第14部分(第2/7 頁)

　reaction　took　place；　and　Harry　fell　fainting　into　the　arms　of　his　friends。

CHAPTER　XII　NELL　ADOPTED

A　COUPLE　of　hours　later；　Harry　still　unconscious；　and　the　child　in　a　very　feeble　state；　were　brought　to　the　cottage　by　Jack　Ryan　and　his　panions。 The　old　overman　listened　to　the　account　of　their　adventures；　while　Madge　attended　with　the　utmost　care　to　the　wants　of　her　son；　and　of　the　poor　creature　whom　he　had　rescued　from　the　pit。

Harry　imagined　her　a　mere　child；　but　she　was　a　maiden　of　the　age　of　fifteen　or　sixteen　years。

She　gazed　at　them　with　vague　and　wondering　eyes；　and　the　thin　face；　drawn　by　suffering；　the　pallid　plexion；　which　light　could　never　have　tinged；　and　the　fragile；　slender　figure；　gave　her　an　appearance　at　once　singular　and　attractive。　Jack　Ryan　declared　that　she　seemed　to　him　to　be　an　unmonly　interesting　kind　of　ghost。

It　must　have　been　due　to　the　strange　and　peculiar　circumstances　under　which　her　life　hitherto　had　been　led；　that　she　scarcely　seemed　to　belong　to　the　human　race。　Her　countenance　was　of　a　very　unmon　cast；　and　her　eyes；　hardly　able　to　bear　the　lamp…light　in　the　cottage；　glanced　around　in　a　confused　and　puzzled　way；　as　if　all　were　new　to　them。

As　this　singular　being　reclined　on　Madge's　bed　and　awoke　to　consciousness；　as　from　a　long　sleep；　the　old　Scotchwoman　began　to　question　her　a　little。

〃What　do　they　call　you；　my　dear？〃　said　she。

〃Nell；〃　replied　the　girl。

〃Do　you　feel　anything　the　matter　with　you；　Nell？〃

〃I　am　hungry。 I　have　eaten　nothing　since……since……〃

Nell　uttered　these　few　words　like　one　unused　to　speak　much。 They　were　in　the　Gaelic　language；　which　was　often　spoken　by　Simon　and　his　family。　Madge　immediately　brought　her　some　food；　she　was　evidently　famished