A Gift for Mrs. Sagely
A Gift for Mrs. Sagely To confirm Narcissa’s constancy, Mrs. Sagely shows Roderick the last letter her mistress wrote, in which he is mentioned with such tenderness and concern that he resolves to ride through the night. The venerable matron gently reminds him of the generous resolutions he carried abroad and warns him not to prejudice Narcissa’s fortune by his own selfish eagerness. Roderick thanks her, briefly describes his flourishing situation, and offers to make her old age comfortable by taking her to live with himself and Narcissa. Though moved to tears and grateful for his offer, she declines out of attachment to her lonely cottage. He then presses thirty guineas upon her, promises the same sum annually, and takes his leave.
Reunion with Morgan at Canterbury
Reunion with Morgan at Canterbury Having ridden all night, Roderick reaches Canterbury in the morning and, spying the name Morgan over an apothecary’s shop, discovers that his old messmate has settled there, married to a widow with three thousand pounds. He enters as a stranger, is at first coldly received, then recognised amid mortar, pestle, turpentine, and egg yolks, and embraced with effusion. Morgan relates that he returned from the West Indies a widower, served as surgeon in the navy, and now enjoys peace, money, and a comfortable trade. He is delighted by Roderick’s good fortune, initially exults over Mackshane’s distress but soon forgives him, laments Captain Oakum’s soul, and is overjoyed to learn that Thompson still lives. After breakfast with Morgan and his wife, Roderick takes his leave and presses on toward London.
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