abundance, she brought the
fainting man back to consciousness, and bound up his head with her
pocket-handkerchief. She then helped him to sit up--to stand he was not
able from dizziness. Soon sate master and man by each other, with their
backs by a strong fir-tree, and looked sadly troubled; for although the
Assessor was far more concerned on account of his servant than himself,
and asserted that his own accident was a mere trifle, still he was quite
pale from the pain which it occasioned him. What was to be done? Could
the carriage have been raised out of the ditch and the two wounded men
put into it, Petrea would have placed herself on the coach-box and have
driven them as well as anybody; nothing could be easier, she thought;
but the accomplishing of the two first conditions was the difficulty,
and in the present circumstances an impossibility, for our poor Petrea's
arms and hands were not able to second her good-will and courage. The
post-boy said that at about three-quarters of a mile (English) there lay
a peasant's hut in the wood by the road side; but it was impossible to
induce him to run there, or under any condition to leave his horses.

"Let us wait," said the Assessor, patiently and calmly, "probably
somebody will soon come by from whom we can beg assistance." They
waited, but nobody came, and every moment the shades became darker; it
seemed as if people avoided this horrible wood at this hour.

Petrea, full of anxiety for her old friend, if he must remain much
longer on the damp ground, and in the increasing coolness of evening,
determined with herself what she would do. She wrapped up the Assessor
and his old servant in every article of clothing of which she could gain
possession, amongst which was her own cloak, rejoicing that this was
unobserved by her friend, and then said to him decidedly, "Now I go
myself to obtain help! I shall soon be back again!" And without
regarding the prohibitions, prayers, and threats, with which he
endeavoured to recal her, she ran quickly away in the direction of the
hut, as the post-boy had described it. She hastened forward with quick
steps, endeavouring to remove all thoughts of personal danger, and only
to strengthen herself by the hope of procuring speedy help for her
friend.

The haste with which she went compelled her after some time to stand
still to recover breath. The quick motion which set her blood in rapid
circulation, the freshness of the air, the beautiful a