He placed on his finger the remarkable ring intrusted
to his care by Richard Middlemas, and
endeavoured to make it conspicuous in approaching
Mrs Witherington; taking care, however, that
this occurred during her husband's absence. Her
eyes had no sooner caught a sight of the gem, than
they became riveted to it, and she begged a nearer
sight of it, as strongly resembling one which she
had given to a friend. Taking the ring from his
finger, and placing it in her emaciated band, Hartley
informed her it was the property of the friend
in whom he had just been endeavouring to interest
the General. Mrs Witherington retired in great
emotion, but next day summoned Hartley to a
private interview, the particulars of which, so far
as are necessary to be known, shall be afterwards
related.
On the succeeding day after these important
discoveries, Middlemas, to his great delight, was
rescued from his seclusion in the Hospital, and
transferred to his comrade's lodgings in the town
of Ryde, of which Hartley himself was a rare inmate;
the anxiety of Mrs Witherington detaining
him at the General's house, long after his medical
attendance might have been dispensed with.
Within two or three days a commission arrived
for Richard Middlemas, as a lieutenant in the
service of the East India Company.
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