"Oh, they told me that you were dead, husband," she said, "crushed or
swallowed in the earthquake! But I thank God they lied. Yet what ails
you, sweetheart, that you do not stand upon your feet?"
"Little, dear wife, little," he answered in a cheerful voice. "My foot
is somewhat crushed, that is all. Still 'tis true that had it not been
for this brave knight and his squire I must have lain where I was till I
perished."
Now Lady Carleon raised herself slightly and looked at Hugh and Dick,
who stood together, bewildered and overwhelmed.
"Heaven's blessings be on your heads," she exclaimed, "for these
Venetians would surely have left him to his doom. Ah, I thought that it
was you who must die to-day, but now I know it is I, and perchance my
lord. Physician," she added after a pause, "trouble not with me, for my
hour has come; I feel it at my heart. Tend my lord there, who, unless
this foul sickness takes him also, may yet be saved."
So they carried them both to their own large sleeping chamber on the
upper floor. There the surgeon set Sir Geoffrey's broken bone skilfully
enough, though when he saw the state of the crushed limb, he shook
his head and said it would be best to cut it off. This, however, Sir
Geoffrey would not suffer to be done.
"It will kill me, I am sure, or if not, then the pest which that ship,
_Light of the East_, has brought here from Cyprus, will do its work on
me.
Pages:
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286