Mrs. Saunders went to it,
and a young housemaid said—-
"Oh, if you please, ma'am, Mr. Friar Brownlow says its of no
consequence, but he has broken two of his ribs, and Mr. Reeves thinks
Mrs. Evelyn ought to be informed."
She spoke so exactly as if he had broken a window, that at first the
sense hardly reached the two ladies.
"Broken what?"
"His ribs, ma'am."
"Oh! I was sure he was hurt!" cried Sydney. "Oh, mamma! go and
see."
Mrs. Evelyn went, but finding that Reeves and Fordham were with John,
and that the village doctor, who lived close by the park gates, had
been sent for, she went no farther than the door of the patient's
room, and there exchanged a few words with her son. Sydney thought
her very hard-hearted, and having been deposited in bed, lay there
starting, trembling, and listening, till her brother, according to
promise, came down.
"Well, Sydney, what a brave little woman you have shown yourself!
John has no words to tell how well you behaved."
"Oh, never mind that! Tell me about him? Is he not dreadfully
hurt?"
"He declares these particular ribs are nothing," said Fordham,
indicating their situation on himself, "and says they laugh at them
at the hospital. He wanted Reeves to have sent for Oswald privately,
and then meant to have come down to dinner as if nothing had
happened.
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