band,andcontributingwithhisownhorrortomakehimimmoveableandinanothermoment,Henrietta,sinkingundertheconviction,losthersensestoo,andwouldhavefallenonthesteps,butforCaptainBenwickandAnne,whocaughtandsupportedherbetweenthem.
“Istherenoonetohelpme?”werethefirstwordswhichburstfromCaptainWentworth,inatoneofdespair,andasifallhisownstrengthweregone.
“Gotohim,gotohim,”criedAnne,“forheaven’ssakegotohim.Icansupporthermyself.Leaveme,andgotohim.Rubherhands,rubhertemplesherearesaltstakethem,takethem.”
CaptainBenwickobeyed,andCharlesatthesamemoment,disengaginghimselffromhiswife,theywerebothwithhimandLouisawasraisedupandsupportedmorefirmlybetweenthem,andeverythingwasdonethatAnnehadprompted,butinvainwhileCaptainWentworth,staggeringagainstthewallforhissupport,exclaimedinthebitterestagony—
“OhGod!herfatherandmother!”
“Asurgeon!”saidAnne.
Hecaughttheworditseemedtorousehimatonce,andsayingonly—“True,true,asurgeonthisinstant,”wasdartingaway,whenAnneeagerlysuggested—
“CaptainBenwick,wouldnotitbebetterforCaptainBenwick?Heknowswhereasurgeonistobefound.”
Everyonecapableofthinkingfelttheadvantageoftheidea,andinamoment(itwasalldoneinrapidmoments)CaptainBenwickhadresignedthepoorcorpse-likefigureentirelytothebrother’scare,andwasoffforthetownwiththeutmostrapidity.
Astothewretchedpartyleftbehind,itcouldscarcelybesaidwhichofthethree,whowerecompletelyrational,wassufferingmost:CaptainWentworth,Anne,orCharles,who,reallyaveryaffectionatebrother,hungoverLouisawithsobsofgrief,andcouldonlyturnhiseyesfromonesister,toseetheotherinastateasinsensible,ortowitnessthehystericalagitationsofhiswife,callingonhimforhelpwhichhecouldnotgive.
Anne,attendingwithallthestrengthandzeal,andthought,whichinstinctsupplied,toHenrietta,stilltried,atintervals,tosuggestcomforttotheothers,triedtoquietMary,toanimateCharles,toassuagethefeelingsofCaptainWentworth.Bothseemedtolooktoherfordirections.
“Anne,Anne,”criedCharles,“Whatistobedonenext?What,inheaven’sname,istobedonenext?”
CaptainWentworth’seyeswerealsoturnedtowardsher.
“Hadnotshebetterbecarriedtotheinn?Yes,Iamsure:carryhergentlytotheinn.”
“Yes,yes,totheinn,”repeatedCaptainWentworth,comparativelycollected,andeagertobedoingsomething.“Iwillcarryhermyself.Musgrove,takecareoftheothers.”
BythistimethereportoftheaccidenthadspreadamongtheworkmenandboatmenabouttheCobb,andmanywerecollectednearthem,tobeusefulifwanted,atanyrate,toenjoythesightofadeadyounglady,nay,twodeadyoungladies,foritprovedtwiceasfineasthefirstreport.Tosomeofthebest-lookingofthesegoodpeopleHenriettaw