CHAPTER XII.

orth.)“TheLaconiahadcomeintoPlymouththeweekbeforenodangerofherbeingsenttoseaagain.Hestoodhischancefortherestwroteupforleaveofabsence,butwithoutwaitingthereturn,travellednightanddaytillhegottoPortsmouth,rowedofftotheGrapplerthatinstant,andneverleftthepoorfellowforaweek.That’swhathedid,andnobodyelsecouldhavesavedpoorJames.Youmaythink,MissElliot,whetherheisdeartous!” Annedidthinkonthequestionwithperfectdecision,andsaidasmuchinreplyasherownfeelingcouldaccomplish,orashisseemedabletobear,forhewastoomuchaffectedtorenewthesubject,andwhenhespokeagain,itwasofsomethingtotallydifferent. MrsHarville’sgivingitasheropinionthatherhusbandwouldhavequitewalkingenoughbythetimehereachedhome,determinedthedirectionofallthepartyinwhatwastobetheirlastwalktheywouldaccompanythemtotheirdoor,andthenreturnandsetoffthemselves.ByalltheircalculationstherewasjusttimeforthisbutastheydrewneartheCobb,therewassuchageneralwishtowalkalongitoncemore,allweresoinclined,andLouisasoongrewsodetermined,thatthedifferenceofaquarterofanhour,itwasfound,wouldbenodifferenceatallsowithallthekindleave-taking,andallthekindinterchangeofinvitationsandpromiseswhichmaybeimagined,theypartedfromCaptainandMrsHarvilleattheirowndoor,andstillaccompaniedbyCaptainBenwick,whoseemedtoclingtothemtothelast,proceededtomaketheproperadieustotheCobb. AnnefoundCaptainBenwickagaindrawingnearher.LordByron’s“darkblueseas”couldnotfailofbeingbroughtforwardbytheirpresentview,andshegladlygavehimallherattentionaslongasattentionwaspossible.Itwassoondrawn,perforceanotherway. TherewastoomuchwindtomakethehighpartofthenewCobbpleasantfortheladies,andtheyagreedtogetdownthestepstothelower,andallwerecontentedtopassquietlyandcarefullydownthesteepflight,exceptingLouisashemustbejumpeddownthembyCaptainWentworth.Inalltheirwalks,hehadhadtojumpherfromthestilesthesensationwasdelightfultoher.Thehardnessofthepavementforherfeet,madehimlesswillinguponthepresentoccasionhedidit,however.Shewassafelydown,andinstantly,toshowherenjoyment,ranupthestepstobejumpeddownagain.Headvisedheragainstit,thoughtthejartoogreatbutno,hereasonedandtalkedinvain,shesmiledandsaid,“IamdeterminedIwill:”heputouthishandsshewastooprecipitatebyhalfasecond,shefellonthepavementontheLowerCobb,andwastakenuplifeless!Therewasnowound,noblood,novisiblebruisebuthereyeswereclosed,shebreathednot,herfacewaslikedeath.Thehorrorofthemomenttoallwhostoodaround! CaptainWentworth,whohadcaughtherup,kneltwithherinhisarms,lookingonherwithafaceaspallidasherown,inanagonyofsilence.“Sheisdead!sheisdead!”screamedMary,catchingholdofherhusband,andcontributingwithhisownhorrortomakehimimmoveableandinanothermoment,Henrietta,sinkingundertheconviction,losthersensestoo,andwouldhavefallenonthesteps,butforCaptainBenwickandAnne,whocaughtandsupportedherbetweenthem. “Istherenoonetohelpme?”werethefirstwordswhichburstfromCaptainWentworth,inatoneofdespair,andasifallhisownstrengthweregone. “Gotohim,gotohim,”criedAnne,“forheaven’ssakegotohim.Icansupporthermyself.Leaveme,andgotohim.Rubherhands,rubhertemplesherearesaltstakethem,takethem.” CaptainBenwickobeyed,andCharlesatthesamemoment,disengaginghimselffromhiswife,theywerebothwithhimandLouisawasraisedupandsupportedmorefirmlybetweenthem,andeverythingwasdonethatAnnehadprompted,butinvainwhileCaptainWentworth,staggeringagainstthewallforhissupport,exclaimedinthebitterestagony— “OhGod!herfatherandmother!” “Asurgeon!”saidAnne. Hecaughttheworditseemedtorousehimatonce,andsayingonly—“True,true,asurgeonthisinstant,”wasdartingaway,whenAnneeagerlysuggested— “CaptainBenwick,wouldnotitbebetterforCaptainBenwick?Heknowswhereasurgeonistobefound.” Everyonecapableofthinkingfelttheadvantageoftheidea,andinamoment(itwasalldoneinrapidmoments)CaptainBenwickhadresignedthepoorcorpse-likefigureentirelytothebrother’scare,andwasoffforthetownwiththeutmostrapidity. Astothewretchedpartyleftbehind,itcouldscarcelybesaidwhichofthethree,whowerecompletelyrational,wassufferingmost:CaptainWentworth,Anne,orCharles,who,reallyaveryaffectionatebrother,hungoverLouisawithsobsofgrief,andcouldonlyturnhiseyesfromonesister,toseetheotherinastateasinsensible,ortowitnessthehystericalagitationsofhiswife,callingonhimforhelpwhichhecouldnotgive. Anne,attendingwithallthestrengthandzeal,andthought,whichinstinctsupplied,toHenrietta,stilltried,atintervals,tosuggestcomforttotheothers,triedtoquietMary,toanimateCharles,toassuagethefeelingsofCaptainWentworth.Bothseemedtolooktoherfordirections. “Anne,Anne,”criedCharles,“Whatistobedonenext?What,inheaven’sname,istobedonenext?” CaptainWentworth’seyeswerealsoturnedtowardsher. “Hadnotshebetterbecarriedtotheinn?Yes,Iamsure:carryhergentlytotheinn.” “Yes,yes,totheinn,”repeatedCaptainWentworth,comparativelycollected,andeagertobedoingsomething.“Iwillcarryhermyself.Musgrove,takecareoftheothers.” BythistimethereportoftheaccidenthadspreadamongtheworkmenandboatmenabouttheCobb,andmanywerecollectednearthem,tobeusefulifwanted,atanyrate,toenjoythesightofadeadyounglady,nay,twodeadyoungladies,foritprovedtwiceasfineasthefirstreport.Tosomeofthebest-lookingofthesegoodpeopleHenriet