p his spirits.

"You mustn't take on like that, Missis," whispered one of them as they
were leaving the cottage door; "the doctor said for sartin that there
warn't no bones broken, and 'e didn't think there was nothink internal."

"It ain't that I'm afear'd of," whimpered poor Mrs Marrot, "but it does
go to my 'art so, to 'ear my John speak in that voice. I never 'ear'd
him do it except once before, when he was very low with fever, an'
thought himself a-dyin'."

"But 'e ain't agoin' to die _this_ time," returned the kindly porter;
"so cheer up, Missis. Good-night."

Mrs Marrot returned to the room where her husband lay, evidently
suffering severe pain, for he was very pale and his lips were
compressed. He was anxious not to alarm Gertie and Loo who stood at the
bedside. The former could not speak, and the blood had so completely
fled from her face and her small tightly-clasped hands that she
resembled a creature of wax.

"Can I do nothing to relieve the pain, dear father?" said Loo, as she
wiped the perspiration from his brow.

"Nothin', nothin', dear lass," said John, with some of his wonted
heartiness, "except git me a cup o' tea. Mayhap that'll do me good; but
the doctor'll be here soon, and he'll put me all to rights in no time."

The idea of a cup of tea was a deep device on the part of John, who
meant thereby to give Loo some active work to do and thus take her
attention off himself.

"And don't you be uneasy, Molly," he added, turning to his wife, "it
ain't a bad hurt, I'm told, an' it ain't hard for a man to suffer a bit
o' pain now an' agin when it's the Lord's will. Come, that's the
doctor's knock. Don't keep him waitin'. I knew he'd be here soon,
'cause Mr Able said he'd send him without delay."

A prolonged and somewhat painful examination of John's injuries ensued,
during which time little Gertie, with clasped hands, parted lips, and
eager eyes, watched the doctor's countenance intently. After it was
over, the doctor turned to Mrs Marrot, and said--

"I'm happy to tell you, that your husband's injuries, although severe
and painful, are not serious. No bones are broken, but he has been
severely bruised, and will require careful nursing for some time--and,"
he added, turning with a smile to the patient, "no more rushing about
the country at sixty miles an hour for several weeks to come."

Little Gertie began to breathe freely again. Her hands unclasped, and
the colour came slowly back,