“I was too busy takin' a wrap on Lucretia; she was gettin' a bit out of hand.”
When they came to the gate which gave entrance to Ringwood house Mike said to Carter, with rough sympathy in his voice: “Slip in ahead, Ned, and tell the Misses that the boss has had a bit av a spill. Say he's just stunned; no bones broke. Bot' t'umbs! though, I fear he's mashed to a jelly. Ask fer a bottle of brandy till we give him a bracer. Ned!” he called, as Carter slipped from the buggy, “see if ye kin kape the Misses from seein' the boss till the docthor comes. Git hould of the girl Cynthie, an' give her the tip that things is purty bad. Go on now; I'll drive slow wid wan hand.”
Mike's kindly precautions were of little avail. Mrs. Porter saw the slow-moving conveyance crawling up the broad drive, and instinctively knew that again something terrible had occurred. That Allis was not there added to her fear.
“He's just bad, ma'am,” Carter was saying, as Mike reached the steps. But she didn't hear him; her face was white, and in her eyes was the horror of a great fear, but from her lips came no cry; her silence was more dreadful than if she had called out.
“We'll carry him, ma'am,” Mike said, as she came down the steps to the buggy, and clutching the wheel rim swayed unsteadily. “Jest git a bed ready, Misses,” Gaynor continued, softly; “git a bed ready, an' he'll be all roight afther a bit. He's just stunned; that's all, just stunned!”
It was curious how the sense of evil had limited each one's vocabulary.
“Let me help,” pleaded Mrs. Porter, speaking for the first time.
“We'll carry him, Misses—he's just stunned,” repeated Mike, in a dreary monotone, as feeling each step carefully with his toe he and Carter bore the still senseless form into the house. The wife had got one of the battered hands between her own, and was walking with wide, dry, staring eyes close to her husband.
“O John, John! Speak to me. Open your eyes and look at me. You're not dead; O God! you're not dead!” she cried, passionately, breaking down, and a pent-up flood of tears coming to the hot, dry eyes as the two men laid Porter on the bed that Cynthia had made ready.
“There, Misses, don't take on now,” pleaded Mike. “The boss is jest stunned; that's all. I've been that way a dozen toimes meself,” he added, by way of assurance. “Where's the brandy? Lift his head, Ned; not so much. See!” he cried, exultantly, as the strong liquor caused the eyelids to quiver; “see, Misses, he's all roight; he's jest stunned; that's all. There's the dochtor now. God bless the little woman! She wasn't long!”