Blackbeard Author:Unknown Author Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI. " Shall we kindle all this flame Only to put it out again ? And must we now give o'er, And only end where we begun ? In vain the mischief we h... more »ave done, If we can do no more." Denham. "AN you had seen the old gentleman, when be read the letter !" said Bob Asterley to Doctor East- lake : " he turned suddenly to me, as I stood near him, and shook hands, as if he were on a sudden dement with unexpected good news ; then he read the letter over again, and wiped a tear from his eyes; and then he threw his pipe at Nero, and gave him a crown, and bade him get drunk forthwith : then he fell to perusing the letter again, and smiled and wished me joy; then he called for the person who had brought him the letter; but the fellow, who was a Ohoptank, I believe, had disappeared almost immediately; whereupon, the major, without taking leave of any one, mounted his Shetland nag, and off to Erigson House at full speed. By all that's lovely ! I am afraid the old cock hath gone crazy!" " Unlooked-for news, doubtless !" observed East- lake. " Major Scheveling rode home, as Bob has already intimated, at full speed; leaped off his horse at the gate; hurried through the garden; found the gardener stooping over a geranium; tossed him head-over-heels into a turnip-patch; returned Fritz's respectful salutation at the hall- door by a loud laugh and a knowing wink ; tossed his three-cocked hat to Barbara, who was up to her elbows in dough in the kitchen ; gained his study, threw himself into his arm-chair, and burst into tears. " My dear, uncle," said Barbara, soothingly, as she cast hervariSj'around the old man's neck, " what is the matter ?" The veteran indulged in a full flow of tears ere he looked up; but having thus given free vent to his emotion, he became more co...« less