Page:Adventures of Susan Hopley (Volume 1).pdf/302

Rh so difficult as he had imagined. The window looked into a garden, and immediately beneath was a flower bed of soft earth, which would serve to break his fall; and, accordingly, he succeeded in reaching the ground uninjured. His next object was to get out of the garden, and he tried the only door he saw, but it was locked. Every moment his eagerness to escape increasedhe could not tell what trouble and delay might await him if found where he was, so without seeking further, he climbed over the wall. On the other side were fields which led by a back way into the town, and with all the speed he could command, he hurried across them, resolving to go straight to a Juge de paix, and tell his story; aware of the importance, under such mysterious circumstances, of being first heard, and seeking an éclaircissement himself.

"The way by the fields was shorter than by the road, and he preferred it, as there was less chance of his being met by any one before he had accomplished his object; but there were several dykes and enclosures in his path, and unfortunately in leaping a wall, having failed to observe a ditch on the other side, he fell and sprained his ancle.