"Why, _him!_ He can't be far off"
In a moment Mrs. Dodd had opened the door, and her tongue and the nurse's
seemed to dash together, so fast came the agitated words from each in
turn; and crying, "Call my son! Alarm the house!" Mrs. Dodd darted into
the sickroom. She was out again in a moment, and up in the attics rousing
the maids, while the nurse thundered at Edward's door and Julia's, and
rang every bell she could get at. The inmates were soon alarmed, and
flinging on their clothes: meantime Mrs. Dodd and the nurse scoured the
house and searched every nook in it down to the very cellar: they found
no David.
But they found something.
The street door ajar.
It was a dark drizzly night.
Edward took one road, Mrs. Dodd and Elizabeth another.
They were no sooner gone, than Julia drew the nurse into a room apart and
asked her eagerly if her father had said nothing.
"Said nothing, Miss? Why he was a-talking all the night incessant."
"Did he say anything particular? think now."
"No, Miss: he went on as they all do just before a change. I never minds
'em; I hear so much of it.
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