"O, Blessed Mary, save me; save me!" he yelled out in an agony
of anguish as he felt himself slowly but surely sinking; but not,
apparently, feeling very much assured about the answer to his prayer,
he turned from things spiritual to things visible and mortal.

"Help me; save me, George," he cried.

Sir George Vernon was too much overcome by the ludicrous aspect of
the affair to lend any assistance just then, for he well knew that two
feet, if not less than that, was the excess of its depth.

"Let him alone," he cried. "If he had not so befuddled his head with
ale he would remember as well as I do that twenty inches would reach
the bottom of the mud."

Had Lady Maude been there she would in all probability have sent
her lord and master to aid the poor unfortunate, but she was safe
at Haddon, and, rejoicing in his freedom from restraint, he laughed
louder and louder as he watched the frantic efforts of his friend.

"Don't let me die," pleaded poor De Lacey. "Don't let me die like a
dog. Oh, dear, I'm going, I'm going! Blessed Virgin, help me; save
me!" and the old man made a last great struggle to free himself.

Manners could bear it no longer. He clearly perceived that what
was fun to them was mortal terror to the pitiable object of their
merriment, and, advancing to the edge of the dyke, he held out his
pole at arm's length to render him what assistance he could.