'Die? No!' Tom answered, gloomily. 'But we are in an awful muss, and I
don't know what to do. Here it is raining great guns, and I am wet to my
skin, and you can't walk, you say. What in thunder shall we do?'

Ann Eliza was sobbing piteously, and when a glare of lightning lighted
up the whole heavens, Tom caught a glimpse of her face which was white
as marble, and distorted with pain, and this decided him. He had thought
to leave her in the darkness and rain, while he went for assistance
either to the Park House or Le Bateau; but the sight of her utter
helplessness awoke in him a spark of pity, and bending over her he said,
very gently for him:

'Annie,'--this was the name by which he used to call her when they were
children together, and he thought Ann Eliza too long--'Annie, I shall
have to carry you in my arms; there is no other way. It is not very far
to your home. Come!' and stooping low over the prostrate form he lifted
her very carefully and holding her in a position the least painful for
her, began again to battle with the storm, walking more carefully now
and groping his way through the stony field lest he should stumble and
fall and sprain him own ankle, perhaps.

'This is a jolly go,' he said to himself, as he went on; and then he
thought of Dick and Jerrie, and wondered how they were getting through
the storm, and if she had sprained her ankle and Dick was carrying her
in his arms.

'He will sweat some, if he is, for Jerrie is twice as heavy as
Peterkin's daughter;' and at the very idea Tom laughed out loud,
thinking that he should greatly prefer to have Jerrie's strength and
weight in his arms to his light, slim, little girl, who neither spoke
nor moved until he laughed, and then there came in smothered tones from
the region of his vest:

'Oh, Tom, how can you laugh? Do you think it such fun?'

'Fun! Thunder! Anything but fun!' was his gruff reply, as he went on
more rapidly now, for they were in the grounds of Le Bateau, and the
lights from the house were distinctly visible at no great distance away.
'We are here at last. Thank the Lord.' he said, as he went up the steps
and pulled sharply at the bell.

'Let me down. I can stand on one foot,' Ann Eliza said; and nothing loth
Tom put her down, a most forlorn and dilapidated piece of humanity as
she stood leaning against him with the light of the piazza lamp falling
full upon her.

Her little French boots, which had partly done the mischief, wer