nsciousness. Is there any water about here?"

"Not that I know of," she said, "but I will hasten home and bring
some."

While she was gone, Mr. Rougeant opened his eyes. "Where am I?" he
said, after in vain trying to recollect his thoughts.

"With a friend," answered Frank, bending over him.

The farmer closed his eyes, then opened them again and fixed them on
Frank. He quickly shut them again, however. He had recognized the
young man and a pang of remorse shot through his hard heart.

Adele soon came with a small can full of water; and a basin. Her
father kept his eyes closed. He had not the courage to open them.
She poured the water in a basin and began to wash his face.

When she had finished, he opened his eyes resolutely and said: "Now
that I am washed and the bleeding has ceased, I had better go home."
Without having the courage to look at Frank he said: "I think I can
do with my daughter."

He tried to rise, but uttered a cry of pain. "My foot hurts me
fearfully," he said, "I cannot move without your aid."

Thereupon they both helped him to his feet, while he kept a frowning
look and a silent tongue.

"Do you think you can walk leaning on my shoulder?" said Frank.

"Perhaps," he replied, and, placing his hand on the preferred
shoulder, he began to hobble along; stopping often and speaking
seldom.

When the farmer was comfortably installed near the fire, his leg
carefully placed on a footstool, Frank, knowing he was not wanted,
took his leave, expressing a hope that the injured limb would soon
be all right again.

The farmer shook his head sadly, and gave a look at Frank that was
very significant.

Then he shrank for some time into a state of complete silence, but
his face was clouded and his bushy eyebrows were more prominently
drawn over his eyes than they had been for a long time.

He hardly spoke a word to Adele that evening, barely answering her
questions.

How had the tables thus been turned? When Mr. Rougeant heard Frank
pass by alone, he hastily vaulted over the hedge, intending to
attack him, if not with his fists, at least with his tongue. But
Providence directed otherwise. He miscalculated the height of the
hedge on the side of the road,--for the field was higher than the
road--and fell flat on his nose and face, one of his feet twisting
under him and getting sprained.

The blow which he sustained in falling and the pain caused by his
sprained ankle caused him to faint. Frank ran t