Part 28 (2/2)

Breathless, she arrived upon the scene. There, on the ground, lay the prostrate figure of a man, his head supported on the knee of another one.

The prostrate figure was her father's, the other man was Frank.

When he saw her with her hair dishevelled and her frantic look, Frank looked astonished. He then beckoned to her and said: ”It is only a faint, and I hope only a slight bleeding of the nose. I think he will soon regain consciousness. Is there any water about here?”

”Not that I know of,” she said, ”but I will hasten home and bring some.”

While she was gone, Mr. Rougeant opened his eyes. ”Where am I?” he said, after in vain trying to recollect his thoughts.

”With a friend,” answered Frank, bending over him.

The farmer closed his eyes, then opened them again and fixed them on Frank. He quickly shut them again, however. He had recognized the young man and a pang of remorse shot through his hard heart.

Adele soon came with a small can full of water; and a basin. Her father kept his eyes closed. He had not the courage to open them.

She poured the water in a basin and began to wash his face.

When she had finished, he opened his eyes resolutely and said: ”Now that I am washed and the bleeding has ceased, I had better go home.”

Without having the courage to look at Frank he said: ”I think I can do with my daughter.”

He tried to rise, but uttered a cry of pain. ”My foot hurts me fearfully,” he said, ”I cannot move without your aid.”

Thereupon they both helped him to his feet, while he kept a frowning look and a silent tongue.

”Do you think you can walk leaning on my shoulder?” said Frank.

”Perhaps,” he replied, and, placing his hand on the preferred shoulder, he began to hobble along; stopping often and speaking seldom.

When the farmer was comfortably installed near the fire, his leg carefully placed on a footstool, Frank, knowing he was not wanted, took his leave, expressing a hope that the injured limb would soon be all right again.

The farmer shook his head sadly, and gave a look at Frank that was very significant.

Then he shrank for some time into a state of complete silence, but his face was clouded and his bushy eyebrows were more prominently drawn over his eyes than they had been for a long time.

He hardly spoke a word to Adele that evening, barely answering her questions.

How had the tables thus been turned? When Mr. Rougeant heard Frank pa.s.s by alone, he hastily vaulted over the hedge, intending to attack him, if not with his fists, at least with his tongue. But Providence directed otherwise. He miscalculated the height of the hedge on the side of the road,--for the field was higher than the road--and fell flat on his nose and face, one of his feet twisting under him and getting sprained.

The blow which he sustained in falling and the pain caused by his sprained ankle caused him to faint. Frank ran to his aid, lifted him carefully, and placed his head on his own knee.

It was in this position, as we have already seen, that Adele discovered them.

When Frank saw the farmer's nose bleeding so profusely, and the deathly paleness on his face, he cried for help. It was this cry which the young lady heard. The same cry aroused Tom, who was sleeping soundly, doubtless dreaming of his fair cousin. He looked carefully over the hedge, and when he saw how matters stood and how his uncle lay, he took to his heels and fled. Cowardice lent him wings.

CHAPTER XXII.

<script>