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“ Take one of the lamps, Peter, and see who is lying in the
road. 1 ’
The urchin moved promptly, and, hurrying forward, stooped
over one of the victims, holding the light close to his lace. He
came hack instantly.
“Its Mass Ned Bullimer, missis. 1 ’
“ Mr. Edward Bulmer !” said the ancient lady, and she hemmed
thrice and began violently to agitate —her fan.
“ Edward !—Edward Bulmer !” cried the young lady, almost
with a scream, besfinning violently to agitate—herself. “ Oh ! mam
-7 o o f o
ma , let us get out and see. He is hurt. He is killed.”
“ No, Miss Paula, he aint dead yet, —he da grunt.'’ This was
meant to be consolatorv.
V
“Be quiet, Paula, my child; do not excite yourself—we will
see —we will inquire. But—”
“ Open the door, Peter I 1 ’ cried Paula, with an energy and resolu
tion which she did not ordinarily exhibit, and of which the old
lady did not altogether approve., though the occasion was one
which did not allow of any deliberation. Peter, meanwhile, opened
the door of the carriage, and the young ladv darted out.
44 Stay, Paula, stay, till I get my cologne, and —”
But the damsel was off, and a bound brought her to the side of
her lover, stretched out partly upon the road, his shoulder resting
against a pine sapling. She knelt heside him, called to him with
the tenderest accents, and was answered by a groan. These groans
w T ere signs of returning consciousness, at once to suffering and life.
O C* 7 o
Meanwhile, the good grandmother had hobbled out, and approached
the scene of action; a bottle of cologne water in one hand and her
vinaigrette in the other.
“ Pub his head, my daughter, and sprinkle him with cologne;
hold this vinaigrette to his nostrils, and tell him to snuff.”
Another oroan, and then the maiden heard him in faint ac
cents say —“ My father —see —my father.”
“ His father! Oh ! Major Bulmer,’ 1 quoth the old lady. “ Yes,
they went away together. 4 ’
“In de buggy, missis,” interposed the knowing Peter. He him
self had opened the gate for the buggy, and had received a shil
ling for his attentions.
“ Look for him, Peter,” said the old lady —and she muttered to
herself, as if to justify her humanity, 44 He is one of God’s crea
tures, at least; it is our Christian duty only.” And with these
words she followed Peter in his search.
The Major was found in the fence corner, lying partly across one
of the stakes , which his weight had broken, his head striking
against a rail. The old lady was quite terrified when she beheld
him. His head had been cut, an ugly gash, ranging from the
upper part of his ear to the temples. He was still bleeding freely.
Antony was immediately summoned to bring the other lamp of
the carriage, while Peter was made to mount one of the horses,
in order to ride back for Dr. Porchet, who was at the party, and
who, it was hoped, might be still found there. Madame Agnes-
Therese, in the meanwhile, to her credit be it said, forgetting old
prejudices and antipathies, forgetting all forms and restraints, and
stiffnesses and formalities, kneeling beside the insensible Major,
proceeded to staunch the blood and close the wound. She had
lived a long time in the world, and had acquired much of that
household practical knowledge and dexterity which enables one
to be useful in almost any emergency. And she pursued her pre
SUPPLEMENT TO SOUTHERN LITERARY GAZETTE.
sent labour with a good deal of skill and success. The vinaigrette
and the cologne were passed from patient to patient, as they s
verally seemed most to need it. Antony was despatched to the
branch , or brooklet, which they had passed only a few moments
before, to bring his carriage bucket full of water. The faces of
the two were sprinkled with water, cologne poured into their
mouths, and both seemed to revive about the same time. The
first words of the father were significant of quite a different feeling
from that which he exhibited during the unlucky drive.
44 Ned, my dear boy ; Ned, are you hurt ?”
The old lady, holding the lamp up to his face, endeavoured to
press him down, in order to keep him quiet.
44 Do not speak; do not agitate yourself, Major Bulmer; veni
son is doing well. He is not much hurt—not much, 1 assure you—
I, Mrs. Girardin.”
44 Heh ! —vou —Mrs. Gi .”
V
He resolutely sate up, in spite of all her efforts, and stared her
in the face with a countenance in which surprise was so extreme
as almost to seem horror. Fancy the spectacle. Madame Girardin
holding the carriage lamp with one hand, kneeling on one knee,
and with the other hand striving to press the old gentleman back
wards. He, now sitting, his arms supporting him in the posi
tion, with his hands resting on the ground; and staring with sucli
a face into her own. He had almost recovered his senses quite,
and astonishment had partly overcome his pain. It was at this
moment, and while the expression was still upon his visage, that
our carriage drew up to the scene of the accident. We necessa
rily halted also, soon got out, and almost as soon learned all the
particulars. In a moment after, Dr. Porcher arrived, fortunately
having met Peter on the route, and proceeded to examine into the
condition of the sufferers.
The evil was not so serious as we had at first reason to appre
hend. The real sufferer was Ned Bulmer, whose left arm was
broken, and who was otherwise considerably bruized about the
body. The Major had an acre of bruizes, according to his own
phrase, over back and shoulders and sides. But, excepting the
ugly gash over his temple, there was nothing to disquiet him for
more than a week. But he had a narrow escape. The skull was
uninjured, but a little more obliquity in his fall would have crush
ed it. As it was, the wound was really only skin deep; but it left
an ugly scar forever after, which, as a fine-looking man, who had
always been particularly well satisfied with his visage, occasioned
the proprietor many and frequent regrets.
But we must take our groups out of the highway. The arm
of Ned Bulmer was temporarily bandaged, and we lifted him into
the carriage w ith as much tenderness as possible. This carnage
was Madame Girardin’s. The moment she discovered that each
of the wounded men w r ould require two seat®, she gracious!} ac
corded the use of her vehicle. Os the two, she perhaps prefemd
the son to the father as an inmate; but dear little Paula, clinging
toher lover tenaciously, disposed of the matter without leaung
any thing to the option of the grandmother; and, at her reqm- 1
tion, as soon as Ned was fully restored to consciousness, the Doctor,
myself and Antony, lifted him in, not a little helped by l* ll J ‘j
The same service rendered to the Major, and the Doctoi
the way in his own vehicle. We drove slowly, and day
dawning as we entered the court. The patients were canT”
taken out, put to bed, and more methodically and scientific- 1 y