John lay with his eyes closed, in a dead faint. We got him to swallow
some brandy, and presently he came to himself a little. Then we put him
in my warm bed, and covered him with blankets. In a minute or so he was
fast asleep. He had not spoken a word. I left Penny to watch him, and
went and dressed myself, thinking hard. The result was, that, having
enjoined Penny to let no one near him, _whoever_ it might be, I went to
the stable, saddled Zoe, and set off for Wittenage.
It was sixteen miles of a ride. The moon went down, and the last of my
journey was very dark, for the night was cloudy; but we arrived in
safety, just as the dawn was promising to come as soon as it could. No
one in the town seemed up, or thinking of getting up. I had learned a
lesson from John, however, and I knew Martha's window, which happily
looked on the street. I got off Zoe, who was tired enough to stand still,
for she was getting old and I had not spared her, and proceeded to search
for a stone small enough to throw at the window. The scared face of
Martha showed itself almost immediately.
"It's me!" I cried, no louder than she could just hear; "it's me, Martha!
Come down and let me in."
Without a word of reply, she left the window, and after some fumbling
with the lock, opened the door, and came out to me, looking gray with
scare, but none the less with all her wits to her hand.
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