rner,' said Paul, 'badly hurt; I thought it
best to let you know.'

The assistant snatched a hat from the hall table, and came out at once.

'Where is she?'

Paul pointed, and they ran together. The assistant had the quicker turn
of speed, and reached the corner first. He was kneeling beside the woman
when Paul reached him.

'Got a handkerchief?' he asked

Paul lugged half a square yard of turkey-red cotton from his pocket.
'That's the ticket,' said the assistant. He folded the handkerchief..
'Now, hold her head up whilst I get this under it.'

Paul obeyed again, but the hair was all in a warm wet mesh of blood.

'What are you shaking at?' the assistant asked him. 'You're a pretty
poor plucked un,' he added, as he tied the bandage tight across the
woman's forehead.

'I'm not used to it,' said Paul, choking with nausea and pity.

'That's pretty evident,' returned the other. 'Now, get her shawl round
her head whilst I hold her up. That'll do. We must get her down to the
surgery. Take her by her shoulders; there. Get your arms well under her.
Heave ho! Wait a minute till I settle her dress and get a good hold of
her knees. Upsy daisy; march!'

They went staggeringly, not because of the weight, but by reason of the
giddiness which assailed Paul. He thought it had suddenly grown foggy,
for there was a mist between him and all the dimly visible objects of
the night There were coloured sparks in the mist by-and-by, and when
once they had got their burden through the open hall and had laid it
on a plain straight couch in the surgery, Paul was glad to sit down
uninvited.

'Take a sniff at that,' said the assistant, pressing an un-stoppered
bottle into his hand.

Paul obeyed him. The pungent ammonia brought the tears to his eyes and
took his breath away, but it dispersed the fog and stilled the wheel
which had been whirling in his head The assistant had taken off his
coat and rolled up his shirtsleeves, and was going about his task with
professional dexterity and coolness.

'How did this happen?' he asked.

He was Paul's senior by three years at most, but he had as magisterial
and assured a manner as if he had been fifty.

Paul told the story just as it happened.

'Well,' said the assistant, 'this is a pretty grave old case, and so I
tell you. You may find yourself in trouble over this.'

'Find myself in trouble?' said Paul. 'Me?'

'Yes,' said the assistant; 'you.'

'You've got better work in hand than ta