“What’s the matter, Mr. Gustavus?”
“Well, Captain, I disobeyed your orders. I could not resist going to that ship and fighting for the King; but here I am with my shoulder shot to pieces.”
“I am very sorry, Mr. Gustavus,” replied Captain Sutherland. “Are you hurt very badly? I will send the ship’s surgeon to you.”
The surgeon came and dressed the wound and set the collar-bone, that had been broken. He put Barclugh under strict orders that he must not move out of bed for two or three days.
These three days were like sackcloth and ashes to Barclugh. He was feverish to get to Philadelphia, but the wound chastened his soul. He grew sick at heart, when he lay bandaged up, and the words of Mollie Greydon rang in his ears:
“Had I but serv’d my God with half the zeal
“I serv’d my king,—”
He tossed restlessly, smarting under the pangs of a contrite heart, and muttered to himself again and again:
“If I only had half of the simplicity and happiness of the new settler, Benjamin Andrews, all the drafts on the Bank of Amsterdam that I have on my person would be freely given. If my life were linked with a pure and lofty spirit like Mollie Greydon, and living on some lovely estate like Dorminghurst, how free from all of this turmoil and strife my life would be! No war!! No great need of money!!! No jealousy!!!! Just living serenely for the happiness of those around me and for the glory of my Creator!”
If the sublime presence of a sweet and tender woman had been able to minister to Barclugh at this crisis of his soul, the better nature within him would have triumphed over his sordidness, and he would have given up to the better dictates of his conscience. However, he fell into a deep slumber, and when he awoke his body had become rested and refreshed. Stern ambition was uppermost in his mind again, and he began to plan to get back to Philadelphia.