galloping so had made her little ears quite
pink, and shaken her locks all round her. But any one who might wish
to see a comely sight and a moving one, need only have looked at Ruth
Huckaback, when she learned (and imagined yet more than it was) the
manner of her little ride with me. Her hair was of a hazel-brown, and
full of waving readiness; and with no concealment of the trick, she
spread it over her eyes and face. Being so delighted with her, and so
glad to see her safe, I kissed her through the thick of it, as a cousin
has a right to do; yea, and ought to do, with gravity.

"Darling," I said; "he has bitten you dreadfully: show me your poor arm,
dear."

She pulled up her sleeve in the simplest manner, rather to look at it
herself, than to show me where the wound was. Her sleeve was of dark
blue Taunton staple; and her white arm shone, coming out of it, as round
and plump and velvety, as a stalk of asparagus, newly fetched out of the
ground. But above the curved soft elbow, where no room was for one cross
word (according to our proverb),* three sad gashes, edged with crimson,
spoiled the flow of the pearly flesh. My presence of mind was lost
altogether; and I raised the poor sore arm to my lips, both to stop the
bleeding and to take the venom out, having heard how wise it was, and
thinking of my mother. But Ruth, to my great amazement, drew away from
me in bitter haste, as if I had been inserting instead of extracting
poison. For the bite of a horse is most venomous; especially when he
sheds his teeth; and far more to be feared than the bite of a dog, or
even of a cat. And in my haste I had forgotten that Ruth might not know
a word about this, and might doubt about my meaning, and the warmth
of my osculation. But knowing her danger, I durst not heed her
childishness, or her feelings.

* "A maid with an elbow sharp, or knee,
Hath cross words two, out of every three."

"Don't be a fool, Cousin Ruth," I said, catching her so that she could
not move; "the poison is soaking into you. Do you think that I do it for
pleasure?"

The spread of shame on her face was such, when she saw her own
misunderstanding, that I was ashamed to look at her; and occupied myself
with drawing all the risk of glanders forth from the white limb, hanging
helpless now, and left entirely to my will. Before I was quite sure of
having wholly exhausted suction, and when I had made the holes in her
arm look like the gills of a lampre