HOURS OF SUSPENSE.
"OH, sir! Oh, sir! There's been a terrible accident!"
Sir Jasper, who was seated before his writing-table in the library,
dropped his pen and looked up at the speaker—Mrs. Mallock—in sudden
alarm, for she had burst into the room like a whirlwind, without even
knocking at the door, and now stood wringing her hands, her face
white as death.
"What has happened?" asked Sir Jasper, curbing his first impulse,
which had been to reprimand her sharply for so far forgetting herself
as to break in upon him without asking leave. "Is anyone hurt?"
"Oh, yes! Oh, yes! Miss Joy! Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Miss Celia's all
right, and Mrs. Wallis is only shaken and bruised, but poor Miss
Joy's fearfully injured; and they've taken her to the Vicarage!"
"Who are they?" questioned Sir Jasper. "Pray try to explain,
Mrs. Mallock. Compose yourself, my good woman, and tell me exactly
what has happened."
"It was one of those nasty traction engines, Sir Jasper. And the
horses took fright, and ran away. They dashed the carriage against
the engine, and Mrs. Wallis and the children were flung out. Oh,
dear! Oh, dear! But the horses were not hurt, Sir Jasper. Gay was
pitched out, too; but a couple of farm labourers stopped and caught
the horses before they had run away very far. Gay was not hurt
either."
Gay was the coachman, a steady, reliable man, perfectly trustworthy
in every respect, so Sir Jasper was certain the accident was owing
to no carelessness on his part.
"It happened close to the Vicarage," Mrs. Mallock proceeded, "and as
Miss Joy's so much hurt they—I mean the Vicar and Mrs. Wallis, Sir
Jasper—thought it the wisest plan to take her there. Gay's just led
the horses home; the poor man's most terribly frightened, and he
wants to know if you would like to see him. He says it was all the
fault of the traction engine."
"No, I don't wish to see him at present; I will hear what he has
to say another time. Where are Mrs. Wallis and Miss Celia? Are they
at the Vicarage, too?"
"I suppose so, sir; but Gay did not say. Shall I ask him? Oh!" she
cried, as the sound of footsteps was heard in the hall, "who's that,
I wonder?"
Sir Jasper rose, and followed the housekeeper as far as the doorway,
where he encountered Celia and her brother. The little girl was
weeping most bitterly, whilst Eric was vainly trying to console her;
his own face was quite colourless, and his eyes were full of tears.
"Oh, Uncle Jasper! Oh, Uncle Jasper!" sobbed Celia, "have they told
you what has happened, and about poor Joy? Oh, I am sure she is
dreadfully, dreadfully hurt!"
"Bring your sister into the library, Eric," commanded Sir Jasper.
"There, put her in that easy chair. She is upset and frightened,
poor child, and no wonder. Celia, my dear little girl, don't cry so.
A word of sense with you, Eric. Is Joy really much hurt?"
"I fear so, Uncle Jasper," was the response in a low, sad tone.
"She is unconscious, so we thought it better to take her into the
Vicarage. Putty went off on Mr. Cole's bicycle to T— at once for a
doctor, and mother desired me to bring Celia home, for she did
nothing but cry, and was only in the way."
"Your mother is not hurt much, Mrs. Mallock says? No. Thank God for
that! Keep up your heart, Celia. Joy may only be stunned. Did you see
the accident, Eric?"
"No, though it happened in the road outside the cricket field. We
heard the traction engine whistle as it turned the corner, and then
followed shouts and screams, and the sound of horses running away.
Of course we stopped our game of cricket immediately, and went to see
what was amiss. Oh, I shall never forget the sight! By the time we
reached the scene of the accident, mother and Celia had picked
themselves up, and Gay was running after the horses, but Joy—" here
the boy's voice faltered— "was lying quite unconscious. Mr. Cole
carried her into the Vicarage, and that's all I know, for Celia had
to be seen to, and I half dragged her home."
"I could hardly walk," sobbed Celia, "my legs shook so!"
"Poor little girl," said Sir Jasper, laying his hand tenderly on her
shoulder, his voice full of sympathy, "try not to cry any more; be a
brave child. Tears never did any good yet. Here, Mrs. Mallock, I give
her into your charge. Take her upstairs, and do, like a good soul,
endeavour to be more cheerful yourself!"
Mrs. Mallock accordingly took Celia by the hand, and led her away.
The housekeeper was crying, and when she tried to whisper that
perhaps Joy was not so much injured as they all feared, she actually
broke down and sobbed. She drew Celia hastily out of the room, and
closed the door.
"I think I should like to go back to the Vicarage now, if you have
no objection," Eric said, the moment he was alone with Sir Jasper.
"I must find out what the doctor says about Joy, I expect he is there
by this time." The boy was showing wonderful self-control considering
that he was apprehensive that his favourite sister was seriously
hurt. "She looked so deathly pale," he continued with an involuntary
shudder, "and when the Vicar lifted her up in his arms her head fell
back as though she was really dead."
"No doubt she was in a dead faint," Sir Jasper responded, trying to
speak reassuringly, though he was shocked at the boy's words; "but I
should like you to return at once, and ascertain exactly what the
doctor thinks of her condition. And, Eric, should she really be much
hurt—too hurt to be moved, for instance—remember that no expense is
to be spared in obtaining everything she wants. But it may be that
you will find her better. If people are faint, or stunned, they
always look very ill."
Eric thanked his uncle and left him. On his way to the Vicarage
he met a waggon bearing the shattered carriage and Celia's box to the
Moat House; he hurried past it with a shudder, and arrived at his
destination in a state of breathlessness. Lawrence Puttenham met him
at the front door, and led him silently into the dining-room, looking
very grave and sad.
"Well?" Eric questioned, anxiously.
"I went for the nearest doctor—Dr. Forbes —and fortunately found him
at home," Putty explained; "he cycled back with me immediately, and
he's upstairs now."
"Then you don't know what he thinks of Joy."
"Yes. He came down and told Mr. Cole, and went upstairs again. He
said he feared she was seriously hurt, and that if she recovered
she would be ill a long time, and would want careful nursing."
"But he does not think that she will not recover, does he?"
"He—he did not say that. Oh, Wallis, don't look so cut up! Perhaps
she may get well after all."
Eric groaned, and sinking into a chair covered his face with his
trembling hands. Presently he looked up, and inquired:
"How is she hurt?"
"Her head—she has concussion of the brain, and there are other
injuries besides—internal injuries."
"Then, Putty, she will die! I feel certain of it!" Eric cried, in an
agony of grief.
"No, no! You cannot tell that. I hope and pray God will spare her
life. Mr. Cole has sent one of the servants to Home Vale to ask
Miss Pring, or her niece, to come and help your mother with the
nursing to-night—I expect it will be Miss Mary, for I've heard in the
village that she's a capital nurse. Don't give way, Wallis. You must
bear up, for your mother's sake."
"Where is Mr. Cole?" Eric asked, after a brief silence.
"Gone to T— to fetch ice. He went himself so that there should be no
delay in getting it."
A very short while later Miss Mary Pring arrived, looking pale and
startled, but perfectly composed. After hearing what the boys had to
say, she went quickly upstairs, and a few minutes later the doctor
came down, and went into the dining-room.
"You are my poor little patient's brother, are you not?" he said,
glancing pityingly at Eric. "Ah, I thought so!"
"Please tell me exactly how she is," Eric implored. "I have to return
to the Moat House presently, and what am I to say to Uncle Jasper?"
"Say your sister is seriously ill, but I cannot tell to-night how it
will be with her. I am going back to T— now, but shall return in a
couple of hours to visit the patient again. Afterwards I will call
at the Moat House, and see Sir Jasper myself."
"Oh, thank you!" Eric replied. "You do not think the case hopeless?"
"No, certainly not." The doctor laid his hand very kindly on the
boy's shoulder, and felt how he trembled. "Be a brave lad," he said;
"go back to the Moat House, for you can no good here, and try not to
despond."
"Cannot I see Joy?"
"No. She must be kept perfectly undisturbed."
"But I will not disturb her."
"You will not see her with my consent," the doctor said, decisively;
"her mother and Miss Mary Pring will remain with her to-night, and
the Vicar and my friend here" —indicating Lawrence Puttenham— "will
be at hand, so you may depend if there is the slightest change in
your sister's condition you will be informed at once. But I
anticipate no immediate change."
The doctor took his departure, and Eric, seeing no course open but to
act on his advice, returned to the Moat House. Sir Jasper listened
to his report in silence; but the boy saw the old man was much
agitated, and his heart warmed towards him on that account.
A silence hung over the Moat House that night. The servants moved
about with noiseless footsteps, and spoke in hushed tones, their
thoughts full of the bright little girl who had endeared herself
to them all. In the sitting-room in the east wing Celia lay huddled
up on the sofa, a heap of misery, no longer weeping, though an
occasional sob shook her slender form, whilst Eric sat with his
elbows resting on the table, and one hand covering his eyes.
"What is the time?" Celia inquired at length.
"Ten o'clock," her brother replied, after consulting his watch;
"don't you think you'd better go to bed?"
"Oh, no! I couldn't! Not before Dr. Forbes has been here! You think
he'll be sure to come?" she asked, with feverish anxiety.
"Yes, he said he would, and if anything happened to prevent his
keeping his word, I'm sure the Vicar would come himself, or send
Putty."
"Concussion of the brain is very dangerous, isn't it, Eric?"
"Yes, very." A slight pause, then the boy continued: "I think Uncle
Jasper is very grieved about Joy. I expect he's glad, though, that
he's been so much nicer to her lately. They're quite good friends
now, you know!"
"Are they? I'm so pleased to hear that," Celia responded, heartily,
her tear-stained countenance brightening.
Eric regarded his sister approvingly, and getting up from his chair
he went over to the sofa and sat down by her side, addressing her
more kindly and sympathetically than he had done at all.
"This is a sad end to your visit, poor Celia!" he said; "but you must
try to be brave, and," he added in a low tone, "we can pray for Joy,
you know."
"You can!" she cried; "but oh, Eric, I can't pray! I can't, indeed!"
she reiterated, stressfully.
"Why not?" he asked, considerably surprised.
"Because I'm too wicked. Oh, you don't know what a naughty, selfish
wretch I've been!"
"Well, don't call yourself names," he said, more and more
astonished, for Celia in this frame of mind was a new study for him.
"I daresay you've been all you say," he remarked, after a few
minutes' reflection, "but that's no reason why you shouldn't pray
for poor Joy."
"I don't believe God would listen to my prayers."
"Oh, you know better than that!"
"I wish I'd never gone to stay with the Tillotsons!" Celia cried,
passionately.
"Why? You had a good time, hadn't you? And you and Lulu Tillotson
are such great chums."
"Humph! I don't know about that," Celia said, a trifle dubiously.
"Lulu is very fond of dictating to people," she continued, in an
explanatory tone, "and she's very selfish."
Eric could not help smiling on hearing this; but before he had time
to reply the door opened, and Mrs. Mallock entered. She had brought
a message from her master to the effect that Dr. Forbes had been to
see him, and that he had reported Joy to be lying in exactly the same
condition.
"Sir Jasper desires you will both go to bed now," she said, looking
commiseratingly at the young people on the sofa; "he will send to the
Vicarage to inquire for Miss Joy the first thing in the morning."
"I shall get up early and go myself," Eric declared, decidedly.
"I don't believe I shall sleep a wink."
"Nor I," Celia sighed; "but I suppose it's no good our sitting up
any longer."
The sister and brother said good-night to each other, and repaired
to their respective rooms.
Celia found her box awaiting her, and examined it to see if it had
been injured. It had not; but she was unsatisfied until she had
unstrapped and opened it, and found the butterfly brooch was
perfectly safe.
"I hope I shall soon be able to put it back in its proper place," she
thought, as she examined the jewel. "How could I have been so foolish
as to take it? It has brought me nothing but trouble."
She placed it at the bottom of her box again, and prepared for bed.
When she knelt down to say her prayers, her frame shook with sobs
as she thought of Joy, and tried to commend her to God's care; but no
words came to her lips, and her attempt to pray ended in a fit
of weeping. She crept into bed then, and lay awake thinking of her
sister. Remorse was in her heart that she had allowed her to bear
Sir Jasper's displeasure, when she alone had been the culprit. How
generous it had been of Joy to hold her peace when she might
so easily have cleared herself from the suspicion of untruthfulness!
Oh, if God would only spare Joy's life, Celia felt she would do
anything, bear anything, to atone for what she had allowed her to
suffer in the past! At that moment she acknowledged herself vain,
and false, and selfish, and a great abhorrence of her own character
filled her soul. Yet, though her faults were plain to herself, no
thought of going to Sir Jasper with confession upon her lips entered
her mind; it never occurred to her that that course would have shown
her truly repentant. At length, worn out mentally and physically,
exhaustion overcame her, and she fell asleep. Meanwhile, Eric had
likewise retired to rest; but, before lying his head upon the pillow,
he had poured out all the trouble of his sorrowful heart to his
Father in Heaven, and had committed his well-beloved sister to the
infinite mercy and love of Almighty God.