A great blackness came before mine eyes; and when I opened them again a week or more had passed, and I knew, as I began to understand what had chanced, that I could no longer remain beneath the roof of the Gate House." Cuthbert ground his teeth in sudden fury.
"Struck thee, my gentle sister! Nay, I can scarce credit it; and were he any other than my father--" "But he is our father," answered the girl gently.

"And truly methinks, Cuthbert, that his lonely brooding has something unhinged his mind.

Let us think of him only with pity." Cuthbert put his arm about her tenderly.
"Tell me the rest of thy story, sister.

How camest thou here so opportunely, to play the part of Amazon and save thy brother's life ?" She shivered a little, as if afraid even to think what she had done, but her words were quietly and clearly spoken.
"That is soon told.

Old Martha nursed me back to health again, and our stern father hindered her not in her tendance of me.