on, and descended in a
torrent. She put up her umbrella and sheltered herself as well as she
could behind a tree, but her boots and skirt were already sopping with
wet. She felt chilly and cold, and her spirits had descended to the very
lowest ebb. Would she be obliged to stay there the whole night, until it
was light enough to find her way? The prospect was appalling.

"What a horrid pickle and hobble I've got myself into!" she thought. The
rain came down faster than ever, and suddenly there was a vivid streak
of lightning and a loud crash of thunder. Dorothy screamed aloud, for
thunder held terrors for her; yet even in the midst of her fright there
was a grain of comfort--the bright flash had lit up the wood like an
electric lamp, and had shown her, almost within a few yards, the stile
for which she was seeking. Off she went in the direction where she had
seen it, groping her way anyhow, and tearing her clothes on thorns and
brambles.

She seemed to have arrived at a hedge, and she began to feel her way
along it carefully, hoping to reach the stile. At last her hand touched
a wooden bar; it was either the stile itself or a hurdle, she did not
care which, if only she could climb over. It looked equally dark,
however, on the other side; and even if she got into the field how was
she ever to find the path to the high road? At this juncture she saw a
small, rather flickering light moving through the gloom a little
distance off. It must be a lantern, she thought; and whether the bearer
were poacher, gipsy, or thief, she would summon him to help her out of
her difficulty. She gave a lusty shriek, and went on calling at the top
of her voice. The lantern stopped still for a moment, then, to her
intense joy, began to move in her direction. At first she could see
nothing but a yellow ring of light, then she made out a dark figure
behind; and presently, as it came quite near, she recognized the ruddy
face and stubby grey beard of Dr. Longton, who lived in Hurford village,
nearly opposite the church. Dorothy's amazement at seeing the doctor was
only equalled by his astonishment at finding her in such a predicament.

"My blessed child! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.

"Oh, Dr. Longton, I'm so thankful it's you! I was sure you were a tramp,
or a poacher, or somebody dreadful!" cried Dorothy hysterically.

"Nothing half so interesting; only a common or garden practitioner
coming back from visiting a patient," he laughed.