Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

THE IKISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 193
having even opened his eyes for a moment. " But", said
she, " I much fear that his mind may be deranged, for
nothing could be wilder than the glance he gave around.
You should send at once for Dr. Hammond".
The doctor was accordingly sent for ; but before he
arrived the patient had somewhat recovered, and, to Mrs,
Talbot's great joy, he seemed perfectly sensible. When
asked if he felt any pain, he said, in a faint, languid voice,
—" Yes, dere 's much pain in de back. I tink dere 's
some bone broken dere. But my head"— and he raised
his hand to his forehead— " oh, dat 's worser : my
head
is bad—very bad— just here".
Mr. Talbot and his wife exchanged looks of alarm,
but neither spoke till the arrival of the doctor, who
entered the room a few minutes after. Having examined
the patient, he turned to Mr. Talbot with a serious face
" Mr. Weimar's shoulder", said he, " is dislocated, but
that is only a secondary consideration : it is that pain in
his head of which he complains that makes me fear.
The probability is, that, though no outward sign appears,
his head may have sustained some serious injury from the
fall, which may produce contusion on the brain". This
was said in a low voice to Mr. Talbot, but it was not lost
on Weimar himself, for he quickly asked
" Den you tink me in a bad way, doctor ?"
"I did not actually say so, Mr. Weimar", and the
doctor glanced admonishingly at Talbot ; " but in any
case you must be kept perfectly quiet : excitement of any
kind must be carefully avoided".
At this moment Weimar caught a glance of Willy
Burke, where he stood in a corner of the room, and he
made him a sign to approach,
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