It seemed to him, as if the dying man was making incessant appeals to his aid, without its being in his power to afford it.

It was not possible for a generous man, like Sir Gervaise, to submit to such a feeling without an effort; and he soon went to the side of the bed, again, determined to bring the affair to some intelligible issue.
"Do you think, Sir Wycherly, you could write a few lines, if we put pen, ink, and paper before you ?" he asked, as a sort of desperate remedy.
"Impossible--can hardly see; have got no strength--stop--will try--if you please." Sir Gervaise was delighted with this, and he immediately directed his companions to lend their assistance.

Atwood and the vicar bolstered the old man up, and the admiral put the writing materials before him, substituting a large quarto bible for a desk.

Sir Wycherly, after several abortive attempts, finally got the pen in his hand, and with great difficulty traced six or seven nearly illegible words, running the line diagonally across the paper.

By this time his powers failed him altogether, and he sunk back, dropping the pen, and closing his eyes in a partial insensibility.