第50章

Whilemovinghereandthereshefanciedthatsheheardaslightnoiseout-of-doors，andstoodstill。Surelyitwasatappingatthewindow。Athoughtenteredhermind，andburnedhercheek。Hehadcometothatwindowbefore；yetwasitpossiblethatheshoulddaretodosonow！Alltheservantswereinbed，andintheordinarycourseofaffairsshewouldhaveretiredalso。Thensherememberedthatonsteppinginbythecasementandclosingit，shehadnotfastenedthewindow-shutter，sothatastreakoflightfromtheinterioroftheroommighthaverevealedhervigiltoanobserveronthelawn。HowallthingsconspiredagainstherkeepingfaithwithGrace！

Thetappingrecommenced，lightasfromthebillofalittlebird；

herillegitimatehopeovercamehervow；shewentandpulledbacktheshutter，determining，however，toshakeherheadathimandkeepthecasementsecurelyclosed。

Whatshesawoutsidemighthavestruckterrorintoaheartstouterthanahelplesswoman’satmidnight。Inthecentreofthelowestpaneofthewindow，closetotheglass，wasahumanface，whichshebarelyrecognizedasthefaceofFitzpiers。Itwassurroundedwiththedarknessofthenightwithout，corpse-likeinitspallor，andcoveredwithblood。AsdisclosedinthesquareareaofthepaneitmetherfrightenedeyeslikeareplicaoftheSudariumofSt。Veronica。

Hemovedhislips，andlookedatherimploringly。Herrapidmindpiecedtogetherinaninstantapossibleconcatenationofeventswhichmighthaveledtothistragicalissue。Sheunlatchedthecasementwithaterrifiedhand，andbendingdowntowherehewascrouching，pressedherfacetohiswithpassionatesolicitude。

Sheassistedhimintotheroomwithoutaword，todowhichitwasalmostnecessarytolifthimbodily。Quicklyclosingthewindowandfasteningtheshutters，shebentoverhimbreathlessly。

“Areyouhurtmuch——much？”shecried，faintly。“Oh，oh，howisthis！”

“Rathermuch——butdon’tbefrightened。”heansweredinadifficultwhisper，andturninghimselftoobtainaneasierpositionifpossible。“Alittlewater，please。”

Sheranacrossintothedining-room，andbroughtabottleandglass，fromwhichheeagerlydrank。Hecouldthenspeakmuchbetter，andwithherhelpgotuponthenearestcouch。

“Areyoudying，Edgar？”shesaid。“Dospeaktome！”

“Iamhalfdead。”saidFitzpiers。“ButperhapsIshallgetoverit。Itischieflylossofblood。”

“ButIthoughtyourfalldidnothurtyou。”saidshe。“Whodidthis？”

“Felice——myfather-in-law！。Ihavecrawledtoyoumorethanamileonmyhandsandknees——God，IthoughtIshouldneverhavegothere！。Ihavecometoyou——be-causeyouaretheonlyfriend——I

haveintheworldnow。IcannevergobacktoHintock——never——totheroofoftheMelburys！Notpoppynormandragorawillevermedicinethisbitterfeud！。IfIwereonlywellagain——“

“Letmebindyourhead，nowthatyouhaverested。”

“Yes——butwaitamoment——ithasstoppedbleeding，fortunately，orIshouldbeadeadmanbeforenow。WhileinthewoodImanagedtomakeatourniquetofsomehalf-penceandmyhandkerchief，aswellasIcouldinthedark。Butlisten，dearFelice！CanyouhidemetillIamwell？Whatevercomes，IcanbeseeninHintocknomore。

Mypracticeisnearlygone，youknow——andafterthisIwouldnotcaretorecoveritifIcould。”

BythistimeFelice’stearsbegantoblindher。Wherewerenowherdiscreetplansforsunderingtheirlivesforever？Toadministertohiminhispain，andtrouble，andpoverty，washersinglethought。Thefirststepwastohidehim，andsheaskedherselfwhere。Aplaceoccurredtohermind。

Shegothimsomewinefromthedining-room，whichstrengthenedhimmuch。Thenshemanagedtoremovehisboots，and，ashecouldnowkeephimselfuprightbyleaninguponherononesideandawalking-stickontheother，theywentthusinslowmarchoutoftheroomandupthestairs。Atthetopshetookhimalongagallery，pausingwheneverherequiredrest，andthenceupasmallerstaircasetot