"Even the knowledge of this new escapade would not move her, I'm afraid," he muttered. "Well, matters like this must settle themselves." They now reached the Hall, to find the servants assembled, and in a state of the most intense excitement. "Master was no worse," the old butler said. "He had been asking for brandy." "What? You did not give it to him?" cried Salis excitedly. "I was obliged to, sir. You can't know Sir Thomas, or you wouldn't talk like that. But I'm very glad you've come, sir.--It's such a responsibility, having him so bad. He's terribly cut about, sir. Please come in and see if you can do anything more than I have till the doctor comes." Salis followed the old butler up to the bedroom, where Tom Candlish lay upon the bed, and, as the butler said, terribly cut about the head; for, in addition to the bruises upon his head and temple, he had a cut lip, and the very perfection of two black eyes. "I don't think you need be alarmed," whispered Salis to the old man, as the door was opened, and the young squire saluted the butler with a volley of good stable oaths. What the something unmentionable did he mean by bringing the parson? he raved. "Do you think I'm going to die, and want to be prayed for? Send for a doctor." "I did, Sir Thomas," said the butler deprecatingly; "but Dr North--" "Curse Dr North!" roared the young man. "Send for Dr Benson." "I have, Sir Thomas, and--" "Be off, you old idiot! And you, Salis, you'd better go too, or I may say something to you that you will not like." "You can say what you please, my good fellow," said Salis, coolly taking off his coat for the second time in the young man's presence. "You coward," groaned the injured man; "and when I'm like that. Your cursed sister--" "Silence, you scoundrel!" roared Salis. "Here, fetch water in a basin, sponges, towels, and linen that I can cut up," he continued to the butler, who gladly hurried out of the room. "And you, Candlish, unless you wish to rage yourself into a fever, be quiet; but I warn you that if you mention my sister again, sick or well, I will not be answerable for the consequences." "What are you going to do?" growled the young man suspiciously. "Do, sir? What I would do for any other dog that I saw lying wounded in the road. I'm going to doctor you till proper qualified assistance comes." "He doesn't know," thought Tom Candlish. Then aloud: "I thought you were going to take a mean advantage of me now I was down." "You thought I was just such a cowardly, mean-spirited brute as you are, and as treacherous, eh?" said Salis bitterly, as he rapidly removed the clumsy bandage about the young man's head. "Why, hallo! what does this mean?" "What does what mean?" "Your head. It has been bandaged." "Yes; that old idiot of a butler did it." "No; I mean this other. It has been properly strapped up." "Has it?" "Yes," said Salis. "The old man knows more about it than you think for. There, lie still."