p her. And so they
went on, along the rides and through the copse, forgetting Katie
and time, till they were brought up by the fence on the further
side of the wood. The ditch was on the outside, and on the inside
a bank with a hedge on the top, full of tempting hazel-bushes.
She clapped her hands at the sight, and, declining his help,
stepped lightly up the bank and began gathering. He turned away
for a moment, jumped up the bank himself, and followed her
example.

He was standing up in the hedge, and reaching after a tempting
cluster of nuts, when he heard a short sharp cry of pain behind
him, which made him spring backwards, and nearly miss his footing
as he came to the ground. Recovering himself, and turning round,
he saw Mary lying at the foot of the bank, writhing in pain.

He was at her side in a minute and dreadfully alarmed.

"Good heavens! what has happened?" he said.

"My ankle!" she cried; and the effort of speaking brought the
sudden flush of pain to her brow.

"Oh! what can I do?"

"The boot! the boot!" she said, leaning forward to unlace it, and
then sinking back against the bank. "It is so painful. I hope I
sha'n't faint!"

Poor Tom could only clasp his hands as he knelt by her, and
repeat, "Oh, what can I do--what can I do?" His utter
bewilderment presently aroused Mary, and her natural high courage
was beginning to master the pain.

"Have you a knife?"

"Yes here," he said, pulling one out of his pocket, and opening
it; "here it is."

"Please cut the lace."

Tom, with beating heart and trembling hand, cut the lace and then
looked up at her.

"Oh, be quick--cut it again! Don't be afraid."

He cut it again; and, without taking hold of the foot, gently
pulled out the ends of the lace.

She again leaned forward, and tried to take off the boot; but the
pain was too great, and she sank back, and put her hand up to her
flushed face.

"May I try?--perhaps I could do it."

"Yes, pray do. Oh, I can't bear the pain!" she added, next
moment; and Tom felt ready to hang himself for having been the
cause of it.

"You must cut the boot off, please."

"But perhaps I may cut you. Do you really mean it?"

"Yes, really. There, take care. How your hand shakes. You will
never do for a doctor."

His hand did shake, certainly. He had cut a little hole the
stocking; but, under the circumstances, we need not wonder--the
situation was new and trying. Urged on by her, he cut and cut
away, and, at l