下载辰思小说免费APP
Allhadbeendonethatcouldbedone。Mrs。Barnetwasinherownhouseundermedicalhands，buttheresultwasstilluncertain。
Barnethadactedasifdevotiontohiswifewerethedominantpassionofhisexistence。Therehadbeenmuchtodecide——whethertoattemptrestorationoftheapparentlylifelessbodyasitlayontheshore——whethertocarryhertotheHarbourInn——whethertodrivewithheratoncetohisownhouse。Thefirstcourse，withnoskilledhelporappliancesnearathand，hadseemedhopeless。Thesecondcoursewouldhaveoccupiednearlyasmuchtimeasadrivetothetown，owingtotheinterveningridgesofshingle，andthenecessityofcrossingtheharbourbyboattogettothehouse，addedtowhichmuchtimemusthaveelapsedbeforeadoctorcouldhavearriveddownthere。Bybringingherhomeinthecarriagesomepreciousmomentshadslippedby；butshehadbeenlaidinherownbedinsevenminutes，adoctorcalledtoherside，andeverypossiblerestorativebroughttobearuponher。
Atwhatatearingpacehehaddrivenupthatroad，throughtheyelloweveningsunlight，theshadowsflappingirksomelyintohiseyesaseachwaysideobjectrushedpastbetweenhimandthewest！
Tiredworkmenwiththeirbasketsattheirbackshadturnedontheirhomewardjourneytowonderathisspeed。HalfwaybetweentheshoreandPort-BredytownhehadmetCharlson，whohadbeenthefirstsurgeontohearoftheaccident。Hewasaccompaniedbyhisassistantinagig。BarnethadsentonthelattertothecoastincasethatDowne’spoorwifeshouldbythattimehavebeenreclaimedfromthewaves，andhadbroughtCharlsonbackwithhimtothehouse。
Barnet’spresencewasnotneededhere，andhefeltittobehisnextdutytosetoffatonceandfindDowne，thatnootherthanhimselfmightbreakthenewstohim。
HewasquitesurethatnochancehadbeenlostforMrs。Downebyhisleavingtheshore。BythetimethatMrs。Barnethadbeenlaidinthecarriage，amuchlargergrouphadassembledtolendassistanceinfindingherfriend，renderinghisownhelpsuperfluous。ButthedutyofbreakingthenewswasmadedoublypainfulbythecircumstancethatthecatastrophewhichhadbefallenMrs。Downewassolelytheresultofherownandherhusband’sloving-kindnesstowardshimself。
HefoundDowneinhisoffice。Whenthesolicitorcomprehendedtheintelligenceheturnedpale，stoodup，andremainedforamomentperfectlystill，asifbereftofhisfaculties；thenhisshouldersheaved，hepulledouthishandkerchiefandbegantocrylikeachild。Hissobsmighthavebeenheardinthenextroom。Heseemedtohavenoideaofgoingtotheshore，orofdoinganything；butwhenBarnettookhimgentlybythehandandproposedtostartatonce，hequietlyacquiesced，neitherutteringanyfurtherwordnormakinganyefforttorepresshistears。
Barnetaccompaniedhimtotheshore，where，findingthatnotracehadasyetbeenseenofMrs。Downe，andthathisstaywouldbeofnoavail，heleftDownewithhisfriendsandtheyoungdoctor，andoncemorehastenedbacktohisownhouse。
AtthedoorhemetCharlson。’Well！’Barnetsaid。
’Ihavejustcomedown，’saidthedoctor；’wehavedoneeverything，butwithoutresult。Isympathizewithyouinyourbereavement。’
BarnetdidnotmuchappreciateCharlson’ssympathy，whichsoundedtohisearsassomethingofamockeryfromthelipsofamanwhoknewwhatCharlsonknewabouttheirdomesticrelations。IndeedthereseemedanoddsparkinCharlson’sfullblackeyeashesaidthewords；butthatmighthavebeenimaginary。
’And，Mr。Barnet，’Charlsonresumed，’thatlittlematterbetweenus——
Ihopeto
