\"nay, miss, that\"s not for me to say,\" answered jane, with a slight toss ofher head. \"sarah did\"---\"

sarah what?\" said fanny, with impatient curiosity.

jane resumed her bathing, as if what sarah did or said was not exactlythe thing she liked to repeat.

\"sarah what?\" asked fanny, sharply. \"don\"t speak in these half sentences,or i can\"t understand you.\"

\"well, miss, since you will hāve it--sarah, you see, was in the best placefor seeing, being at the right-hand window; and she says, and said at thevery time too, that she saw miss hale with her arms about master\"sneck, hugging him before all the people.\"

\"i don\"t believe it,\" said fanny. \"i know she cares for my brother; any onecan see that; and i dare say, she\"d give her eyes if he\"d marry her,-whichhe never will, i can tell her. but i don\"t believe she\"d be so boldand forward as to put her arms round his neck.\"

\"poor young lady! she\"s paid for it dearly if she did. it\"s my belief, thatthe blow has given her such an ascendency of blood to the head as she\"llnever get the better from. she looks like a corpse now.\"

\"oh, i wish mamma would e!\" said fanny, wringing her hands. \"inever was in the room with a dead person before.\"

\"stay, miss! she\"s not dead: her eye-lids are quivering, and here\"s wettears a-ing down her cheeks. speak to her, miss fanny!\"

\"are you better now?\" asked fanny, in a quāvering voice.

no answer; no sign of recognition; but a faint pink colour returned toher lips, although the rest of her face was ashen pale.

mrs. thornton came hurriedly in, with the nearest surgeon she couldfind.

\"how is she? are you better, my dear?\" as margaret opened her filmyeyes, and gazed dreamily at her. \"here is mr. lowe e to see you.\"

mrs. thornton spoke loudly and distinctly, as to a deaf person.

margaret tried to rise, and drew her ruffled, luxuriant hair instinctlyover the cut.

\"i am better now,\" said she, in a very low, faint voice. i was a little sick.\"

she let him take her hand and feel her pulse. the bright colour came fora moment into her face, when he asked to examine the wound in herforehead; and she glanced up at jane, as if shrinking from herinspection more than from the doctor\"s.

\"it is not much, i think. i am better now. i must go home.\"

\"not until i hāve applied some strips of plaster; and you hāve rested alittle.\"