He went. He went away as if weights were tied to every limb that borehim from her. He called Jane; he called his sister. She should have allwomanly care, all gentle tendance. But every pulse beat in him as heremembered how she had come down and placed herself in foremostdanger,--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 shehad placed herself in. He went to his Irish people, with every nerve inhis body thrilling at the thought of her, and found it difficult tounderstand enough of what they were saying to soothe and comfortaway their fears. There, they declared, they would not stop; theyclaimed 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 thespirit touched the wound, which till then neither Mrs. Thornton nor Janehad perceived, Margaret opened her eyes; but it was evident she did notknow where she was, nor who they were. The dark circles deepened, thelips quivered and contracted, and she became insensible once more.
"She has had a terrible blow," said Mrs. Thornton. "Is there any one whowill go for a doctor?"
"Not me, ma"am, if you please," said Jane, shrinking back. "Them rabblemay 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 acoward, Jane, I am not. I will go."
"Pray, ma"am, let me send one of the police. There"s ever so many comeup, and soldiers too."
"And yet you"re afraid to go! I will not have their time taken up with ourerrands. They"ll have enough to do to catch some of the mob. You willnot be afraid to stop in this house," she asked contemptuously, "and goon bathing Miss Hale"s forehead, shall you? I shall not be ten minutesaway."
"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 Fannystretched on the bed. She started up as her mother entered.
"Oh, mamma, how you terrified me! I thought you were a man that hadgot into the house."
"Nonsense! The men are all gone away. There are soldiers all round theplace, seeking for their work now it is too late. Miss Hale is lying on thedining-room sofa badly hurt. I am going for the doctor."
"Oh! don"t, mamma! they"ll murder you." She clung to he mother"s gown.
Mrs. Thornton wrenched it away with no gentle hand.
"Find me some one else to go but that girl must not bleed to death."
"Bleed! oh, how horrid! How has she got hurt?"
"I don"t know,--I have no time to ask. Go down to her, Fanny, and do tryto make yourself of use. Jane is with her; and I trust it looks worse thanit is. Jane has refused to leave the house, cowardly woman! And I won"tput myself in the way of any more refusals from my servants, so I amgoing myself."
"Oh, dear, dear!" said Fanny, crying, and preparing to go down ratherthan be left alone, with the thought of wounds and bloodshed in thevery house.
"Oh, Jane!" said she, creeping into the dining-room, "what is the matter?
How white she looks! How did she get hurt? Did they throw stones intothe drawing-room?"
Margaret did indeed look white and wan, although her senses werebeginning to return to her. But the sickly daze of the swoon made herstill miserably faint. She was conscious of movement around her, and ofrefreshment from the eau de Cologne, and a craving for the bathing togo on without intermission; but when they stopped to talk, she could nomore have opened her eyes, or spoken to ask for more bathing, than thepeople who lie in death-like trance can move, or utter sound, to arrestthe awful preparations for their burial, while they are yet fully aware, not merely of the actions of those around them, but of the idea that isthe motive for such actions.
Jane paused in her bathing, to reply to Miss Thornton"s question.
"She"d have been safe enough, miss, if she"d stayed in the drawing-room,or come up to us; we were in the front garret, and could see it all, out ofharm"s way."
"Where was she, then?" said Fanny, drawing nearer by slow degrees, asshe became accustomed to the sight of Margaret"s pale face.
"Just before the front door--with master!" said Jane, significantly.
"With John! with my brother! How did she get there?"
