Therefore Jane mounted one step to the fact that Jack fell down, and scaled the next to information as to the serious nature of his injuries, and at the third, Schehati, bending over, confidentially mentioned in her ear, while Ali shoved behind, that "Jill came tumbling after." The familiar words, heard under such novel circumstances, took on fresh meaning.

Jane commenced speculating as to whether the downfall of Jack need necessarily have caused so complete a loss of self-control and equilibrium on the part of Jill.

Would she not have proved her devotion better by bringing the mutual pail safely to the bottom of the hill, and there attending to the wounds of her fallen hero?
Jane, in her time, had witnessed the tragic downfall of various delightful jacks, and had herself ministered tenderly to their broken crowns; for in each case the Jill had remained on the top of the hill, flirting with that objectionable person of the name of Horner, whose cool, calculating way of setting to work--so unlike poor Jack's headlong method--invariably secured him the plum; upon which he remarked "What a good boy am I!" and was usually taken at his own smug valuation.

But Jane's entire sympathy on these occasions was with the defeated lover, and more than one Jack was now on his feet again, bravely facing life, because that kind hand had been held out to him as he lay in his valley of humiliation, and that comprehending sympathy had proved balm to his broken crown.
"Dickery, dickery, dock!" chanted Schehati solemnly, as he hauled again; "Moses ran up the clock.

The clock struck 'one'-- " THE CLOCK STRUCK "ONE" ?--It was nearly three years since that night at Shenstone when the clock had struck "one," and Jane had arrived at her decision,--the decision which precipitated her Jack from his Pisgah of future promise.