Page:Lady Barbarity; a romance (IA ladybarbarityrom00snai).pdf/74

 scratch, in fact, that let out very little blood. Thus we managed to get one garment off and the other on, both easily and painlessly. Then 'twas that Emblem clapped her hands, and gave a cry of joy.

"It covers it, your la'ship, by a full two inches," she exclaimed.

"You are sure of that?" cries I, in a tremor of excitement. "There must be no mistake about it, now. Bring me a mirror here that I may see it for myself."

This she did, and, though the disturbed wound was smarting horribly, I paid no attention to it until I was assured that its position was even as Mrs. Polly Emblem said. To describe the relief that my mind immediately experienced would be impossible.

"Lord, that's lovely!" cries I, and fervently kissed the cheek of Mrs. Polly to express my gratitude to good old Lady Fortune, who, I am sure, kind soul! must in her time have been a woman of the mode! But then it was that the stress of the night returned; all my weaknesses concertedly attacked me, and the pangs of my wound (though the wound was but the faintest scratch) were so aggravated by them that it appeared as if my flesh were being nipped by a hundred red-hot pincers. I sobbed out:

"Quick with a cordial, Emblem, for I feel that I must swoon!"

And faith! no sooner had I said this than I swooned in deadly earnest. I was restored in good