that the fire was out, Lydia and her father pulled the blanket free, they saw that Mrs Halley’s clothes were scorched and charred and that there was scarcely a hair left on her seared and blistered head.
‘Father,’ Lydia gasped hoarsely as the three of them stood looking down on the gravely injured woman, ‘Ryllis must go and fetch Dr Harvey.’
‘Yes,’ Ryllis was already moving to the hall door, ‘I’ll get dressed and go at once.’
‘It’s all right,’ Mr Halley said quickly, ‘I’ll go.’
‘But Ryllis can run so fast,’ Lydia said. ‘She’ll be there in no time.’
‘I told you, I’ll go,’ he said. ‘Besides, I’m already dressed.’ He turned and looked to the window, beyond which the full moon shone down from a clear sky. ‘And I shan’t need the lantern; the moon’s bright enough.’ He looked back at the form of his wife as she lay there. ‘Don’t leave her,’ he added. ‘I’ll bring back the doctor as soon as I can.’
Moments later he had gone from the house, and from the window Lydia and Ryllis glimpsed him walking quickly through the yard. As he disappeared from sight Ryllis turned and ran upstairs, to return moments later with a fresh blanket which they gently laid over their mother. She then moved back to the hall doorway. ‘I’ll go on upstairs and get dressed, Lyddy,’ she said. ‘Then when I come down you can do the same.’
While Ryllis went upstairs Lydia pulled up a chair, and sat and bent over her mother. She wanted to wrap her in her arms, but did not dare touch her for fear of causing her further hurt. ‘Oh, Mother,’ she murmured, leaning closer, the tears streaming down her cheeks, ‘what a dreadful thing to happen.’
She did not expect her mother to respond, but Mrs Halley said haltingly, ‘He – he didn’t m-mean it.’ The words struggled out through her cracked and blistered lips, while her eyes rolled in her head. She tried to sit up. ‘Be-believe me. He didn’t – mean it.’
‘He didn’t mean it?’ Lydia felt herself go cold. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘The l-lamp. He – didn’t m-mean to hurt me. He – he . . .’ Then Mrs Halley’s words trailed off and her eyes closed as she sank back into her seat.
‘Mother? Mother?’ Lydia whispered the words, but although she could see her mother’s chest rising and falling with her breathing, it was clear that she was unconscious. Lydia’s hands were clutched to her face. She could do nothing but sit there, and pray that her father would soon return with the doctor.
She was sitting in the same position a few minutes later when Ryllis came hurrying downstairs, now wearing her day dress and pinafore.
‘All right, Lyddy,’ Ryllis said, ‘I’ll stay with Mother now while you go and get dressed.’
Upstairs in the bedroom, by the light of a candle, Lydia hurriedly took off her nightdress and changed into an old frock. Moments later, as she stood before the small glass and glanced at her pale reflection, she thought of the words her mother had spoken:
He didn’t mean it
. The question came into her mind:
He didn’t mean what?
She had no answer, and it did no good to dwell on it. Quickly she smoothed down the skirt of her dress, blew out the candle and started back down the stairs.
Dr Harvey lived on the far side of the village. Having settled down for the night, and not expecting any calls, he had hurriedly stirred himself and brought Mr Halley back to the little house in his carriage. By the time of their arrival Mrs Halley was conscious again. Lydia and Ryllis had brought more blankets for her, but she still felt cold, and when Dr Harvey appeared at her side she was lying shivering, her teeth chattering. Seeing her again, Mr Halley gave a little cry and rushed across the room.
Lydia and Ryllis stepped back as their father came to his wife’s side. He knelt down, tears shining in his eyes, his face pale. ‘Oh, Emmie,’ he murmured. He groped for her hand for a moment and,
‘Father,’ Lydia gasped hoarsely as the three of them stood looking down on the gravely injured woman, ‘Ryllis must go and fetch Dr Harvey.’
‘Yes,’ Ryllis was already moving to the hall door, ‘I’ll get dressed and go at once.’
‘It’s all right,’ Mr Halley said quickly, ‘I’ll go.’
‘But Ryllis can run so fast,’ Lydia said. ‘She’ll be there in no time.’
‘I told you, I’ll go,’ he said. ‘Besides, I’m already dressed.’ He turned and looked to the window, beyond which the full moon shone down from a clear sky. ‘And I shan’t need the lantern; the moon’s bright enough.’ He looked back at the form of his wife as she lay there. ‘Don’t leave her,’ he added. ‘I’ll bring back the doctor as soon as I can.’
Moments later he had gone from the house, and from the window Lydia and Ryllis glimpsed him walking quickly through the yard. As he disappeared from sight Ryllis turned and ran upstairs, to return moments later with a fresh blanket which they gently laid over their mother. She then moved back to the hall doorway. ‘I’ll go on upstairs and get dressed, Lyddy,’ she said. ‘Then when I come down you can do the same.’
While Ryllis went upstairs Lydia pulled up a chair, and sat and bent over her mother. She wanted to wrap her in her arms, but did not dare touch her for fear of causing her further hurt. ‘Oh, Mother,’ she murmured, leaning closer, the tears streaming down her cheeks, ‘what a dreadful thing to happen.’
She did not expect her mother to respond, but Mrs Halley said haltingly, ‘He – he didn’t m-mean it.’ The words struggled out through her cracked and blistered lips, while her eyes rolled in her head. She tried to sit up. ‘Be-believe me. He didn’t – mean it.’
‘He didn’t mean it?’ Lydia felt herself go cold. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘The l-lamp. He – didn’t m-mean to hurt me. He – he . . .’ Then Mrs Halley’s words trailed off and her eyes closed as she sank back into her seat.
‘Mother? Mother?’ Lydia whispered the words, but although she could see her mother’s chest rising and falling with her breathing, it was clear that she was unconscious. Lydia’s hands were clutched to her face. She could do nothing but sit there, and pray that her father would soon return with the doctor.
She was sitting in the same position a few minutes later when Ryllis came hurrying downstairs, now wearing her day dress and pinafore.
‘All right, Lyddy,’ Ryllis said, ‘I’ll stay with Mother now while you go and get dressed.’
Upstairs in the bedroom, by the light of a candle, Lydia hurriedly took off her nightdress and changed into an old frock. Moments later, as she stood before the small glass and glanced at her pale reflection, she thought of the words her mother had spoken:
He didn’t mean it
. The question came into her mind:
He didn’t mean what?
She had no answer, and it did no good to dwell on it. Quickly she smoothed down the skirt of her dress, blew out the candle and started back down the stairs.
Dr Harvey lived on the far side of the village. Having settled down for the night, and not expecting any calls, he had hurriedly stirred himself and brought Mr Halley back to the little house in his carriage. By the time of their arrival Mrs Halley was conscious again. Lydia and Ryllis had brought more blankets for her, but she still felt cold, and when Dr Harvey appeared at her side she was lying shivering, her teeth chattering. Seeing her again, Mr Halley gave a little cry and rushed across the room.
Lydia and Ryllis stepped back as their father came to his wife’s side. He knelt down, tears shining in his eyes, his face pale. ‘Oh, Emmie,’ he murmured. He groped for her hand for a moment and,
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