kly. "Help me to get him
into his own room without frightening Miss Mary."

"Yes; but what's the matter?" cried the boy.

"Been attacked--fighting--slightly wounded."

"But who done it?--I know. It was them Darleys. Which of 'em was it?"

"Quiet, I tell you, boy! Can't you see he has fainted? Why do you want
to know?"

"To kill him," said the lad, through his teeth.

"Humph! you young savage," muttered Master Rayburn; "then you will not
know from me. Lead the pony carefully, Dummy," he continued aloud.
"Where is Sir Edward? where is your young mistress?"

"Out in the garden, waiting for him to come home to supper. Who hurt
him?"

"Will you mind the pony's head, or must I come and lead him?" cried the
old man angrily.

"Yes; but I want to help Master Mark," cried the lad.

"Mind the pony, sir. Ah! here is one of the men. Here, you are
stronger than I am. Lift Master Mark up carefully, so as not to jar his
leg. Dummy, run in and get a chair."

This was done, another of the serving men coming out to see what was the
matter, and they lifted and bore in the half-fainting lad; while Master
Rayburn disencumbered himself of his creel and rod, and prepared to
follow, to turn chirurgeon instead of angler, when Dummy caught him by
the sleeve.

"You won't tell me who did it?" he said sharply.

"No: it is no affair of yours, boy," said the old man; and he shook him
off, and entered the gate.

"Yes, it is," muttered Dummy; and he did what he had never done before--
sprang after the old man, entered the hall, and caught him by the
sleeve.

"You here, sir!" cried Master Rayburn. "What is it now?"

"Is Master Mark going to die?"

"Yes, when he grows to be an old man. Not now. Go away."

"Yes, I'll go away," muttered Dummy, as he slunk out, and away through
the gate. "But I want to know who it was. I know it was one of them
Darleys, and I'm going to see; and if it was, I'll kill him."

As he spoke, the lad stood for a few moments thinking of what he had
better do, and ended by dashing down the steep zigzag path leading to
the bottom of the rock, when he made his way through the gap, and began
to run at a dog-trot in the direction taken by Ralph a quarter of an
hour before.

Ralph, on parting from Mark and Master Rayburn, walked away quite
briskly till he was well out of sight, and then he stopped short to lean
against a tree and rest for a while, for he felt deadly sick. He laid
his left hand u