of which the night air, coming in with a rush, chilling the
group in their indoor dresses, and flickering the flame of the candles,
added one other point of dismal accumulation. The child had dropped from
his swing on the door, and was stunned with the fall. Both father
and mother thought him dead in the excitement of the moment; but the
accustomed and cooler eyes of the doctor perceived the true state of
affairs. Edward Rider forgot his disgust and rage as he devoted himself
to the little patient--not that he loved the child more, but that the
habits of his profession were strong upon him. When he had succeeded
in restoring the little fellow to consciousness, the doctor threw a
professional glance of inquiry round him to see who could be trusted.
Then, with a contemptuous shrug of his shoulders and impatient
exclamation, turned back to the table. Fred, shivering and helpless,
stood by the fire, uttering confused directions, and rubbing miserably
his own flabby hands; his wife, crying, scolding, and incapable, stood
at the end of the table, offering no assistance, but wondering when
ever Nettie would come back. Dr Rider took the patient in his arms, and,
beckoning Mrs Smith to go before him, carried the child up-stairs. There
the good mistress of the cottage listened to all his directions, and
promised devoutly to obey him--to keep the room quiet, if she could--to
tell everything he had said to Miss Nettie. He did not enter the
desecrated parlour again when he came down-stairs. What was the use?
He was glad to go out and escape the chance of a fraternal struggle.
He went out into the cold night air all thrilling with excitement
and agitation. It was not wonderful that a scene so strange should
rouse many impatient thoughts in the young man's mind; but the most
intolerable of these had the most trifling origin. That Fred should have
smoked his pipe in Nettie's sitting-room, when she was out of the way,
was not, after all, considering Fred's character, a very wonderful
circumstance, but it exasperated his brother to a greater extent than
much more important matters. That aggravation entirely overpowered
Edward Rider's self-control. It seemed the culmination of all the wrong
and silent insolent injury inflicted upon Nettie. He saw the stain of
those ashes on the little mantel-shelf, the rolling cloud of smoke in
the room, and indignation burned yet higher and higher in his breast.

When the current of his thoughts was sudd