This vigorous proceeding had the effect of completely restoring Master Charley, who had been for the moment stunned by the force of the fall, and, opening his eyes, he slowly raised himself and looked with a slightly bewildered glance around.
"Well, I knew you couldn"t do it," cried Georgia, who, now observing that he was not killed, recovered all her aggravating love of teasing.
"Ugh! you tantalizing little pepper-pod! that"s the sort of remorse you feel after nearly depriving the world of one of its brightest ornaments.
"Pon my word, I never was so nearly extinguished in all my life. Ain"t you ashamed of yourself, Miss Georgia, now that you"ve been and gone and done and made me put my foot in it so beautifully? And speaking of feet reminds me that I have given my ankle a twist, and must see whether it is to be relied upon or not for the journey home, two miles being no joke, even at the best times."
So saying, Mr. Wildair got on his feet and attempted to walk, an experiment which resulted in his making a very wry face--and uttering something like a subdued howl, and finally sinking back in his former position.
"Well, here"s a precious go, and no mistake!" was the exclamation jerked out of him by the exigency of the case; "here"s my ankle has thought proper to go and sprain itself, and now I"ll leave it to society in general if I"m not in just the tallest sort of a fix. Yes, you may stare and look blank, Miss Georgia, but I"ll repeat it, you"ve used me shamefully, Miss Georgia, yes, abominably, Miss Georgia, and if you keep on like this, you stand a fair chance of sharing my own elevated destiny. You perceive I"m a fixture here, and may as well take up my quarters where I am for life, for out of this I can"t go."
"Whatever will you do?" exclaimed Georgia, in dismay.
"Why, come to anchor here, of course; walking"s out of the question. If you would be so obliging as to hunt me up a soft rock to sleep on, and where I could compose myself decently for death, it would be more agreeable to my feelings than to scorch here in the sand. Attempt to walk I positively can"t and won"t, traveling on one foot not being the pleasantest or speediest mode of locomotion in the world."
"Now, I declare, if it ain"t too bad. I"m real sorry," said Georgia, whose sympathies were all aroused by the good-humor with which Master Charley bore his painful accident.
"Well, I wouldn"t take it too much to heart if I were you, Miss Georgia; it might have been worse, you know--my neck, for instance."
"I"ll tell you what," said Georgia, "I"ve got an idea."
"Pshaw! you"re only joking," said Charley, incredulously.
"No, I ain"t; I"ll go for Miss Jerusha, and make her come here and help you up. You wait."
"Really," began Charley, but without waiting to hear him, Georgia bounded off, and clambering up the bank with two or three flying leaps reached the high road, and rushed impetuously along toward the cottage.
"There"s an original for you," said the proprietor of the sprained ankle, looking after Georgia. "Well, this sprained ankle is mighty pleasant, I must say. If the old lady comes down she"ll have to carry me on her back, for walk I won"t."
Georgia, meanwhile, on charitable thoughts intent, rushed along where she was going, and the consequence was that she ran with stunning force against some person or persons unknown advancing from the opposite direction.
"Heads up!" said a pleasant voice; and Georgia, who betrayed symptoms of an insane desire to pitch head over heels, was restored to her center of gravity. "Rather an energetic mode of doing business this, I must say."
Georgia looked up, and jerked herself from the grasp of the stranger, a young man, dressed in a student"s plain suit of black, who stood looking at her with a smile.
"What did you run against me for?" said Georgia, with one of her scowls, instantly taking the offensive.
"Run against _you_! Why, you are reversing cases, madam. Allow me to insinuate that you ran against _me_."
"I didn"t, either! I mean I shouldn"t if you hadn"t poked yourself right in my way." Then, as a sudden idea struck her, she breathlessly resumed: "Oh, yes; you"ll do better than Miss Jerusha! Come along with me to the beach, and help him up!" said Georgia, gesticulating with much earnestness.
"Help who up, my impetuous little lady?" said the young man, with a smile.
"Why, _him_, you know! He tumbled off--I knew he would all along--and went and sprained his ankle, and now he can"t get up. It hurts him, I know, though he don"t make a fuss or nothing, but talks and looks droll--nice fellow, I know he is! Help him up to our house, and Miss Jerusha"ll fix him off, she will! Come! come along, can"t you?"
All this time Georgia had stood, with sparkling eyes, gesticulating eagerly, as was her habit when excited; and now she caught him by the arm and pulled him vigorously along.
The stranger, with a laugh, allowed himself to be borne on by this breathless little whirlwind; and in less than ten minutes after she had left him, Georgia stood beside Charley Wildair on the beach.
Charley looked up as they approached, and glancing at her companion, exclaimed:
"Hallo, Rich! Well, here"s a slice of good luck, anyway. How in the world did you scare _him_ up, Miss Georgia?"
"Why he ran against me," said Georgia, "and nearly knocked my brains out. Do you know him?"
"I should think I did--rather!" said Charley, emphatically. "Here, Rich, come and help me up, there"s a good fellow!"
"What have you been at now?" said Rich, as he obeyed. "Some piece of nonsense, I"ll be bound."
"No, sir, I haven"t been at nonsense. I was attempting to treat myself to a rise in the world by climbing up that rock, and, losing my equilibrium, the first thing I knew I was gracefully extended at full length on the sands, with one limb slightly dislocated, as completely floored an individual as you ever clapped your eyes on. For further particulars, apply to Miss Georgia here. And that reminds me, you haven"t been duly presented to that young woman. Allow me to repair that error before proceeding to business. Miss Darrell, let me have the pleasure of presenting to your distinguished notice, my brother, Mr.
Richmond Wildair, a young man chiefly remarkable for a rash and inordinate attachment for musty old books, and--having his own way. Mr.
Wildair, Miss Georgia Darrell, a young lady whose many estimable qualities and aggravating will of her own require to be seen to be appreciated. Ahem."
And having, with great _empressment_ and pomposity, delivered himself of this "neat and appropriate" speech, Mr. Charles Wildair drew himself up with dignity--which, as he was obliged to stand on one foot, with the other elevated in the air, hardly made the impression it was intended to make.
Mr. Richmond Wildair held out his hand to Georgia with a smile, and, after looking at it for a moment, in evident doubt as to the propriety of shaking hands with him, she at last consented to do so with a grave solemnity quite irresistible.
And thus Richmond Wildair and Georgia Darrell met for the first time.
And little did either dream of what the future had in store for them, as they stood side by side on the sands in the golden light of that breezy, sunshiny May morning.
CHAPTER V.
"LADY MACBETH."
"Who that had seen her form so light, For swiftness only turned, Would e"er have thought in a thing so slight, Such a fiery spirit burned."
"And now what am I expected to do next?" said Richmond, looking at his two companions. "I am entirely at your service, monsieur and mademoiselle."
"Why, you must help him up to our house," said Georgia, in her peremptory tone, "and let Miss Jerusha do something for his lame ankle."
"And after that you must transport yourself over to Burnfield with all possible dispatch, and procure a cart, car, gig, wagon, carriage, wheelbarrow, or any other vehicle wherein my remains can be hauled to that thriving town, for walking, you perceive, is a moral and physical impossibility."
"All right!" said Richmond. "Here, take my arm. How will you manage to get up this steep bank? Do you think you can walk it?"
"Nothing like trying," said Charley, as leaning on his brother"s arm he limped along, while Georgia went before to show them the way. "Ah, that was a twinge. The gout must be a nice thing to have if it is at all like this. I never properly felt for those troubled with that fashionable and aristocratic disease before, but the amount of sympathy I shall do for the future will be something terrifying. Here we are; now then, up we go."
But Master Charley found that "up we go" was easier said than done. He attempted to mount the bank, but at the first effort he recoiled, while a flush of pain overspread his pale features.
"No go, trying to do that; get up there I can"t if they were to make me Khan of Tartary for doing it. Ah--h--h! there"s another twinge, as if a red-hot poker had been plunged into it. The way that ankle can go into the aching business requires to be felt to be appreciated."
Though he spoke lightly, yet two scarlet spots, forced there by the intense pain, burned on either cheek.
Richmond looked at him anxiously, for he loved his wild, harum-scarum, handsome young brother with a strong love.
"Oh, he can"t walk; I know it hurts him; what _will_ we do?" said Georgia, in a tone of such intense motherly solicitude that, in spite of his painful ankle, Charley smiled faintly.