"Fled! What has been done to trace her?" cried the Major.
"Nothing could be done till my mother was gone and my uncle returned.
The delirium was on me, and whatever I tried to say turned to raving,
all the worse if I saw or heard my mother, till Dr. Sandys forbade
her coming near me. She was invited to the Queen's Sunday card party
moreover, so she fortunately quitted Bowstead just before Mr. Belamour's
return."
"Poor gentleman, he could do nothing," said Betty.
"Indeed I should have thought so, but it seems that he only needed a
shock to rouse him. His state had become hypochondriacal, and this
strong emotion has caused him to exert himself; and when he came into
the daylight, he found he could bear it. I could scarce believe my
eyes when, on awakening from a sleep, I found him by my bedside,
promising me that if I would only remain still, he would use every
endeavour to recover the dear one. He went first to Brentford,
thinking she might have joined her sister there, but Mr. and Mrs.
Arden had left it at the same time as she did. Then he travelled
on to their Rectory at Rundell Canonicorum, thinking she might have
followed them, but they had only just arrived, and had heard nothing
of her; and he next sought her with his friend the Canon of Windsor,
but all in vain.
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