The next day Humphrey was busied in his preparations. They supplied
the provisions to Clara's cottage; and when Pablo took them over in
the cart, Humphrey rode to Lymington and provided a conveyance to
London for the following day. We may as well observe, that they set
off at the hour appointed, and arrived safely at London in three days.
There, at an address given in a letter, they found the coach waiting;
and having given his sisters into the charge of an elderly waiting-
woman, who had come up in the coach to take charge of them, they
quitted him with many tears, and Humphrey hastened back to the New
Forest.
On his return, he found to his surprise that Edward had not called at
the cottage as he had promised; and with a mind foreboding evil, he
mounted a horse and set off across the forest to ascertain the cause.
As he was close to the intendant's house he was met by Oswald, who
informed him that Edward had been seized with a violent fever, and was
in a very dangerous state, having been delirious for three or four
days.
Humphrey hastened to dismount, and knocked at the door of the house;
it was opened by Sampson, and Humphrey requested to be shown up to his
brother's room. He found Edward in the state described by Oswald, and
wholly unconscious of his presence; the maid, Phoebe, was by his
bedside.
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