30 BEYOND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS.

as soon as possible. She has eaten some of the poisoned fruit. I
know the wiles of that wicked little girl. It was a great mercy that
[came out to-night to see if there were any travellers in danger.
Do you know what would have happened to you two if I had not
come ?”

“No,” said Clover. His voice trembled as he spoke.

“When your sister got a little worse, the Market Gardener and
that dreadful child called Bluebell, who looks so fair and speaks so
sweetly, would have come out to find you. They would have brought
you home; they would have put out your eyes, Clover, and made you
their slave for ever. And if Cowslip were dead, as most likely she
would have been by the time they found her, they would have taken
off her pretty clothes, and buried her here by the wayside. You see,
therefore, my boy, what a grave danger you ran when you went into
that wicked house. But now we must not lose a minute in doing
something to help dear little Cowslip.”

As the lady spoke she went down on her knees, and desiring
Clover to kneel also by her side, and to hold the lantern so that she
could see Cowslip’s face, she pushed back the hair from oft’ her brow,
and taking a tiny flask out of her pocket, opened it and put a few
drops to the child’s nose; then mixing some of the contents with a
little water, she forced some of the mixture down: her throat.

The moment the child tasted the medicine which Charity gave her,
she opened her eyes wide, sighed heavily, and tried to get up.

“No, lie still,” said Charity. ‘“ Now, Clover,’ she continued, “I
think your sister will soon be better; but we must get her home, for
she has eaten a great deal of the fruit, and in consequence is very
much poisoned. Still she will not die, my boy, for I have an antidote
to the poison at the palace, and I shall give her that as soon as ever
we get home. Set the lantern on the ground, Clover, and then help
me to lift your sister up.”

Clover did as he was bid, and the next moment Cowslip lay in
Charity’s strong arms.

“But you cannot possibly carry her alone,” said the boy; “let
me help you.”