"But one may be as brave, without being a savage. Think of the martyrs that were burnt, and some that were worse than burnt! And they bore it." Mr. Shaw perceived that Hugh was either in much less pain now, or that he forgot everything in a subject which always interested him extremely. He told his uncle what he had read of the tortures inflicted by savages, till his uncle, already a good deal agitated, was quite sick: but he let him go on, hoping that the boy might think lightly in comparison of what he himself had to undergo. This could not last long, however. The wringing pain soon came back; and as Hugh cried, he said he bore it so very badly, he did not know what his mother would say if she saw him. She had trusted him not to fail; but really he could not bear this much longer. His uncle told him that nobody had thought of his having such pain as this to bear: that he had often shown himself a brave little fellow; and he did not doubt that, when this terrible day was over, he would keep up his spirits through all the rest. Hugh would have his uncle go down to tea. Then he saw a gown and shawl through the curtain, and started up; but it was not his mother yet. It was only Mrs. Watson come to sit with him while his uncle had his tea. Tea was over, and the younger boys had all gone up to bed, and the older ones were just going, when there was a ring at the gate. It was Mrs. Proctor; and with her the surgeon from London. "Mother! Never mind, mother!" Hugh was beginning to say; but he stopped when he saw her face,--it was so very pale and grave. At least, he thought so; but he saw her only by fire-light; for the candle had been shaded from his eyes, because he could not bear it. She kissed him with a long, long kiss; but she did not speak. "I wish the surgeon had come first," he whispered, "and then they would have had my foot off before you came. When _will_ he come?" "He is here,--they are both here." "Oh, then, do make them make haste. Mr. Tooke says I shall go to sleep afterwards. You think so? Then we will both go to sleep, and have our talk in the morning. Do not stay now,--this pain is _so_ bad,--I can't bear it well at all. Do go, now, and bid them make haste, will you?" His mother whispered that she heard he had been a brave boy, and she knew he would be so still. Then the surgeons came up, and Mr. Shaw. There was some bustle in the room, and Mr. Shaw took his sister down stairs, and came up again, with Mr. Tooke. "Don't let mother come," said Hugh. "No, my boy, I will stay with you," said his uncle. The surgeons took off his foot. As he sat in a chair, and his uncle stood behind him, and held his hands, and pressed his head against him, Hugh felt how his uncle's breast was heaving,--and was sure he was crying. In the very middle of it all, Hugh looked up in his uncle's face, and said, "Never mind, uncle! I can bear it."