The precaution
was, however, unnecessary. There stood Clarence on deck, and after
the first greeting, he laid his hand on Martyn's arm and said, 'My
mother is gone?' and on the wondering assent, 'I was quite sure of
it.'
So they came ashore, Clarence lying in the man-of-war's boat, in
which his friend insisted on sending him, able now to give a smiling
response and salute to the three cheers with which the crew took
leave of him. He was carried up to our hotel on a stretcher by
half-a-dozen blue jackets. Indeed he was grievously changed,
looking so worn and weak, so hollow-eyed and yellow, and so
fearfully wasted, that the very memory is painful; and able to do
nothing but lie on the sofa holding Emily's hand, gazing at us with
a face full of ineffable peace and gladness. There was a misgiving
upon me that he had only come back to finish his work and bid us
farewell.
Kindly and considerately they had sent him on before with Martyn.
In a quarter of an hour's time his good doctor came in with Lawrence
Frith, a considerable contrast to our poor Clarence, for the slim
gypsy lad had developed into a strikingly handsome man, still
slender and lithe, but with a fine bearing, and his bronzed
complexion suiting well with his dark shining hair and beautiful
eyes. They had brought some of the luggage, and the doctor insisted
that his patient should go to bed directly, and rest completely
before trying to talk.
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