however left her seat & advanced to meet St Clair with a benignant smile.

“I was sure” said she “that Justice would be done & that your fame would come out of the fiery ordeal seven times purified, now my lord will you permit me to introduce you to a friend of mine, here lovef (addressing the silent lady)
^tt
is one whom Fortune has severely tried & who now expects from her & you a recompense for all he has suffered.”

the lady rose, threw back her veil, there was a momentary pause, a joyful exclamation & St Clair clasped to his bosom his dear & long- lost Emily, it now only remains for me to explain how this happy catastrophe was brought about which duty I shall discharge as briefly as possible.

During a period of four weeks lady Emily had pined in her lonely prison under the surveillance of the wretched Bertha who regularly visited her three times a day to supply her with food but at all other times remained in a distant part of the castle. at the usual hour on the first day of the fith week she did not make her appearance, lady Emily whose appetite was much impaired by grief & confinement at first was rather pleased than otherwise with the ommission. but when night came she began to feel some symptoms of hunger. the next day likewise elapsed & neither food nor drink passed her now parched & quivering lips. On the morning of the third day she was reduced to such a state of weakness from inanition that she felt totally unable to leave her bed, while she lay there expecting death & almost wishing for it The tramp of a heavy step in the antichamber & the sound of a gruff voice calling out “Is there any living body besides owls & bats in this here old ancient heap of a ruin?”, roused her from the lethargic stupor into which she had fallen. Collecting her remaining strength with a strong effort she answered that there was an unhappy woman
^lr
nprisoned here who would give much for deliverance & a restoration to her friends .

apparently the querist heard her voice faint as it was for he immediately broke open the door of her chamber & appeared in the shape of a tall & athletic man dressed in the usual garb of rare lads & armed with a long fowling peice. “What’s to do with you poor heart that you look so pale & thin?” said he advancing towards her. she shortly informed him that she had eaten nothing for three days & begged a little food for the love of heaven, he directly took from a pouch which was slung over his shoulders a little bread & cheese. While she was eating these coarse though acceptable viands he told her that his name was Dick Crack- Skull & that while poaching a bit in the forest he had lit upon this old Tower which from motives of idle curiosity he had entered through one of the unglazed windows, that in his perambulations through the desolate halls he had to his horror stumbled on the corpse of an old & hideous woman who to his mind looked for all the world like a witch; that he then supposed that there must be some other inhabitants & so had gone on bawling as he went till he reached the antichamber of lady Emily’s appartment whose life he had thus been the providential means of saving.

The next day after covering Bertha’s dead body with a heap of stones Dick set out with his charge for Verdopolis. on arriving there he accompanied the lady at her own desire to Waterloo Palace. here she put herself under the Duchess’s protection who after bestowing on Dick a reward that made his heart leap for joy dismissed him with all honour, from my mother the unfortunate damsel received the most tender & assiduous Kindness insomuch that she won her entire confidence & all the tale of Lady Emily’s mournful loves was poured into her beloved patronesse’s sympathizing ear. When the news of lord St Clair’s incarceration for high treason arrived her grief may be better imagined than described, But now the pleasure of this happy meeting when she received her lover with life untouched & honour unsullied more than counterbalanced all her past tears & agony. The good old Marquis of Charlesworth was now easily brought to consent to their union & according to all accounts never was felicity so lasting & unbroken as that which crowned the future lives of the noble Earl of St Clair & the beautiful Lady Emily Charlesworth.

Having thus wound up the denoument of my brief & jejeune narrative I will conclude by a glance at the future fortunes of Colonel Percy & his accomplice. The Sentence of Death which had been passed on the former was afterwards commuted to exile for sixteen years, during this period he wandered through the world sometimes a Pirate, sometimes a leader of Banditti & ever the companion of the most dissolute & profligate of mankind. At the expiration of the term of banishment, he returned to Verdopolis, broken both in health & fortune to claim the inheritance of his uncle the Duke of Beaufort who had been for some time dead, on enquiry however he found that that Nobleman had married shortly after his disgrace became known & had become the father of two sons on whom consequently his estates & title devolved, thus baffled the Colonel turned his attention to political affairs &, finding himself disowned by all his relations discarded his real name & assumed a feigned one. Few now can recognize in that seditious demagogue that worn out & faded debauchee Alexander Rogue Viscount Ellrington, the once brilliant & handsome young soldier Colonel Augustus Percy.’ as for Andrew when he was released from his service on the galleys he became a printer’s devil, from thence he rose to the office of compositor & being of a saving & pilfering disposition he at length by some means acquired money enough to purchase a commission in the army, he then took to the trade of author published drivelling rhymes which he called Poetry & snivelling tales which went under the denomination of novels. I need say no more, many are yet living who can discover a passage in the early life of Captain Tree in this my Tale of the Green Dwarf.

Charlotte Bronte September 2nd 1833

Finis

A portrait of Emily made by her brother

This is the only novel by Emily Brontë, which was first published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.
 
A second edition was edited by her sister Charlotte after Emily’s early death.
 
The name of the novel comes from the Yorkshire manor on the moors on which the story is set, yet ‘wuthering’ is a Yorkshire word for turbulent weather. The novel tells the tale of the consuming
 
and passionate, yet thwarted love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.
 
Now considered a classic of English literature,
Wuthering Heights
received mixed critical reviews when first published, mainly due to its stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty.