ognising him, he stood, for a moment, silent and
confounded by this unexpected apparition, without even the presence of
mind to raise her from the ground.

But, quickly recovering his self-possession, he threw down his stick
and book, and dropping on one knee beside her, endeavoured, by such
simple means as occurred to him, to restore her to herself; while her
grandfather, standing idly by, wrung his hands, and implored her with
many endearing expressions to speak to him, were it only a word.

'She is quite exhausted,' said the schoolmaster, glancing upward into
his face. 'You have taxed her powers too far, friend.'

'She is perishing of want,' rejoined the old man. 'I never thought how
weak and ill she was, till now.'

Casting a look upon him, half-reproachful and half-compassionate, the
schoolmaster took the child in his arms, and, bidding the old man
gather up her little basket and follow him directly, bore her away at
his utmost speed.

There was a small inn within sight, to which, it would seem, he had
been directing his steps when so unexpectedly overtaken. Towards this
place he hurried with his unconscious burden, and rushing into the
kitchen, and calling upon the company there assembled to make way for
God's sake, deposited it on a chair before the fire.

The company, who rose in confusion on the schoolmaster's entrance, did
as people usually do under such circumstances. Everybody called for
his or her favourite remedy, which nobody brought; each cried for more
air, at the same time carefully excluding what air there was, by
closing round the object of sympathy; and all wondered why somebody
else didn't do what it never appeared to occur to them might be done by
themselves.

The landlady, however, who possessed more readiness and activity than
any of them, and who had withal a quicker perception of the merits of
the case, soon came running in, with a little hot brandy and water,
followed by her servant-girl, carrying vinegar, hartshorn,
smelling-salts, and such other restoratives; which, being duly
administered, recovered the child so far as to enable her to thank them
in a faint voice, and to extend her hand to the poor schoolmaster, who
stood, with an anxious face, hard by. Without suffering her to speak
another word, or so much as to stir a finger any more, the women
straightway carried her off to bed; and, having covered her up warm,
bathed her cold feet, and wrapped them in flannel, they despat