d. And poor dear Prosy! How ever
shall I make it up to him? Do you know, as soon as it was
known I was to,[B] the dear fellow actually tumbled down
insensible! I had no idea of the turn-out there's been until
just now, when mother and Jeremiah confessed up. Just fancy
it! Now I must shut up to catch the post.

"Your ever affect. friend,

"SALLY."

[Footnote A: Part of a verb to _get to_, or _bring to_. Not
very intelligible!]

[Footnote B: See note, p. 563.][Transcriber's Note: This
footnote refers to Footnote A]

"MY DEAR BRADSHAW,

"I am so very much afraid you and your wife may be alarmed
by hearing of the events of this morning--possibly by a
press-paragraph, for these things get about--that I think it
best to send you a line to say that, though we have all had
a terrible time of anxiety, no further disastrous consequences
need be anticipated. Briefly, the affair may be stated thus:

"Fenwick and Miss Nightingale were on the pier early this
morning, and from some unexplained false step F. fell from the
lower stage into the water. Miss N. immediately plunged in to
his rescue, and brought him in safety to a life-buoy that was
thrown from the pier. It seemed that she then started to swim
back, being satisfied of his safety till other help came, but
got entangled with her clothes and went under. She was brought
ashore insensible, and remained so nearly four hours. For a
long time I was almost without hope, but we persevered against
every discouragement, with complete final success. I am a good
deal more afraid now of the effect of the shock on Mrs.
Fenwick and her husband than for anything that may happen to
Miss N., whose buoyancy of constitution is most remarkable.
You will guess that I had rather a rough time (the news came
rather suddenly to me), and all the more (but I know you will
be glad to hear this) that Miss N. and your humble servant had
only just entered on an engagement to be married at some date
hereafter not specified. I am ashamed to say I showed weakness
(but not till I was sure the lungs were acting naturally), and
had to be revived with stimulants! I am all right now, and, do
you know, I really believe my mother will be all the better
for it; for when she heard what had happened, she actually got
up and _ran_--yes, ran--to Llo