crede. This will be
all right when I can stop the bleeding,' and steadying himself with
difficulty, he reached the door, and slowly repaired to his own room,
while the girls sent Fanshawe and Delaford to his assistance.

Lady Conway, unable to bear the sight of blood, was in a state of
nervous sobbing, which Virginia's excited restlessness did not tend to
compose; and Isabel walked up and down the room, wishing that she could
do anything, looking reproachfully at her mother, and exalting to the
skies the courage, presence of mind, and fortitude of the wounded
knight.

Presently, Delaford came down with a message from Lord Fitzjocelyn that
it was of no use to wait for him, for as the butler expressed it, 'the
haemorrhage was pertinacious,' and he begged that the ladies would
depart without regard to him. 'In fact,' said Delaford, 'it was a
serious crisis, and there was no time to be lost; an English gentleman,
Captain Lonsdale, who had already offered his services, would take care
of his lordship, and my Lady had better secure herself and the young
ladies.'

'Leave Fitzjocelyn!' cried Virginia.

'Is it very dangerous, Delaford?' asked Lady Conway.

'I would not be responsible for the consequences of remaining, my
Lady,' was the answer. 'Shall I order the horses to be brought out?'

'I don't know. Is the street full of people? Oh! there is firing!
What shall I do? Isabel, what do you say!'

Isabel was sitting still and upright; she hardly raised her eyelids, as
she tranquilly said, 'Nothing shall induce me to go till he is better.'

'Isabel! this is most extraordinary! Do you know what you are saying?'

Isabel did not weaken her words by repetition, but signed to Delaford
to leave them, and he never ventured to disregard Miss Conway. Virginia
hung about her, and declared that she was quite right; and Lady Conway,
in restless despair, predicted that they would all be massacred, and
that her nephew would bleed to death, and appealed to every one on the
iniquity of all the doctors in Paris for not coming near him.

Poor Louis himself was finding it very forlorn to be left to Fanshawe,
whose one idea was essences, and Delaford, who suggested nothing but
brandy. Some aunts and cousins he had, who would not have left him to
their tender mercies. He was growing confused and feeble, speculating
upon arteries, and then starting from a delusion of Mary's voice to
realize his condition, and try to waken his benu