第35章

"And I must go and take the things out of my bundle," cried Amy, catching the contagion of all this and bounding away to the house.Some five minutes later Mrs.Falconer glanced at the sun: it was eleven o'clock--time to be getting dinner.

When she reached her room, Amy was standing beside the bed, engaged in lifting out of the bundle the finery now so redolent of the ball.

"Aunt Jessica," she remarked carelessly, without looking round, "I forgot to tell you that John Gray had a fight with a panther in his schoolroom this morning," and she gave several gossamer-like touches to the white lace tucker.

Mrs.Falconer had seated herself in a chair to rest.She had taken off her bonnet, and her fingers were unconsciously busy with the lustrous edges of her heavy hair.At Amy's words her hands fell to her lap.But she had long ago learned the value of silence and self-control when she was most deeply moved: Amy had already surprised her once that morning.

"The panther bit him in the shoulder close to the neck," continued Amy, folding the tucker away and lifting out the blue silk coat."They were on the floor of the school-house in the last struggle when Erskine got there.

He had gone for Phoebe Lovejoy's cows, because it was raining and she couldn't go herself; and he heard John as he was passing.He said his voice sounded like the bellow of a dying bull.""Is he much hurt? Where is he? Did you go to see him? ho dressed his wound?

Who is with him?"

"They carried him home," said Amy, turning round to the light and pressing the beautiful silk coat in against her figure with little kicks at the skirt."No; I didn't go; Joseph came round and told me.He didn't think the wound was very dangerous--necessarily.One of his hands was terribly clawed.""A panther? In town? In his schoolroom?"--"You know Erskine keeps a pet panther.I heard him tell Mrs.Poythress it was a female," said Amy with an apologetic icy, knowing little laugh."And he said this one had been prowling about in the edge of the canebrakes for several days.He had been trying to get a shot at it.He says it was nearly starved: that was why it wanted to eat John whole before breakfast."Amy turned back to the bed and shook out delicately the white muslin dress--the dress that John had hung on the wall of his cabin--that had wound itself around his figure so clingingly.

There was silence in the room.Amy had now reached the silk stockings; and taking up one, she blew down into it and quickly peeped over the side, to see whether it would fill out to life-size--with a mischievous wink.

"I am going to him at once."

Amy looked up in amazement.

"But, Aunt Jessica," she observed reproachfully; "who will get uncle's dinner? You know I can't.""Tell your uncle what has happened as soon as he comes."She had risen and was making some rapid preparations.

"I want my dinner," said Amy ruefully, seating herself on the edge of the bed and watching her aunt with disapproval.

"You can't go now!" she exclaimed."Uncle has the horses in the field."Mrs.Falconer turned to her with simple earnestness.

"I hoped you would lend me your horse?"

"But he is tired; and beside I want to use him this afternoon: Kitty and Iare going visiting."

"Tell your uncle when he comes in," said Mrs.Falconer, turning in the doorway a minute later, and speaking rapidly to her niece, but without the least reproach, "tell your uncle that his friend is badly hurt.Tell him that we do not know how badly.Tell him that I have gone to find out and to do anything for him that I can.Tell him to follow me at once.He will find me at his bedside.I am sorry about the dinner."