But no, thank heaven, both man and horse were gone, and nothing was left to witness against me but two objects--unpleasant enough in themselves to be sure, and presenting a very ugly, not to say murderous appearance--in one place, the hat saturated with rain and coated with mud, indented and broken above the brim by that villainous whip-handle; in another, the crimson handkerchief, soaking in a deeply tinctured pool of water--for much rain had fallen in the interim.
Bad news flies fast: it was hardly four o'clock when I got home, but my mother gravely accosted me with--'Oh, Gilbert!--Such an accident! Rose has been shopping in the village, and she's heard that Mr.Lawrence has been thrown from his horse and brought home dying!' This shocked me a trifle, as you may suppose; but I was comforted to hear that he had frightfully fractured his skull and broken a leg; for, assured of the falsehood of this, I trusted the rest of the story was equally exaggerated; and when I heard my mother and sister so feelingly deploring his condition, I had considerable difficulty in preventing myself from telling them the real extent of the injuries, as far as I knew them.
'You must go and see him to-morrow,' said my mother.
'Or to-day,' suggested Rose: 'there's plenty of time; and you can have the pony, as your horse is tired.

Won't you, Gilbert--as soon as you've had something to eat ?' 'No, no--how can we tell that it isn't all a false report?
It's highly im-' 'Oh, I'm sure it isn't; for the village is all alive about it; and I saw two people that had seen others that had seen the man that found him.
That sounds far-fetched; but it isn't so when you think of it.' 'Well, but Lawrence is a good rider; it is not likely he would fall from his horse at all; and if he did, it is highly improbable he would break his bones in that way.

It must be a gross exaggeration at least.' 'No; but the horse kicked him--or something.' 'What, his quiet little pony ?' 'How do you know it was that ?' 'He seldom rides any other.' 'At any rate,' said my mother, 'you will call to-morrow.

Whether it be true or false, exaggerated or otherwise, we shall like to know how he is.' 'Fergus may go.' 'Why not you ?' 'He has more time.

I am busy just now.' 'Oh! but, Gilbert, how can you be so composed about it?
You won't mind business for an hour or two in a case of this sort, when your friend is at the point of death.' 'He is not, I tell you.' 'For anything you know, he may be: you can't tell till you have seen him.
At all events, he must have met with some terrible accident, and you ought to see him: he'll take it very unkind if you don't.' 'Confound it! I can't.