It might well be that
the sight of the accident should have made her too ill to appear.
She felt conscious that in that moment and in the subsequent half
hour she had carried herself well, and that there would be an
interest about her were she to own herself compelled to keep her
room. Were she now to take to her bed they could not turn her out
on the following day. But at last her mother's counsel put an end
to that plan. Time was too precious. "I think you might lose more
than you'd gain," said her mother.
Both Lord Rufford and his sister were very much disturbed as to
what they should do on the occasion. At half-past six Lord Rufford
was told that the Major had recovered his senses, but that the case
was almost hopeless. Of course he saw his guest. "I'm all right,"
said the Major. The Lord sat there by the bedside, holding the
man's hand for a few moments, and then got up to leave him. "No
nonsense about putting off," said the Major in a faint voice;
"beastly bosh all that!"
But what was to be done? The dozen people who were in the house
must of course sit down to dinner. And then all the neighbourhood
for miles round were coming to a ball. It would be impossible to
send messages to everybody. And there was the feeling too that the
man was as yet only ill, and that his recovery was possible.
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