“Take her to the house, to the Owl’s Nest,” came the command, with the tone of authority, from the depths of Madame Giche’s black hood.
“I thought of taking her home,” returned Oscar without ceremony.
“Yes, young people think a great many wrong thoughts; but if you take her to the house, you’ll be glad in an hour’s time you did an old woman’s bidding,” was the decisive reply.
Oscar caught up the insensible girl in his arms in moody silence; truth to tell, he would be glad to get her into something dry and warm; she certainly did look death-like.
“Do you know the short cut to the house?” inquired Madame Giche.
“Yes, thank you; I know.”
“Can you carry her, or shall Phil help you?”
At this, he might have been the giant-killer in the old nursery tale, carrying poor little Jack, by the way he took up his burden, and struck away for the boundary of the park; a curt [p63] “No, thank you,” ringing back over his shoulder in scant courtesy as he went.
Then Madame Giche’s party turned and went homeward by a less direct road, because of her chair, and Black Hole was again deserted. Madame Giche, however, despatched Phil to run forward with her message to the servants, that the child was to be taken in and attended to; her nieces propelling her along at a brisk canter, because she wished to be herself early on the spot. So Phil and Oscar mounted the north terrace together. Phil gave the alarm, the servants flocked out, and Long, Madame’s own maid, took possession of Inna, and bore her away to her own little room, next to her mistress’s bedchamber, on the first floor. Of course, Oscar loitered about outside, on the terrace, like a lad in a book, to wait for tidings; he was there when Madame arrived, and assisted her up the steps, he on one side, Phil on the other, because a trembling fit, brought on by the shock, was upon her. A frail little mite of a gentlewoman was she between the two sturdy lads, her nieces, like meek little handmaids, following behind them.
[p64]
“Now, boy, if you’re mad, I’m not. Come in and take off those wet garments, and put on some of Phil’s.” So she half commanded half persuaded him, still grasping his arm with her clinging fingers.