Behind the girls was the
father, against mother and nurse. And so it was.
'If you don't come quick, nurse, I shall run out there to where there are
snakes.'
'Joyce, you _must_ be patient. I'm just changing Annabel.'
There you are. There it was: always the same. Working away on the common
across the brook he heard it. And he worked on, just the same.
Suddenly he heard a shriek, and he flung the spade from him and started
for the bridge, looking up like a startled deer. Ah, there was
Winifred--Joyce had hurt herself. He went on up the garden.
'What is it?'
The child was still screaming--now it was--'Daddy! Daddy! Oh--oh, Daddy!'
And the mother was saying:
'Don't be frightened, darling. Let mother look.'
But the child only cried:
'Oh, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!'
She was terrified by the sight of the blood running from her own knee.
Winifred crouched down, with her child of six in her lap, to examine the
knee. Egbert bent over also.
'Don't make such a noise, Joyce,' he said irritably. 'How did she do it?'
'She fell on that sickle thing which you left lying about after cutting
the grass,' said Winifred, looking into his face with bitter accusation
as he bent near.
He had taken his handkerchief and tied it round the knee. Then he lifted
the still sobbing child in his arms, and carried her into the house and
upstairs to her bed. In his arms she became quiet.
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