her in his grasp, and the growl had not ceased before she was on her
feet again, drenched and trembling, beginning to be the centre of a
crowd, who were running together to help or to see the child who had
been either struck by lightning or drowned.

"Is she struck? Will she be blind?" sobbed Adelaide, still with her
hands before her eyes; and the inquiry was echoed by the nearer
people, while more distant ones told each other that the young lady
was blind for life.

"Struck! nonsense!" said Lord de la Poer; "the lightning was twenty
miles off at least. Are you hurt, my dear?"

"No," said Kate, shaking herself, and answering "No," more decidedly.
"Only I am so wet, and my things stick to me."

"How did it happen?" asked Grace.

"I don't know. I wanted to get away from the thunder!" said
bewildered Kate.

Meantime, an elderly lady, who had come up among the spectators, was
telling Lady de la Poer that she lived close by, and insisting that
the little girl should be taken at once to her house, put to bed, and
her clothes dried. Lady de la Poer was thankful to accept the kind
offer without loss of time; and in the fewest possible words it was
settled that she would go and attend to the little drowned rat, while
her girls should remain with their father at the palace till the time
of going home, when they would meet at the station. They must walk
to the good lady's house, be the storm what it would, as the best