He endeavoured more than once to get up, and even
to disentangle himself from her embrace, but she hung about his
neck like a mill-stone (no bad emblem of matrimony), and if my
man had not proved a stanch auxiliary, those two lovers would in
all probability have gone hand in hand to the shades below -- For
my part, I was too much engaged to take any cognizance of their
distress. -- I snatched out my sister by the hair of the head, and,
dragging her to the bank, recollected that my uncle had, not yet
appeared -- Rushing again into the stream, I met Clinker hauling
ashore Mrs Jenkins, who looked like a mermaid with her hair
dishevelled about her ears; but, when I asked if his master was
safe, he forthwith shook her from him, and she must have gone to
pot, if a miller had not seasonably come to her relief. -- As for
Humphry, he flew like lightning, to the coach, that was by this
time filled with water, and, diving into it, brought up the poor
'squire, to all appearance, deprived of life -- It is not in my
power to describe what I felt at this melancholy spectacle -- it
was such an agony as baffles all description! The faithful
Clinker, taking him up in his arms, as if he had been an infant
of six months, carried him ashore, howling most piteously all the
way, and I followed him in a transport of grief and
consternation -- When he was laid upon the grass and turned from
side to side, a great quantity of water ran out at his mouth,
then he opened his eyes, and fetched a deep sigh.
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