AS O'BRIEN SAID, IT'S A LONG LANE THAT HAS NO TURNING--I AM RESCUED, AND
HAPPINESS POURS IN UPON ME AS FAST AS MISERY BEFORE OVERWHELMED ME.
The shock was too great--I fell back on my pillow insensible. How long
I lay, I know not, but when I recovered, the keeper was gone, and I
found a jug of water and some bread by the side of the bed. I drank the
water, and the effect it had upon me was surprising. I felt that I
could get up, and I rose: my arms had been unpinioned during my swoon.
It was about noon that the medical people, attended by the keepers and
others, came into my apartment.
"Is he quite quiet?"
"O Lord! yes, sir, as quiet as a lamb," replied the man who had before
entered.
I then spoke to the medical gentleman, begging him to tell why, and how,
I had been brought here. He answered mildly and soothingly, saying that
I was there at the wish of my friends, and that every care would be
taken of me; that he was aware that my paroxysms were only occasional,
and that, during the time that I was quiet, I should have every
indulgence that could be granted, and that he hoped that I soon should
be perfectly well, and be permitted to leave the hospital. I replied by
stating who I was, and how I had been taken ill. The doctor shook his
head, advised me to lie down as much as possible, and then quitted me to
visit the other patients.
As I afterwards discovered, my uncle had had me confined upon the plea
that I was a young man, who was deranged with an idea that his name was
Simple, and that he was the heir to the title and estates; that I was
very troublesome at times, forcing my way into his house and insulting
the servants, but in every other respect was harmless; that my paroxysms
generally ended in a violent fever, and that it was more from the fear
of my coming to some harm, than from any ill-will towards the poor young
man, that he wished me to remain in the hospital, and be taken care of.
The reader may at once perceive the art of this communication: I, having
no idea why I was confined, would of course continue to style myself by
my true name; and as long as I did this, so long would I be considered
in a deranged state. The reader must not therefore be surprised when I
tell him, that I remained in Bedlam for one year and eight months. The
doctor called upon me for two or three days, and finding me quiet,
ordered me to be allowed books, paper, and ink, to amuse myself; but
every attempt at explanation was certain to be the signal for him to
leave my apartment. I found, therefore, not only by him, but from the
keeper, who paid no attention to anything I said, that I had no chance
of being listened to, or of obtaining my release.
After the first month, the doctor came to me no more: I was a quiet
patient, and he received the report of the keeper. I was sent there
with every necessary document to prove that I was mad; and, although a
very little may establish a case of lunacy, it requires something very
strong indeed, to prove that you are in your right senses. In Bedlam I
found it impossible. At the same time I was well treated, was allowed
all necessary comforts, and such amusement as could be obtained from
books, etcetera. I had no reason to complain of the keeper--except that
he was too much employed to waste his time in listening to what he did
not believe. I wrote several letters to my sister and to O'Brien during
the first two or three months, and requested the keeper to put them in
the post. This he promised to do, never refusing to take the letters;
but, as I afterwards found out, they were invariably destroyed. Yet I
still bore up with the hopes of release for some time; but the anxiety
relative to my sister, when I thought of her situation, my thoughts of
Celeste and of O'Brien, sometimes quite overcame me; then, indeed, I
would almost become frantic, and the keeper would report that I had had
a paroxysm. After six months I became melancholy, and I wasted away. I
no longer attempted to amuse myself, but sat all day with my eyes fixed
upon vacancy. I no longer attended to my person; I allowed my beard to
grow--my face was never washed, unless mechanically, when ordered by the
keeper; and, if I was not mad, there was every prospect of my soon
becoming so. Life passed away as a blank--I had become indifferent to
everything--I noted time no more--the change of seasons was
unperceived--even the day and the night followed without my regarding
them.
I was in this unfortunate situation, when one day the door was opened,
and, as had been often the custom during my imprisonment, visitors were
going round the establishment, to indulge their curiosity, in witnessing
the degradation of their fellow-creatures, or to offer their
commiseration. I paid no heed to them, not even casting up my eyes.
"This young man," said the medical gentleman who accompanied the party,
"has entertained the strange idea that his name is Simple, and that he
is the rightful heir to the title and property of Lord Privilege."
One of the visitors came up to me, and looked me in the face. "And so
he is," cried he, to the doctor, who looked with astonishment. "Peter,
don't you know me?" I started up. It was General O'Brien. I flew into
his arms, and burst into tears.
"Sir," said General O'Brien, leading me to the chair, and seating me
upon it, "I tell you that _is_ Mr Simple, the nephew of Lord Privilege;
and, I believe the heir to the title. If, therefore, his assertion of
such being the case, is the only proof of his insanity, he is illegally
confined. I am here, a foreigner, and a prisoner on parole; but I am
not without friends. My Lord Belmore," said he, turning to another of
the visitors who had accompanied him, "I pledge you my honour that what
I state is true; and I request you will immediately demand the release
of this poor young man."
"I assure you, sir, that I have Lord Privilege's letter," observed the
doctor.
"Lord Privilege is a scoundrel," replied General O'Brien. "But there is
justice to be obtained in this country, and he shall pay dearly for his
_lettre de cachet_. My dear Peter, how fortunate was my visit to this
horrid place! I have heard so much of the excellent arrangements of
this establishment, that I agreed to walk round with Lord Belmore; but I
find that it is abused."
"Indeed, General O'Brien, I have been treated with kindness," replied I;
"and particularly by this gentleman. It was not his fault."
General O'Brien and Lord Belmore then inquired of the doctor if he had
any objection to my release.
"None whatever, my lord, even if he were insane; although I see now how
I have been imposed upon. We allow the friends of any patient to remove
him, if they think that they can pay him more attention. He may leave
with you this moment."
I now did feel my brain turn with the revulsion from despair to hope,
and I fell back in my seat. The doctor perceiving my condition, bled me
copiously, and laid me on the bed, where I remained more than an hour,
watched by General O'Brien. I then got up, calm and thankful. I was
shaved by the barber of the establishment, washed and dressed myself,
and, leaning on the general's arm, was led out. I cast my eyes upon the
two celebrated stone figures of Melancholy and Raving Madness; as I
passed them, I trembled, and clung more tightly to the general's arm,
was assisted into the carriage, and bade farewell to madness and misery.
The general said nothing until we approached the hotel where he resided,
in Dover Street; and then he inquired, in a low voice, whether I could
bear more excitement.
"Is it Celeste you mean, general?"
"It is, my dear boy, she is here;" and he squeezed my hand.
"Alas!" cried I, "what hopes have I now of Celeste?"
"More than you had before," replied the general. "She lives but for
you; and if you are a beggar, I have a competence to make you
sufficiently comfortable."
I returned the general's pressure of the hand, but could not speak. We
descended, and in a minute I was led by the father into the arms of the
astonished and delighted daughter.
I must pass over a few days, during which I had almost recovered my
health and spirits; and had narrated my adventures to General O'Brien
and Celeste. My first object was to discover my sister. What had
become of poor Ellen, in the destitute condition in which she had been
left, I knew not; and I resolved to go down to the vicarage, and make
inquiries. I did not, however, set off until a legal adviser had been
sent for by General O'Brien; and due notice given to Lord Privilege of
an action to be immediately brought against him for false imprisonment.
I set off in the mail, and the next evening arrived at the town of ---.
I hastened to the parsonage, and the tears stood in my eyes as I thought
of my mother, my poor father, and the peculiar and doubtful situation of
my dear sister. I was answered by a boy in livery, and found the
present incumbent at home. He received me politely, listened to my
story, and then replied, that my sister had set off for London on the
day of his arrival, and that she had not communicated her intentions to
any one. Here, then, was all clue lost, and I was in despair, I walked
to the town in time to throw myself into the mail, and the next evening
joined Celeste and the general, to whom I communicated the unpleasant
intelligence, and requested advice how to proceed.
Lord Belmore called the next morning, and the general consulted him.
His lordship took great interest in my concerns; and, previous to any
further steps, advised me to step into his carriage, and allow him to
relate my case to the First Lord of the Admiralty. This was done
immediately; and, as I had now an opportunity of speaking freely to his
lordship, I explained to him the conduct of Captain Hawkins, and his
connexion with my uncle; also the reason of my uncle's persecution. His
lordship finding me under such powerful protection as Lord Belmore's,
and having an eye to my future claims, which my uncle's conduct gave him
reason to suppose were well founded, was extremely gracious, and said,
that I should hear from him in a day or two. He kept his word, and on
the third day after my interview, I received a note, announcing my
promotion to the rank of commander. I was delighted with this good
fortune, as was General O'Brien and Celeste.
When at the Admiralty, I inquired about O'Brien, and found that he was
expected home every day. He had gained great reputation in the East
Indies, was chief in command at the taking of some of the islands, and,
it was said, was to be created a baronet for his services. Everything
wore a favourable aspect, excepting the disappearance of my sister.
This was a weight on my mind I could not remove.
But I have forgotten to inform the reader by what means General O'Brien
and Celeste arrived so opportunely in England. Martinique had been
captured by our forces about six months before, and the whole of the
garrison surrendered as prisoners of war. General O'Brien was sent
home, and allowed to be on parole; although born a Frenchman, he had
very high connections in Ireland, of whom Lord Belmore was one. When
they arrived, they had made every inquiry for me without success: they
knew that I had been tried by a court-martial and dismissed my ship, but
after that, no clue could be found for my discovery.
Celeste, who was fearful that some dreadful accident had occurred to me,
had suffered very much in health, and General O'Brien, perceiving how
much his daughter's happiness depended upon her attachment for me, had
made up his mind that if I were found, we should be united. I hardly
need say how delighted he was when he discovered me, though in a
situation so little to be envied.
The story of my incarceration, of the action to be brought against my
uncle, and the reports of foul play, relative to the succession, had, in
the meantime, been widely circulated among the nobility; and I found
that, every attention was paid me, and I was repeatedly invited out as
an object of curiosity and speculation. The loss of my sister also was
a subject of much interest, and many people, from good will, made every
inquiry to discover her. I had returned one day from the solicitor's,
who had advertised for her in the newspapers without success, when I
found a letter for me on the table, in an Admiralty enclosure. I opened
it--the enclosure was one from O'Brien, who had just cast anchor at
Spithead, and who had requested that the letter should be forwarded to
me, if any one could tell my address.
"MY DEAR PETER,--Where are, and what has become of, you? I have
received no letters for these two years, and I have fretted myself to
death. I received your letter about the rascally court-martial; but,
perhaps, you have not heard that the little scoundrel is dead. Yes,
Peter; he brought your letter out in his own ship, and that was his
death-warrant. I met him at a private party. He brought up your
name--I allowed him to abuse you, and then told him he was a liar and
a scoundrel; upon which he challenged me, very much against his will;
but the affront was so public, that he couldn't help himself. Upon
which I shot him, with all the good-will in the world, and could he
have jumped up again twenty times, like Jack in the box, I would have
shot him every time. The dirty scoundrel! but there's an end of him.
Nobody pitied him, for every one hated him; and the admiral only
looked grave, and then was very much obliged to me for giving him a
vacancy for his nephew. By-the-bye, from some unknown hand, but I
presume from the officers of his ship, I received a packet of
correspondence between him and your worthy uncle, which is about as
elegant a piece of rascality as ever was carried on between two
scoundrels; but that's not all, Peter. I've got a young woman for
you, who will make your heart glad--not Mademoiselle Celeste, for I
don't know where she is--but the wet-nurse who went out to India. Her
husband was sent home as an invalid, and she was allowed her passage
home with him in my frigate. Finding that he belonged to the
regiment, I talked to him about one O'Sullivan who married in Ireland,
and mentioned the girl's name, and when he discovered that she was a
countryman of mine, he told me that his real name was O'Sullivan, sure
enough, but that he had always served as O'Connell, and that his wife
on board was the young woman in question. Upon which, I sent to speak
to her, and telling her that I knew all about it, and mentioning the
names of Ella Flanagan, and her mother, who had given me the
information, she was quite astonished; and when I asked her what had
become of the child which she took in place of her own, she told me
that it had been drowned at Plymouth, and that her husband was saved
at the same time by a young officer, `whose name I have here,' says
she; and then she pulled out of her neck your card, with Peter Simple
on it. `Now,' says I, `do you know, good woman, that in helping on
the rascally exchange of children, you ruin that very young man who
saved your husband, for you deprive him of his title and property?'
She stared like a stuck pig, when I said so, and then cursed and
blamed herself, and declared she'd right you as soon as we came home;
and most anxious she is still to do so, for she loves the very name of
you; so you see, Peter, a good action has its reward sometimes in this
world, and a bad action also, seeing as how I've shot that confounded
villain who dared to ill-use you. I have plenty more to say to you,
Peter; but I don't like writing what, perhaps, may never be read, so
I'll wait till I hear from you; and then, as soon as I get through my
business, we will set to and trounce that scoundrel of an uncle. I
have twenty thousand pounds jammed together in the consolidated,
besides the Spice Islands, which will be a pretty penny; and every
farthing of it shall go to right you, Peter, and make a lord of you,
as I promised you often that you should be; and if you win you shall
pay, and if you don't, then damn the luck and damn the money too. I
beg you will offer my best regards to Miss Ellen, and say how happy I
shall be to hear that she is well; but it has always been on my mind,
Peter, that your father did not leave too much behind him, and I wish
to know how you both get on. I left you a _carte blanche_ at my
agent's, and I only hope that you have taken advantage of it, if
required; if not, you're not the Peter that I left behind me. So now,
farewell, and don't forget to answer my letter in no time.
"Ever yours, _Terence O'Brien_."
This was indeed joyful intelligence. I handed the letter to General
O'Brien, who read it; Celeste hanging over his shoulder, and perusing it
at the same time.
"This is well," said the general. "Peter, I wish you joy; and, Celeste,
I ought to wish you joy also, at your future prospects. It will indeed
be a gratification if ever I hail you as Lady Privilege."
"Celeste," said I, "you did not reject me when I was penniless, and in
disgrace. O my poor sister Ellen! if I could but find you, how happy
should I be!"
I sat down to write to O'Brien, acquainting him with all that had
occurred, and the loss of my dear sister. The day after the receipt of
my letter, O'Brien burst into the room. After the first moments of
congratulation were past, he said, "My heart's broke, Peter, about your
sister Ellen: find her I must. I shall give up my ship, for I'll never
give up the search as long as I live. I must find her."
"Do, pray, my dear O'Brien, and I only wish--"
"Wish what, Peter? shall I tell you what I wish?--that if I find her;
you'll give her to me for my trouble."
We then turned round to General O'Brien and Celeste.
"Captain O'Brien," said the general.
"Sir Terence O'Brien, if you please, general. His Majesty has given me
a handle to my name."
"I congratulate you, Sir Terence," said the general, shaking him by the
hand; "what I was about to say is, that I hope you will take up your
quarters at this hotel, and we will all live together. I trust we shall
soon find Ellen: in the meanwhile, we have no time to lose, in our
exposure of Lord Privilege. Is the woman in town?"
"Yes, and under lock and key; but the devil a fear of her. Millions
would not bribe her to wrong him who risked his life for her husband.
She's Irish, general, to the back-bone. Nevertheless, Peter, we must go
to our solicitor, to give the intelligence, that he may take the
necessary steps."
For three weeks, O'Brien was diligent in his search for Ellen, employing
every description of emissary without success. In the meanwhile, the
general and I were prosecuting our cause against Lord Privilege. One
morning, Lord Belmore called upon us, and asked the general if we would
accompany him to the theatre, to see two celebrated pieces performed.
In the latter, which was a musical farce, a new performer was to come
out of whom report spoke highly. Celeste consented, and after an early
dinner, we joined his lordship in his private box, which was above the
stage, on the first tier. The first piece was played, and Celeste, who
had never seen the performance of Young, was delighted. The curtain
then drew up for the second piece. In the second act, the new
performer, a Miss Henderson, was led by the manager on the stage; she
was apparently much frightened and excited, but three rounds of applause
gave her courage, and she proceeded. At the very first notes of her
voice I was startled, and O'Brien, who was behind, threw himself forward
to look at her; but as we were almost directly above, and her head was
turned the other way, we could not distinguish her features. As she
proceeded in her song, she gained courage, and her face was turned
towards us, and she cast her eyes up--saw me--the recognition was
mutual--I held out my arm, but could not speak--she staggered, and fell
down in a swoon.
"'Tis Ellen!" cried O'Brien, rushing past me; and, making one spring
down on the stage, he carried her off, before any other person could
come to her assistance. I followed him, and found him with Ellen still
in his arms, and the actresses assisting in her recovery. The manager
came forward to apologise, stating that the young lady was too ill to
proceed, and the audience, who had witnessed the behaviour of O'Brien
and myself, were satisfied with the romance in real life which had been
exhibited. Her part was read by another, but the piece was little
attended to, every one trying to find out the occasion of this uncommon
occurrence. In the meantime, Ellen was put into a hackney-coach by
O'Brien and me, and we drove to the hotel, where we were soon joined by
the general and Celeste.