g to frighten you, Hannah, my dear; he has fainted, I think, that
is all," answered Reuben gently, as he laid the boy carefully upon the
bed.

"But, oh, my goodness, Reuben, how did it happen? where did you find
him?" cried Hannah, frantically seizing first one hand and then the
other of the fainting boy, and clapping and rubbing them vigorously.

"I picked him up on the Baymouth wharf about half an hour ago, Hannah,
my dear, and--"

"The Baymouth wharf! that is out of all reason! Why it is not more than
two hours since he started to go to Brudenell Hall," exclaimed Hannah,
as she violently rubbed away at the boy's hands.

Reuben was standing patiently at the foot of the bed, with his hat in
his hands, and he answered slowly:

"Well, Hannah, I don't know how that might be; but I know I picked him
up where I said."

"But what caused all this, Reuben Gray? What caused it? that's what I
want to know! can't you speak?" harshly demanded the woman, as she flew
to her cupboard, seized a vinegar cruet, and began to bathe Ishmael's
head and face with its stimulating contents.

"Well, Hannah, I couldn't tell exactly; but 'pears to me someone went
off in the boat as he was a-pining after."

"Who went off in the boat?" asked Hannah impatiently.

"Law, Hannah, my dear, how can I tell? Why, there wasn't less than
thirty or forty passengers, more or less, went off in that boat!"

"What do I care how many restless fools went off in the boat? Tell me
about the boy!" snapped Hannah, as she once more ran to the cupboard,
poured out a little precious brandy (kept for medicinal purposes) and
came and tried to force a teaspoonful between Ishmael's lips.

"Hannah, woman, don't be so unpatient. Indeed, it wasn't my fault. I
will tell you all I know about it."

"Tell me, then."

"I am going to. Well, you see, I had just taken some of the judge's
luggage down to the boat and got it well on, and the boat had just
started, and I was just a-getting into my cart again when I see a youth
come a-tearin' down the street like mad, and he whips round the corner
like a rush of wind, and streaks it down to the wharf and looks after
the boat as if it was a-carrying off every friend he had upon the yeth;
and then he stretches out both his arms and cries out aloud, and falls
on his face like a tree cut down. And a crowd gathered, and someone said
how the lad was your nephew, so I picked him up and laid him in my cart
to bring him home. And I m