Julia was soon recovered; but the swoon of Edgerton was of much
longer duration. We sprinkled him with water, subjected him to
fanning and friction, and at length aroused him. His mind seemed
to wander at his first consciousness--he murmured incoherently.
One or two broken sentences, however, which he spoke, were not
without significance in my ears.
"Closer! closer! leave me not now--not yet."
I bent over him to catch the words. Kingsley, as if he feared the
utterance of anything more, pushed me away, and addressing Edgerton
sternly, asked him if he felt pain.
"What hurts you, Mr. Edgerton? Where is your pain?"
The harsh and very loud tones which he employed, had the effect
which I have no doubt he intended. The other came to complete
consciousness in a moment.
"Pain!" said he--"no! I feel no pain. I feel feeble only."
And he strove to rise from the ground as he spoke.
"Do not attempt it," said Kingsley--"you are not able. Wharton,
my good fellow, will you run back to town, and bring a carriage?"
"It will not need," said Edgerton, striving again to rise, and
staggering up with difficulty.
"It will need. You must not overtask yourself. The walk is a long
one before us."
Meantime, Wharton was already on his way. It was a tedious interval
which followed before his return with the carriage, which found
considerable difficulty in picking a track through the woods.
Julia, after recovery, had wandered off about a hundred yards from
the party. She betrayed no concern--no uneasiness--made no inquiries
after Edgerton, of whose condition she knew nothing--and, by this
very course, convinced me that she was conscious of too deep an
interest in his fate to trust her lips in referring to it. All that
she said to me was, that "she had been so terrified on seeing him
fall, that she did not even know that she had screamed."
"Natural enough!" said my demon. "Had she been able to have
controlled her utterance, she would have taken precious good care
to havo maintained the silence of the grave. But her feelings were
too strong for her policy."
And I took this reasoning for gospel.
The carriage came. Edgerton was put into it, but Julia positively
refused to ride. She insisted that she was perfectly equal to the
walk and walk she would. I was pleased with this determination,
but not willing to appear pleased. I expostulated with her even
angrily, but found her incorrigible. Chagrin and disappointment
were obvious enough on the face of William Edgerton.
I took my seat beside him, and left Kingsley and Wharton to
escort my wife home. We had scarcely got in motion before a rash
determination seized my mind.
"You must go home with me, Edgerton. It will not do, while you are
in this feeble state, to remain at a public tavern."