The first thing she saw was the foreign gent staggering toward her.
"Drunk!" said she, and went to scold him; but, when she got nearer, she
saw at once that something very serious had happened. His dark face was
bloodless and awful, and he could hardly drag his limbs along; indeed
they had failed him a score of times between Highmore and that place.
Just as she came up with him he sank once more to the ground, and
turned up two despairing eyes toward her.
"Oh, daddy! what is it? Where's Reginald? Whatever have they done to
you?"
"Brandy!" groaned the wounded man.
She flew into the house, and returned in a moment with a bottle. She
put it to his lips.
He revived and told her all, in a few words.
"The young bloke and I went to crack a crib. I'm shot with a bullet.
Hide me in that loose hay there; leave me the bottle, and let nobody
come nigh me. The beak will be after me very soon."
Then Mrs. Meyrick, being a very strong woman, dragged him to the
haystack, and covered him with loose hay.
"Now," said she, trembling, "where's my boy?"
"He's nabbed."
"Oh!"
"And he'll be lagged, unless you can beg him off."
Mary Meyrick uttered a piercing scream.
"You wretch! to tempt my boy to this. And him with five hundred pounds
in his pocket, and my lady's favor.
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