This was a question that neither Harry nor Philip could answer; but they told what they knew, and could only suppose that he had walked out of his depth, when the swiftness of the current, and his own timidity, had prevented him from regaining his footing. So that the full explanation had to remain until Fred was in a condition to give it himself.
Mr Inglis talked long and seriously to the boys; but he felt that he could not blame them much, as bathing was an habitual thing with them in the summer-time, and moreover a most healthy habit: joined to which, for such young lads, both Harry and Philip were powerful swimmers. But the act for which Mr Inglis blamed them was not for inducing their cousin to bathe, but leaving him, ignorant as he was of the power of the current, by himself.
“I think, Mamma,” said the Squire, at last, “we had better send poor Fred home again. Here in a space of time of only two or three days has he been lost in the wood; and, but for the blessing of God, he would have this day been drowned.”
“Oh! pray—pray don’t send him away, Papa,” pleaded both the lads at once. “We will be so careful for the future. And—and,” said Harry, breaking down as he spoke; “and—and—indeed, Papa, I wish it had been me to-day sooner than poor Fred, for we do feel that we ought to take care of him when he’s a visitor; don’t we, Philip? But I am such an unlucky beggar; I’m always doing something wrong when I want to do right, and it does make me so miserable, and so it did when I pitched into Fred the first afternoon he was here, and I couldn’t help it.”
“What’s that?” said Mr Inglis; “pitched into Fred? What, have you two been fighting?”
Harry was in too great trouble to speak, so Philip narrated the little skirmish, concluding with the loss of the poor ferret.
Mr Inglis did not say any more upon the subject; but a smile passed between him and Mrs Inglis, and then, shaking hands with his boys, they all went on tiptoe up the stairs to have a look at Fred—Mr Inglis, in spite of the events of the past few days, evidently of the opinion that his boys were not so much worse than boys in general.
Fred was fast asleep, breathing regularly; and the maid said he had not moved; so he was left to his rest, strict injunctions being given that Mrs Inglis should be called directly the invalid woke, or showed symptoms of so doing.