Page:Lady Anne Granard 3.pdf/123

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LADY ANNE GRANARD.
121

left town, Mr. Palmer had a letter informing him that they were now on their way to Exeter, finding it impossible to give up the hope of assisting Lord Meersbrook, who was harassing himself to death in traversing the coast along Devonshire and Cornwall; and who, undoubtedly, as the weather was at the present moment favourable, would set out to seek his brother, or rather the wreck of his brother's vessel (however hopeless the search might be), if he had not faithfully promised them to abstain from it for their sakes. The letter added, "that they had no doubt but that he would come to them at Exeter, and perhaps conduct them to Plymouth."

The circumstances attending this family had been frequently discussed in Rotheles Castle (where they were beginning to talk of the London campaign, for which, every year of his life, Lord Rotheles expressed less liking), and it always was a subject of great interest to the Earl, who, every day, in his airing, called on the baronet's aged tenant, whom we have mentioned, either to tell him what was said in the newspapers, or inquire "what had been communicated by his youngest son, who was Sir Edward's personal attendant?"—At length the news ran thus—

"Ah! well-a-day, my lord, we shall never set eyes on Sir Edward again, for certain—he have gone all the way to Exeter, an he'll never live to