CHAPTER 11.

Otago Witness, Issue 390, 21 May 1859, Page 9

CHAPTER 11.

" A friend in need is a friend indeed." — " One I good turu deserves another." — Old Sailings. , Four years have flitted by since the events i recorded in the last chapter occurred, and | wonderful, indeed, are the changes during that j period. Melbourne, then a small dirty town, I has become a splendid city, and it is to one of ' the most fashionable localities in this meti*o- j polis of the Southern Hemisphere that our ' - narrative now leads us. Availing ourselves of ; the privilege of an author, we will take a peep into the parlour of yonder noble-looking mansion. A lady is reclining upon the sofa, which is drawn before the fire. Her dark eyes, shaded [ by their magnificent lashes, are bent upon the i ground, following the motions of her foot, ' with which she is most industriously tracing ' the pattern on the rich hearth-rug ; but her thoughts are evidently unconnected with her ' employment — for, see, her foot has stopped, " yet her eyes .are still bent in the same direc3 tion, and her rich auburn hair, escaped from ' its confinement, is falling in uncontrolled 1 luxuriance around her form. Even the noise 2 which those three pretty little children are ' making does not seem to disturb her in the > least. They are playing in one of the window ' recesses, half hidden by the curtains, and from I the bursts of joyous laughter which occasions ally echo through the room, appear to be very r merry. Suddenly the eldest, a beautiful girl of c five summers, exclaims — "Oh! mamma, there's >' a cab stopped at our door, and four men carryr ing another up the steps, and Doctor Eyre c j and " but mamma is gone. Springing up, " without waiting until the child had finished, II she darted down stairs into the hall, where r she encountered her husband, accompanied by G another gentleman. Can it be possible ? they n look like old acquaintance of ours. Yes ; and ir so they are. It is in truth our old friends 0 Herbert Morton and the doctor, whom we us parted with four years ago. As soon as Ilern bert saw his wife, he said — " Mary, dear, pre,s, s pare a bedroom instantly ; there's a poor fellow 1S here with a broken leg. I'll explain aftcr'e wards." Calling a couple of the servants, who t s were all assembled in the hall, wondering IC what their master meant b) r bringing a sick ~ man to his house instead of letting him go to '" the hospital, Mrs. Morton went up-stairs, and a few minutes after sent word that the room c was ready. The sufferer was carefully conis vcyed to it, accompanied by Herbert and the 3r doctor. After seeing him comfortably settled, n » the former retired, lea\ ing the doctor to exa- *" mine his patient. Entering the parlour, where '" Mrs. Morton was anxiously awaiting him. 1C Herbert commenced to explain the scene w hicli -" had excited such curiosity below stairs. to « "\Vhile passing through Collins-street this °* evening," said lie, " I saw a crowd collected "' round some new buildings which are bem<; s " erected there. On enquiring what had hap^ l . r ' pened, I learned that one of the scaffolds hac in given way while three of the workmen wen ' ie on it. Two of them were killed on the spot ' ie and the third dangerously hurt. Pressim ,'" through the crowd to see if 1 could render tin or poor fellow any assistance, you may judge o *° my astonishment when 1 recognised in tin :rt poor injured bricklayer the man to whom w< m ' owe everything, even life itself; for it is th r \" Henry Lea who four years since saved m t s from destruction, and furnished me v\ ith mean *° of support. Of course I had him instant! 111 conveyed here, while I went for Doctor Eyr a " myself. Knowing who the unfortunate ma 3 '~ is, lam sure you will pay him every attentior for as far as 1 can learn he has no relations i ?v? v Melbourne. "We must therefore be everything to him." 1 a