JULIA, as I have said, went to her own room, wounded unintentionally by a chance speech: she sat down sick at heart; and presently opened her window and looked out upon the starry night, and wondered where Alfred was now; that Alfred for whom nobody else had a Human heart, it seemed.
"Alfred! my poor Alfred!" she sighed, and half-expected to hear him reply. Then she said to herself, "They all called you false but me; yet Iwas right: and now they all call you mad; but not I: I believe nothing against you. You are my own Alfred still. Where have the wretches driven you to?" At this her feelings carried her away, and she cried aloud on him despairingly, and leaned upon the window-sill, and the tears ran fast for him.
Presently out of the silence of the night seemed to struggle a faint but clear voice:
"Julia."
She started, and a muffled scream came from her. Then she listened, all trembling. Again the voice sighed, faintly but clear, "Julia!""Alfred?" said she, quavering.
"Yes. Pray be cautious; give no alarm. The house is watched; bring Edward."She flew downstairs, and electrified Edward and Sampson with the news.
"Oh, promise me not to betray him!" she cried.
"Hut!" said the doctor, starting to his feet, "what should we betray him for? I'll cure him for you. I can cure any lunatic that has lucid intervals. Where is he?""Follow me," gasped Julia. "Stay. I'll get rid of the servants first.
I'll not play the fool, and betray him to his enemies." She sent Sarah eastward, and Jane westward, and then led the way through the kitchen door into the yard.
They all searched about, and found nothing. Then Julia begged them to be silent. She whispered, "Alfred!" And instantly a faint voice issued from the top of a waggon laden with hay and covered with a tarpaulin. "Julia."They all stood staring.
"Who are those with you?" asked Alfred uneasily.
"Only friends, dear! Edward and Dr. Sampson.""Ned, old fellow," groaned Alfred, "you pulled me out of the fire, won't you help me out of this? I think my leg is broken."At this Julia wrung her hands, and Edward ran into the house for his rope, and threw it over the waggon. He told Julia and Sampson to hold on by one end, and seizing the other, was up on the waggon in a moment. He felt about till he came to a protuberance; and that was Alfred under the tarpaulin, in which he had cut breathing-holes with his penknife. Edward sent Julia in for a carving-knife, and soon made an enormous slit:
through this a well-known figure emerged into the moonlight, and seemed wonderfully tall to have been so hidden. His hands being uninjured, he easily descended the rope, and stood on one leg, holding it. Then Sampson and Edward put each an arm under his, and helped him into the house.
After the body the mind. That is the rule throughout creation. They examined, not his reason, but his leg. Julia stood by with clasped hands, and a face beaming with pity and anxiety, that repaid his pain. Sampson announced there were no bones broken, but a bad sprain, and the limb very red and swollen. "Now," inquired he briskly of the company, "what is the practice in sprains? Why, leeches and cold water."Edward offered at once to run and get them.
"Are you mad?" was the reply. "Daun't I tell ye that is the _practice?_And isn't the practice sure to be th' opposite of the remedy? So get water as hot as he can bear it, and no leeches."Julia remonstrated angrily. "Is this a case for jesting?""Deevil a jest in it," replied the doctor. "'Well then, if ye must know, th' opera-dancers apply hot water to sprains: now what is their interest?
T' expedite the cure: and the faculty apply cold water: and what is their interest? To procrastinate the cure, and make a long job of it. So just hold your toungues, and ring for hot water."Julia did not ring; she beckoned Edward, and they flew out and soon brought a foot-pan of hot water. Edward them removed Alfred's shoes and stockings, and Julia bared her lovely arms, and blushed like a rose.
Alfred divined her intention. "Dear Julia," he said, "I won't let you:
that is too high an honour. Sarah can do that."But Julia's blood was up. "Sarah?" said she contemptuously; "she is too heavy handed: and--hold your tongue; I don't take my orders from you;"then more humbly to the doctor, "I am a district visitor: I nurse all manner of strangers, and he says I must leave his poor suffering leg to the servants.""Unnatural young monster," said the doctor. "G'im a good nip."Julia followed this advice by handling Alfred's swollen ankle with a tenderness so exquisite, and pressing it with the full sponge so softly, that her divine touch soothed him as much or more than the water. After nursing him into the skies a minute or two, she looked up blushing in his face, and said coaxingly, "Are you mad, dear Alfred? Don't be afraid to tell us the truth. The madder you are, the more you need me to take care of you, you know."Alfred smiled at this sapient discourse, and said he was not the least mad, and hoped to take care of _her_ as soon as his ankle was well enough. This closed that sweet mouth of hers exceeding tight, and her face was seen no more for a while, but hid by bending earnestly over her work, only as her creamy poll turned pink, the colour of that hidden face was not hard to divine.
Then Edward asked Alfred how in the world he had escaped and got into that waggon. The thing was incredible. "Mirawculous," said Dr. Sampson in assent.