‘But you could not prevent it; you did your best; it was in vain,’ said Caroline comfortingly. ‘Don’t grieve, Shirley.’
‘I am sorry for those poor fellows,’ was the answer, while the spark in her glance dissolved to dew. ‘Are any within the mill hurt, I wonder? Is that your uncle?’
‘It is, and there is Mr. Malone, and oh, Shirley! there is Robert!’
‘Well,’ resuming her former tone, ‘don’t squeeze your fingers quite into my hand. I see; there is nothing wonderful in that. We knew he, at least, was here, whoever might be absent.’
‘He is coming here towards us, Shirley.’
‘Towards the pump, that is to say, for the purpose of washing his hands and his forehead, which has got a scratch, I perceive.’
‘He bleeds, Shirley. Don’t hold me; I must go.’
‘Not a step.’
‘He is hurt, Shirley!’
‘Fiddlestick!’
‘But I must go to him—I wish to go so much; I cannot bear to be restrained.’
‘What for?’
‘To speak to him, and to ask how he is, and what I can do for him.’
‘To teaze and annoy him; to make a spectacle of yourself and him before those soldiers, Mr. Malone, your uncle, etc. Would he like it, think you? Would you like to remember it a week hence?’
‘Am I always to be curbed and kept down?’ demanded Caroline, a little passionately.
‘For his sake, yes, and still more for your own. I tell you, if you showed yourself now, you would repent it an hour hence, and so would Robert.’
‘You think he would not like it, Shirley?’
‘Far less than he would like our stopping him to say good-night, which you were so sore about.’
‘But that was all play; there was no danger.’
‘And this is serious work; he must be unmolested.’
‘I only wish to go to him because he is my cousin. You understand?’
‘I quite understand. But now, watch him. He has bathed his forehead, and the blood has ceased trickling. His hurt is really a mere graze; I can see it from hence; he is going to look after the wounded men.’
Accordingly Mr. Moore and Mr. Helstone went round the yard, examining each prostrate form. They then gave directions to have the wounded taken up and carried into the mill. This duty being performed, Joe Scott was ordered to saddle his master’s horse and Mr. Helstone’s pony, and the two gentlemen rode away full gallop to seek surgical aid in different directions.
Caroline was not yet pacified.