ast, off came the boot, and her beautiful little
foot lay on the green turf. She was much relieved at once, but
still in great pain; and now he began to recover his head.

"The ankle should be bound up; may I try?"

"Oh, yes; but what with?"

Tom dived into his shooting-coat pocket, and produced one of the
large, many-colored neck-wrappers which were fashionable at
Oxford in those days.

"How lucky!" he said, as he tore it into strips. "I think this
will do. Now, you'll stop me, won't you, if I hurt you, or don't
do it right?"

"Don't be afraid, I'm much better. Bind it tight, tighter than
that."

He wound the strips as tenderly as he could round her foot and
ankle, with hands all alive with nerves, and wondering more and
more at her courage as she kept urging him to draw the bandage
tighter yet. Then, still under her direction, he fastened and
pinned down the ends; and as he was rather neat with his fingers,
from the practice of tying flies and splicing rods and bats,
produced, on the whole, a creditable sort of bandage. Then he
looked up at her, the perspiration standing on his forehead, as
if he had been pulling a race, and said,

"Will that do? I'm afraid it's very awkward."

"Oh, no; thank you so much! But I'm so sorry you have torn your
handkerchief."

Tom made no answer to this remark, except by a look. What could
he say, but that he would gladly have torn his skin off for the
same purpose, if it would have been of any use. But this speech
did not seem quite the thing for the moment.

"But how do you feel? Is it very painful?" he asked.

"Rather. But don't look so anxious. Indeed, it is very bearable.
But what are we to do now?"

He thought for a moment, and said, with something like a sigh--

"Shall I run home, and bring the servants and a sofa, or
something to carry you on?"

"No, I shouldn't like to be left here alone."

His face brightened again.

"How near is the nearest cottage?" she asked.

"There's none nearer than the one which we passed on the road--on
the other side of the wood, you know."

"Then I must try to get there. You must help me up."

He sprang to his feet and stooped over her, doubting how to begin
helping her. He had never felt so shy in his life. He held out
his hands.

"I think you must put your arm round me," she said, after looking
at him for a moment. He lifted her on to her feet.

"Now let me lean on your arm. There, I dare say I shall manage to
hobble al