Charlotte Smith

“ He left his horse fastened to a hook evidently placed for such purposes on the rails, and entering the court, rapped gently at the door; a red-headed boy of fifteen or sixteen, with an apron on, opened it, and seeing a young and genteel looking man, invited him in, and asked what he pleased to want. Once more D'Alonville enquired the way to Captain Caverly's—to a place called Fernyhurst. The lad, who seemed to have his ideas occupied by the drugs he was mixing, understood no more than the rest had done what D'Alonville wanted ”

“ But if he became thus warmly interested for them, while he only knew them as women, who were, like him, unhappy in being torn from their connections, and compelled to wander helpless and desolate in a foreign country, his zeal to serve, befriend, and protect them to the utmost of his power was redoubled, when he learned that he had been conversing with the mother and the wife of de Touranges, a man for whom, though he could not love him, he felt the tenderest compassion ”

“ It was owing to his encouragement that Edward Ellesmere assumed courage enough to declare his dislike to the law; and he had assisted him to the utmost of his power during his travels. To such an uncle it was natural for Edward to wish to pay his respects as soon as he could, after his return into Staffordshire, and at the end of ten days he set out on horseback, with D'Alonville, and at the hour of Captain Caverly's dinner, they arrived at Fernyhurst, which was the name of the farm where the honest veteran resided. ”

“ D'Alonville on the rack, and knowing that if she continued to speak French, he should never know what she meant, acquired recollection and English enough to say, that though he was a native of France he was fortunate enough to understand a little English; and begged she would have the goodness to flatter his predilection for that language, so far as to converse with him in it. The lady who could not have gone on in any other, obligingly condescended to his request, and—"So Sir," said she," as I was saying, the ladies, our lodgers, are as may be supposed, in the greatest affliction ”

“ The obliging Miss Sanderson took the note when he had folded it up, and after an absence, which D'Alonville's impatience made him think would be eternal, she came back with another small folded note, to this effect:—
"The ladies who inhabit this house, though they have not the honor of knowing the Chevalier D'Alonville, yet recollecting the name, and having no doubt of his having quitted France from the same unfortunate cause as drove them from it, cannot decline receiving the favor he offers them ”