terrupted his wife; "how canst use
such words afore the young ladies?"

"I tell'ee wife, as 'twur infarnal--ugh, ugh," retorted the
gardener.

"Internal injury?" suggested Miss Winter. "I'm very sorry to hear
it."

"Zummut inside o' me like, as wur got out o' place," explained
Simon; "and I thenks a must be near about the mark, for I feels
mortal bad here when I tries to move;" and he put his hand on his
side. "Hows'm'ever, as there's no bwones bruk, I hopes to be
about to-morrow mornin', please the Lord--ugh, ugh."

"You mustn't think of it, Simon," said Miss Winter. "You must be
quite quiet for a week, at least, till you get rid of this pain."

"So I tells un, Miss Winter," put in the wife. "You hear what the
young missus says, Simon?"

"And wut's to happen to Tiny?" said the contumacious Simon,
scornfully. "Her'll cast her calf, and me not by. Her's calving
maybe this minut. Tiny's time were up, miss, two days back, and
her's never no gurt while arter her time."

"She will do very well, I dare say," said Miss Winter, "One of
the men can look after her."

The notion of anyone else attending Tiny in her interesting
situation seemed to excite Simon beyond bearing, for he raised
himself on one elbow, and was about to make a demonstration with
his other hand, when the pain seized him again, and he sank back
groaning.

"There, you see, Simon, you can't move without pain. You must be
quiet till you have seen the doctor again."

"There's the red spider out along the south wall--ugh, ugh,"
persisted Simon, without seeming to hear her; "and your new
g'raniums a'most covered wi' blight. I wur a tacklin' one of 'em
just afore you cum in."

Following the direction indicated by his nod, the girls became
aware of a plant by his bedside, which he had been fumigating,
for his pipe was leaning against the flower-pot in which it
stood.

"He wouldn't lie still nohow, miss," explained his wife, "till I
went and fetched un in a pipe and one o' thaay plants from the
greenhouse."

"It was very thoughtful of you, Simon," said Miss Winter; "you
know how much I prize these new plants; but we will manage them;
and you mustn't think of these things now. You have had a
wonderful escape to-day for a man of your age. I hope we shall
find that there is nothing much the matter with you after a few
days, but you might have been killed you know. You ought to be
very thankful to God that you were not killed in that fall."

"So I b