486 Lucy Austin* 



had no means of ascertaining, but I felt the dazzling light of day 

 streaming into my eyes, as if it were molten gold ; and the pain it 

 gave me made me cry out, or at least attempt to do so, for I could 

 not hear my own voice. But I soon heard iny name pronounced in 

 other accents, and, looking up, recognised Leader bending over me ; 

 and again my senses swam in confusion and all things became more 

 indistinct than before. 



When at length consciousness was fully restored, I learned that rny 

 unfortunate friend had swooned as soon as he saw Lucy spring from 

 the bridge. The first conviction he had of his faculties returning 

 was the hearing of cries of distress; when runningjto the water's edge 

 he beheld me in the act of sinking. In a moment the dreadful 

 thought that Lucy had perished smote him, nor was it until I had 

 risen a second time to the surface that he had sufficient presence of 

 mind to leap to my assistance. Fortunately I had imbibed so much 

 water, and my strength was so utterly prostrated before I sunk, that I 

 lay motionless in his hold, for had I sufficient power to grapple him, 

 as drowning men do, both our lives had been lost, as he was barely 

 enabled to support me to the shore. Having deposited me among 

 some sedges, one of the men who had been pursuing Whip came up, 

 and, procuring some of his companions, carried me into the house, 

 where, on the usual restoratives being applied, I was not long in awak- 

 ing to misery. 



Ascertaining that Lucy was doing well, and leaving me to the care 

 of an attendant, Leader went to change his dress. I expected him 

 back in half an hour at farthest ; but more than twice that time having 

 elapsed without his return, I grew wretched with indefinable appre- 

 hensions of some impending calamity. Another half-hour passed, 

 and I rose from bed determined to leave nothing undone to avert 

 what I scarce dared trust myself with surmising. I almost fainted the 

 instant my eyes rested on my figure in the looking-glass. Some half- 

 dozen spots of blood were on my face, and how they came there I 

 but too well guessed. Amidst all the confusion and danger conse- 

 quent upon Lucy's preservation and my own subsequent peril, the 

 fact of Leader having been bitten by Whip floated in my mind like 

 the remembrance of a disagreeable dream ; but the sight in the glass 

 recalled the circumstances in all their fearful minuteness. Steadying 

 my nerves (which were deplorably shattered) with a large draught 

 of brandy, I despatched an express to Warwick for two surgeons, and 

 proceeded to Leader's bed-room. I found him upon a sofa, absorbed 

 in thought, his injured hand extended from him, and his eyes fixed 

 vacantly on the floor. I affected to treat the matter lightly, assuring 

 him, that if taken in time it would be attended with nothing serious ; 

 but he dissented from my|observations abruptly. It appeared that an 

 uncle of his had died from a similar accident, and to all my admoni- 

 tions and suggestions his only answer was, " It's no use, Ned, no use ; 

 uncle Fred died of it." The idea possessed him that there was a fa- 

 tality in the occurrence, and to that idea he adhered with all the per- 

 tinacity of a fatalist. An irresistible torpor overpowered his faculties, 

 and though he made no effort to shake it off, it was to me but too 

 evident that the attempt would have been useless. My perseverance, 



