Best bring Fanny and
your mother soon to France. Madge will never tell, if she learns; I'll
warrant her for that. To think of it!--the dear old house in Queen
Street, and the boys and girls we used to play with--Tom's fate--and
now Ned's--Fanny in England--and Madge--! Was ever such diversity of
destinies in so small a family?"
He fell into his thoughts: of what strange parts we play in the world,
how different from those anybody would predict for us in our
childhood--how different, from those we then predict for ourselves.
And so we were borne across the Thames, looking back to get our last
view of St. Paul's dome for some time to come; through Southwark, and
finally into the country. The postilions kept the horses at a good
gait Southward. We did not urge them to this, for indeed we saw but
little necessity for great haste, as there was likely to be some time
ere Falconer's death became known to the authorities, and some time
longer ere it was traced to us. But as Mr. Idsleigh, before getting
out of the way himself, _might_ take means to lay written information
against us, which would serve at least to put the minions of the law
on the right track, and as we might be subjected to some delay at
Hastings, we saw no reason to repress the postilions' zeal, either.
In our second stage we were not favoured with so energetic conductors,
and in our third we had unfit horses. So we had occasion to be glad of
our excellent start.
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