6
　　Off to the Vale of Butterflies
　　It happened the very next day. It was when Mrs Mannering had gone with Mrs Evans to the bigbarn. The door suddenly blew shut, and caught her hand in it, trapping it tightly.
　　Mrs Mannering screamed. Mrs Evans ran to open the door, but poor Mrs Mannering’s hand wasbadly bruised¹ and crushed.
　　Bill was very concerned. ‘I must take you down to the doctor,’ he said. ‘I’ll get the car. Whereare the children? Out on their donkeys? Tell them where we’ve gone, Mrs Evans, when they comeback. They needn’t worry. I’ll have Mrs Mannering’s hand seen to, and properly bandaged. I don’texpect it will be very much, but I’d like her to have it X-rayed in case any small bone is broken.’
　　Looking rather white, Mrs Mannering was driven off by Bill, down the steep mountain road tothe town that lay some way off in the next valley. It was about fifteen miles and soon MrsMannering was in hospital having her hand X-rayed and bound up.
　　The children were very upset when they heard what had happened. ‘Poor Mother!’ said Philip.
　　‘It must have hurt dreadfully when her hand got caught in that heavy door.’
　　‘Indeed to gootness, it did,’ said Mrs Evans, who looked quite upset too. ‘She gave one scream,poor soul, and then made not a sound, whateffer. Now don’t look so sadly – she’ll be backtonight.’
　　‘Will she be able to go off to the mountains tomorrow?’ asked Lucy-Ann. ‘How can she ridewith a bad hand?’
　　‘Well, there now, she can’t,’ said Mrs Evans. ‘But she can stay here with me and I’ll look afterher for you. You can go with Mr Cunningham and David.’
　　‘But will Bill go if Mother’s hurt?’ wondered Philip. ‘He thinks the world of her. Oh, blow! It’sbad luck for this to happen just when we had such a lovely plan. Poor Mother! I do hope herhand’s better now.’
　　Mrs Mannering arrived back in Bill’s car that evening, just before high tea. She looked better,and made light of her hand.
　　‘We’ve had it X-rayed,’ said Bill. ‘She’s broken a tiny bone just here,’ and he showed themwhere, on the back of his hand. ‘It’s got to be bandaged and kept at rest. I’m to take her down tohave it seen again in three days’ time.’
　　‘I’m so sorry, dears,’ said Mrs Mannering. ‘And Bill, you don’t need to take me down, youknow. I’m quite able to drive myself down even with an injured hand. Take the children on theirtrip tomorrow. I can’t bear to have them disappointed.’

分享到：