The String of Pearls (1850), p. 181

"He is dead—he is dead!"
"No such thing, madam," said Colonel Jeffery. "He only sleeps."
"But, oh deary me, what makes him look so old and so strange now? He was bad enough when I saw him last, poor fellow, but not like this."
"He has received ill-usage from someone, and that is precisely what we want to find out. If you can get from him the particulars of what he has suffered, we will take care those who have made him suffer shall not escape."
"Bless you, gentlemen, what's the use of that if my poor boy is killed?"
There was a good home truth in these words from Mrs. Ragg, although, upon the score of general social policy, they might well be answered. An argument with Mrs. Ragg, however, upon such a subject was not very a-propos. The colonel made her sit down by Tobias's bed-side, and he was then upon the point of remarking to his friend, the captain, that it would be as well since so many hours had passed, to send for the medical man, when that personage made his appearance.
"Has he awakened?" he asked.
"No—not yet."
"Oh, I see you have a nurse."
"It is his mother. We hope that she, by talking to him familiarly, may produce a good effect, and possibly rid him of that bewilderment of intellect under which he now labours. What think you, sir?"
"That it is a good thought. Let us darken the room as much as possible, as twilight will be most grateful to him upon awakening, which he must do shortly."
The curtains of the window were so arranged that the room was in a state of semi-darkness, and then they all waited with no small anxiety for Tobias to recover from the deep and death-like sleep that had come over him. After about five minutes he moved uneasily and uttered a low moan.

u Speak to him, Mrs. a— a—what's your name?"

" R a gg> s i r -"

"Aye, Ragg, just speak to him ; of course he is well acquainted with your
voice, and it may have the effect of greatly rousing him from his lethargic
condition.''

Poor Mrs. Ragg considered that she had some very extraordinary post to
perform, and accordingly she collected lo her aid all her learning, which, inter-
rupted by her tears, and now and then by a sob, which she had to gulp down like
a large globule of castor oil, had certainly rather a droll effect.

w My dear Tobias — my dear — lie a bed, sluggard, you know — well, I never-
Put the kettle on, Polly, and let's all have tea. Tobias, my dear— bless us and save
us, are you going to stay in bed all day V

Another groan from Tobias.

u Well, my dear, perhaps you won't mind getting up and just running to-
wards the corner for a bunch of water cresses ? Dear heart alive, there goes the
muffin-man like a lamplighter P

It was by such domestic themes that Mrs. Ragg sought to recall the wander-
ing senses of poor Tobias to a cognizance of the present. But alas! his
thoughts were still in the dim and misty land of visions. Suddenly he spoke—

" Hush — hush ! There they come ! — elephants ! — elephants ! — on — on — on.
Now for the soldiers, and all mad— mad — mad ! Hide me in the straw— deep
in a world of straw. Hush ! He comes. Sing, oh sing again! — and he^-he
will not suspect."

The surgeon made a sign to Mrs. Ragg to speak again.

" Why, Tobias, my dear, what are you talking about ? Do you mean the
Elephant and Castle?"

u Call to his remembrance," said the surgeon, some old scenes."

€t Yes, sir, but when one's heart and all that sort of thing is in one's mouth
it's very difficult to recollect things oneself. Tobias t" — _

"Yes— yes. Ha— ha P

1\ was a low, plaintive, strange laugh that, that came from the poor boy whose