England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Families -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
I was not altogether without experience in injuries of the kind. With
so many brothers always coming to grief more or less, I had acquired a
smattering of "first aid to the injured," as it is called nowadays. I
stooped down, and getting Moore's pocket-knife from him, I cut the
shoelaces, and rather deftly, I flattered myself, released the poor,
already painfully swollen foot.
"No," I said, "I _think_ and hope it is only a bad sprain. But even if
no worse, you cannot possibly attempt to stand, or drag yourself along
with it in such a state."
"I don't think I could," he allowed, and he looked so nearly fainting
that I grew desperate.
"I must go for help," I said, "whatever or whoever these people are! It
is the only thing to do."
Moore was too utterly knocked over to remonstrate, and I felt it would
be cruel and useless to reproach him. I started off, running as quickly
as was safe in the increasing dusk, scarcely giving myself time to think
how I could explain our unwarranted intrusion. Some instinct told me
that it was better to go straight to the front door than through the
conservatory. I did so, but before I had time to ring, I saw that it
was standing wide open, and almost immediately two figures crossed the
hall. They must have caught sight of me at once, for the foremost of
them--it was the elder Mr Grey--came forward, amazement depicted on his
face, and stood gazing at me for a moment as if unable to speak. His
stupefaction gave me a sort of courage, or rather I felt the necessity
of speech.
"I beg your pardon," I began. "I don't know how to explain, but--oh! my
brother--he's quite a boy--has hurt himself badly. He has fallen from
the top of your wall, and--and--somebody must come to help him!"
I could not utter another word. I felt myself beginning to choke and
sob.
"How the--" Then the speaker checked himself. "What in the world was he
doing at the top of the wall, and how did he get there? And how did
you--" Here again he stopped. I think it dawned upon him at that moment
that he was addressing a lady. Probably, too, it struck him that if
some one was lying badly injured by some accident, the first thing to do
was to see to him, and reserve explanations till after this had been
done. But the poor man was terribly upset--as to _that_ there could be
no doubt; and excited though I was, I was able to feel fearfully ashamed
and penitent.
During the moment or two that had passed, the second person in the hall,
a travelling-rug over his arm, had come forward. To him Mr Grey now
turned.
"Have you heard?" he said. "Come with me. We must at all costs see
what is the matter."
The younger man, for considerably such he was had taken it all in,
though in silence.
"Where is the boy?" he said to me abruptly, though not uncourteously.
I pointed to the side of the grounds where Moore was lying.
"Over there," I said, "not far from the--the door in the wall. It is
locked, and we were trying to climb over."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account