"It is nothing, I assure you. A very slight wound. He will be out with us again in a week." "Oh, Mr. Cleveland!" she faintly cried. "Is it serious?" "Serious!" laughed the well-intentioned clergyman. "My dear lady, don't you see how merry I am? The most serious part is the leg of the trousers. Oscar, taking alarm, like you, decapitated it at the knee. The trousers will never be fit to wear again," added Mr. Cleveland, with a grave face. "We will turn them over to Robert's stock," said Selina. "I am sure, what with one random action or another, half his clothes are in ribands." "How was it done?" inquired Alice. "An accident," slightingly replied Mr. Cleveland. "One never does know too well how such mishaps occur." "We must send for a doctor," observed Mrs. Dalrymple, ringing the bell. "However slight it may be, I shall not know how to treat it." "We thought of that, and Robert is gone for Forth," said the Rector, as he turned away. In the passage he met Reuben, a staid, respectable manservant who had been in the family many years; his healthy face was ruddy as a summer apple, and his head, bald on the top, was sprinkled with powder. Mr. Cleveland told him what had happened; he then went to the back-door, and stood there, looking out--his hands in the pockets of his velveteen coat. Selina came quietly up; she was trembling. "Mr. Cleveland," she whispered, "is it not worse than you have said? I think you have been purposely making light of it. Pray tell me the truth. You know I am not excitable: I leave that to Alice." "My dear, in one sense I made light of it, because I wished to prevent unnecessary alarm. But I assure you I do not fear it is any serious hurt." "Was it papa's own gun that went off?" "No." "Whose, then?" "Robert's." "Oh!--but I might have known it," she added, her shocked tone giving place to one of anger. "Robert is guilty of carelessness every day of his life--of wanton recklessness." "Robert is careless," acknowledged Mr. Cleveland. "You know, my dear, it is said to be a failing of the Dalrymples. But he has a good heart; and he is always so sorry for his faults." "Yes; his life is made up of sinning and repenting." "Sinning!" "I call such carelessness sin," maintained Selina. "To think he should have shot papa!" "My dear, you are looking at it in the worst aspect. I believe it will prove only a trifling injury. But, to see him borne here on a mattress, minus the leg of his pantaloons, and his own leg bandaged, might have frightened some of you into fits. Go back to the oak-parlour, Selina; and don't let Alice run out of it at the first slight sound she may chance to hear." Selina did as she was told: Mr. Cleveland stayed where he was. Very soon he distinguished the steady tread of feet approaching; and at the same time he saw, to his surprise, the gig of the surgeon turning off from the road. How quick Robert had been!