'Miss Hale is hurt, mother. A stone has grazed her temple. She

has lost a good deal of blood, I'm afraid.' 'She looks very seriously hurt,--I could almost fancy her dead,'

said Mrs. Thornton, a good deal alarmed.

'It is only a fainting-fit. She has spoken to me since.' But all

the blood in his body seemed to rush inwards to his heart as he

spoke, and he absolutely trembled.

'Go and call Jane,--she can find me the things I want; and do you

go to your Irish people, who are crying and shouting as if they

were mad with fright.' He went. He went away as if weights were

tied to every limb that bore him from her. He called Jane; he

called his sister. She should have all womanly care, all gentle

tendance. But every pulse beat in him as he remembered how she

had come down and placed herself in foremost danger,--could it be

to save him? At the time, he had pushed her aside, and spoken

gruffly; he had seen nothing but the unnecessary danger she had

placed herself in. He went to his Irish people, with every nerve

in his body thrilling at the thought of her, and found it

difficult to understand enough of what they were saying to soothe

and comfort away their fears. There, they declared, they would

not stop; they claimed to be sent back. And so he had to think,

and talk, and reason.

Mrs. Thornton bathed Margaret's temples with eau de Cologne. As

the spirit touched the wound, which till then neither Mrs.

Thornton nor Jane had perceived, Margaret opened her eyes; but it

was evident she did not know where she was, nor who they were.

The dark circles deepened, the lips quivered and contracted, and

she became insensible once more.

'She has had a terrible blow,' said Mrs. Thornton. 'Is there any

one who will go for a doctor?' 'Not me, ma'am, if you please,' said Jane, shrinking back. 'Them

rabble may be all about; I don't think the cut is so deep, ma'am,

as it looks.' 'I will not run the chance. She was hurt in our house. If you are

a coward, Jane, I am not. I will go.' 'Pray, ma'am, let me send one of the police. There's ever so many

come up, and soldiers too.' 'And yet you're afraid to go! I will not have their time taken up

with our errands. They'll have enough to do to catch some of the

mob. You will not be afraid to stop in this house,' she asked

contemptuously, 'and go on bathing Miss Hale's forehead, shall

you? I shall not be ten minutes away.' 'Couldn't Hannah go, ma'am?' 'Why Hannah? Why any but you? No, Jane, if you don't go, I do.' Mrs. Thornton went first to the room in which she had left Fanny

stretched on the bed. She started up as her mother entered.




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