He lay in this state, free from all tokens
of uneasiness, for a whole week, when he was suddenly restored to
consciousness by hearing the nurse whisper in his son's ear that he was
going. 'I'm a-going, Joseph,' said Mr Willet, turning round upon the
instant, 'to the Salwanners'--and immediately gave up the ghost.
He left a large sum of money behind him; even more than he was supposed
to have been worth, although the neighbours, according to the custom of
mankind in calculating the wealth that other people ought to have saved,
had estimated his property in good round numbers. Joe inherited the
whole; so that he became a man of great consequence in those parts, and
was perfectly independent.
Some time elapsed before Barnaby got the better of the shock he had
sustained, or regained his old health and gaiety. But he recovered
by degrees: and although he could never separate his condemnation and
escape from the idea of a terrific dream, he became, in other respects,
more rational. Dating from the time of his recovery, he had a better
memory and greater steadiness of purpose; but a dark cloud overhung his
whole previous existence, and never cleared away.
He was not the less happy for this, for his love of freedom and interest
in all that moved or grew, or had its being in the elements, remained
to him unimpaired.
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