of mind and much
professional dexterity, extricated him, wrung him out, and set him on
the mangle to dry, where he remained sobbing, from a vague sense of humid
misery, till a more convenient season.

This little incident reminding Mrs. Coleman that the boiled beef,
preparing for our luncheon and the servants' dinner, would inevitably be
overdone, induced her to take a hurried farewell of Mrs. Muddles, though
she paused at the threshold to offer a parting suggestion as to the
advisability, moral and physical, of dividing the wretched Johnny's
share of plum-pudding between his brothers and sisters, and
administering a double portion of black draught by way of compensation,
an arrangement which elicited from that much-wronged child a howl of
mingled horror and defiance.

We had proceeded about a mile on our return, when Mrs. Coleman, who was
a step or two in advance, trod on a slide some boys had made, and would
have fallen had I not thrown my arm round her just in time to prevent
it.

"My dear madam," exclaimed I, "you were as nearly as possible down; I
hope you have not hurt yourself."

"No, my dear--I mean--Mr. Fairlegh; no! I hope I have not, except my
ankle. I gave that a twist somehow, and it hurts me dreadfully; but I
daresay I shall be able to go on in a minute."

The good lady's hopes, however, were not destined in this instance to be
fulfilled, for, on attempting to proceed, the pain increased to such an
extent, that she was forced, after limping a few steps, to seat herself
on a stone by the wayside, and it became evident that she must have
sprained her ankle severely, and would be utterly unable to walk home.
In this dilemma it was not easy to discover what was the best thing to
do--no vehicle could be procured nearer than Hillingford, from which
place we were at least two miles distant, and I by no means approved of
leaving my companions in their present helpless state during the space
of time which must necessarily elapse ere I could go and return. Mrs.
Coleman, who, although suffering from considerable pain, bore it with
the greatest equanimity and good nature, seeming to think much more
of the inconvenience she was likely to occasion us, than of her own
discomforts, had just hit upon some brilliant but totally impracticable
project, when our ears were gladdened by the sound of wheels, and
in another moment a little pony-chaise, drawn by a ~268~~ fat,
comfortable-looking pony, came in sight, proceedi