"I'm coming, Nora. I'll be down in a minute," she shouted.
She crept along the bough, and soon, much scratched and covered with moss4 and leaves, her dress torn, her face hotly flushed, she reached the ground and rushed to Nora's side.
Poor Nora had fallen from a height of nearly [Pg 64]twenty feet. Her fall had been slightly broken by the rotten bough which had come to the ground with her; but, notwithstanding this fact, she lay now on her back, faint and sick and moaning, as if she were in great pain.
Poor Kitty's repentance5 was intense.
"Oh, Nora, Nora!" she sobbed6, bending over her, "are you hurt badly? Can't you get up? Oh, dear! oh, dear! you do look ill, and it's my fault of course. Why did I have a secret? and why did I tease you? Oh, Nora!" she added, terror in her tone as she noticed the increasing whiteness of Nora's pretty face, "are you in dreadful, shocking pain?"
"I feel sick," said Nora, "and—and faint. Can't you fetch some water. Oh, everything seems miles away. What shall I do?"
"I'll go for mother," said Kitty. "Lie very still, Nonie, darling; you have got an awful shake from that fall, but you'll be all right soon—I'm sure you will; and, oh, here's some water in one of the picnic bottles."
Kitty sprang towards this welcome sight, wetted a handkerchief with part of the contents and put it on Nora's forehead, and then gave her a little to drink.
The cold refreshing7 water revived the poor girl; but when she attempted to sit up, she fell back groaning8 and very faint once more.
"You must let me fetch mother," said Kitty. "I won't be a minute. I'll go as if I were a bird. I'll be back in no time, really."
"No; I can't be left alone," said Nora. "It—it's awful. The pain in my back gets worse and worse. Kitty, don't leave me. Kitty, I'm frightened. I'm sorry I was so cross to you."
[Pg 65]
"And I'm sorry I aggravated9 you," said Kitty; "but, oh, dear! what's the use of being sorry? That won't mend your poor back. I wish you'd let me get mother."
"No, no; you mustn't leave me."
Nora tried to stretch out one of her hands, but the pain of the least movement was extreme, and she was forced to lie absolutely still, while Kitty wetted her lips at intervals10 with a few drops of the precious water left in the bottle.
Nora was in too great pain to care anything about the loneliness of their position. She was in too great suffering even to be keenly sorry for her own wrongdoing. The one only desire she had was to keep Kitty by her side. But poor Kitty's little heart was full of absolute terror. She had never seen anyone look so ill as Nora. Her face was white; her lips were blue; she was evidently in severe pain; but, with the pain, there was a strange faintness, which Kitty had never encountered before in the whole course of her ten sturdy years.
Many and many a fall had both Kitty and Boris had in the wild expeditions and daring feats11 which they performed in each other's company. Kitty knew of the fall which stings; of the fall which shakes you all over, which raises a great bump and causes great soreness of the injured part; she knew of the fall which scratches and even renders you giddy; but she had never before seen the effects of such a serious fall as poor Nora's.
Friar's Wood was a very lonely place, and when, in utter exhaustion12 and pain, Nora closed her eyes, poor Kitty felt almost as if she were sitting alone in this great solitude13 with a person who was dead.
[Pg 66]
Oh, suppose pretty Nora was dead. Pretty Nora, who had been so mocking and full of life only ten minutes ago. If this were the case, to her dying day Kitty would feel that she had killed her by tempting14 her on to a rotten bough. It was terrible, terrible to be here alone with Nora, who might be going to die. Why could not she slip away and fetch someone to her aid?
Nora had clutched a very tight hold of Kitty's hand when first the little girl had proposed to fetch her mother, but now, in the kind of torpor15 of pain into which she had sunk, she relaxed the firm grip, and Kitty found that by a very gentle movement she could release her hand altogether.
She did so, and rose slowly to her feet.
"Kitty."
"Yes."
"You're not going away?"
"I'm only looking to see if there's anyone coming."
"Well, don't go away."
Nora's voice had sunk to a hoarse17 whisper, and Kitty's terrors and her certain fears that Nora was about to die became greater than ever.
She looked all around her, to right and left, before and behind.
No one was in sight. Not even the voice of a living creature broke the stillness. The birds were silent, the creatures of the wood seemed to be all asleep, the other members of the picnic had evidently wandered far afield; but, hark, what sound was that? Oh, joy! Who was this coming swiftly through the trees? Kitty's heart gave a bound of rapture18, and [Pg 67]then, forgetting all Nora's injunctions to keep by her side, she flew with lightning speed towards the figure of a horseman who was riding through the wood.
He had promised to join the children in time for dinner, but had not turned up. It was not his custom, however, on any occasion to disappoint his young people, and although late in the day he was now hastening to the scene of revelry.
"Well, little woman," he said, pulling up the mare21 as he spoke. "Shall I give you a mount on Black Bessy's back? and where are all the others? I expected quite a swarm22 of you to rush forth23. Where is Molly, and where is Nora, and where is the beautiful Annie Forest, whom everybody seems to rave24 about, and mother and Jane Macalister? Are they all hiding and ready to rush out upon me with wild whoops25?"
Kitty panted visibly before she replied.
"No, father, it isn't that," she said. "I and Nora are alone, I—get down please, father, won't you?"
"Why, what's the matter with you child?" The Squire hastily dismounted. "Are you hurt, Kit1? What a red, excited face."
"No, 'tisn't me, it's Nora. She fell; I think she'll die. It was my fault. The beech26 tree had a rotten bough, and I crept out on it, as I didn't wish to be caught; and Nora followed me, and the bough broke, and she's lying on her back now and she can't move, and I think she'll die, and they're all away—I [Pg 68]don't know where—somewhere else in the wood, and I think she's going to die, and it's my fault."
"There, Kitty, keep your pecker up," said the Squire. "I'm glad I came round this way; it was a lucky chance. Wait a minute until I tie Black Bess to this tree. Where is Nora?"
"Tut, tut, monkey, what do you know about people dying? Give me your hand, and bring me to her."
Oh, the comfort to Kitty of that firm, cool, strong hand of father's—oh, the support of looking into his face. A burden as of black night was lifted from her. She ran in eager accompaniment to his great strides. He was bending over Nora in a minute.
"Now, my poor little maid, what is this?" he asked, dropping on one knee and trying to put his hand under her head as he spoke.
Nora opened her pretty, dark eyes.
"Oh, father, is it you? I'm glad," she said in a faint voice. "I've been naughty, father; I—I'm sorry."
"Well, you can't be more than sorry, can you, Nonie? Don't bother about anything now, but just tell me where you are hurt."
"Oh, it's my back. Oh, don't touch me; it's dreadful!"
Squire Lorrimer's face looked very grave.
"Where did she fall from, Kitty?" he asked.
"Over twenty feet," murmured the Squire to himself. "God help my poor little girl!"
[Pg 69]
"Look here, Kitty," he said aloud, "Nora is in a good deal of pain; but I hope we'll soon have her easier. We must try and get her home somehow, and it would be a good thing if your mother were here; you had better fetch her. Don't frighten her, Kit, for Nora may not be badly hurt after all; but bring her here as quickly as you can, and Guy, too, and Molly; they are both strong, and have their wits about them. We must contrive30 a litter of some sort. Now, be quick and find the folks."
"Yes," replied Kitty, who was almost happy again under the influence of her father's encouraging words.
She was soon out of sight, and in less than half an hour Mrs. Lorrimer, Jane Macalister, and every other member of the picnic party, were gathered round the prostrate31 figure of little Nora.
"Let Mummie hold my hand," she said.
Mrs. Lorrimer took it, bent33 down, and kissed her; Nora smiled as if a load had been lifted from her heart.
A rough litter was presently constructed, and with great difficulty the poor child was lifted into it. The pain of even this slight move, however, caused her to faint completely away.
"The Grange is nearly three miles nearer than the Towers," she said; "had not we better bring her there? And had not Guy better ride off at once to Nortonbury for the doctor?"
"That is a good idea," said Mr. Lorrimer. "Guy, mount on Black Bess's back and off with you. Bring [Pg 70]Dr. Jervis back with you to the Grange if you can."
The merry little picnic party looked dismal35 enough as they slowly, and almost in funereal36 fashion, left the scene of festivity. The strongest of the party had to take turns to carry poor Nora's litter, for she could not endure any less easy movement.
Nan came up to Hester and took her hand.
"I don't know what the meaning of all this is," she said; "but, somehow or other, I think Annie must be at the bottom of it."
"Where is Annie?" queried37 Hester. "How completely she seems to have lost herself. Oh, how miserable38 poor little Kitty looks. Come here, Kitty, dear, and tell me all about the accident."
"I cannot," said Kitty. "Don't ask me; it's part of the secret."
"I knew Annie Forest was at the bottom of it," murmured Nan. "Oh, what a horrid39, horrid, dreadful ending to the first of my holidays!"
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1
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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7
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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8
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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9
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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10
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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12
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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13
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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torpor
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| n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠 | |
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16
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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swarm
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| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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rave
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| vi.胡言乱语；热衷谈论；n.热情赞扬 | |
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25
whoops
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| int.呼喊声 | |
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beech
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| n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的 | |
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27
knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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32
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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34
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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35
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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36
funereal
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| adj.悲哀的；送葬的 | |
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37
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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