"Let me look at the wound," said the farmer. "I understand something about those things;" and holding down the candle, he parted the large curls of the young gentleman's hair, and as he did so, Henry heard him murmur, "I never saw any but one who had hair like that."
"Nor I either," said the pedlar, who was standing close at his elbow, and caught the sound of the words likewise.
"Ha!" exclaimed the former, starting up to his full height, and gazing at the man with a look of surprise. "Do you recollect her, then?"
"To be sure I do," replied the other, in a calm and quiet tone; "I shall never forget her as long as I live, nor her beautiful hair either--it was so thick, so soft, and so dark, except when the light fell upon it, and then it was like gold. I put it in a comb for her once--I recollect quite well."
The tears rolled from the old man's eyes, and going hurriedly to the door, he called aloud--
"Madge! Madge! bring some vinegar here, and some of the balsam."
He remained looking down the passage for about a minute, and when he returned the tears were gone.
When the vinegar and the balsam were brought, by a servant-woman apparently nearly as old as himself, he applied his remedies with his own hands; and often in doing so he muttered something to himself, but taking care that what he now said should not be heard.
When he had done, he sat down and gazed very earnestly at Henry's countenance, speaking, however, at the same time, as if to cover the scrutiny he was making.
"And so, sir, you have lost your pocket-book," he said; "was it very valuable?"
"It contained things to me of the utmost value," replied Henry: "a paper that can never be replaced, and a lock of my poor mother's hair, which I have carried over almost all the world with me."
"Is she living or dead?" asked the farmer, with a good deal of agitation in his tone.
"Dead," replied the young gentleman: "she died almost immediately after my birth, now six-and-twenty years ago."
Farmer Graves moved uneasily in his chair; but he answered, looking up towards the ceiling--
"It must be found, that pocket-book--it must be recovered."
"I have offered a reward of a hundred guineas to any one who will bring it to me," replied the young gentleman; "for one of your men and a man from the common came to help us, Mr. Graves, when we were attacked, otherwise I believe we should both have been murdered."