Pity and the instinct of affording relief must needs take the
precedence even of the desire to hear of her husband's fate; and, as
the girls hastily whispered, "Here she is," and the lanzknecht
hastily tried to gather himself up, and rise with tokens of respect;
she bade him remain still, and let her see what she could do for him.
In fact, she at once perceived that he was in no condition to give a
coherent account of anything, he was so completely worn out, and in
so much suffering. She bade at once that some water should be
heated, and some of the broth of the dinner set on the fire; then
with the shears at her girdle, and her soft, light fingers, she
removed the torn strip of cloth that had been wound round the arm,
and cut away the sleeve, showing the arm not broken, but gashed at
the shoulder, and thence the whole length grazed and wounded by the
descent of the sword down to the wrist. So tender was her touch,
that he scarcely winced or moaned under her hand; and, when she
proceeded, with Ursel's help, to bathe the wound with the warm water,
the relief was such that the wearied man absolutely slumbered during
the process, which Christina protracted on that very account.
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