"There, she is coming round. You may tell your master, Jumbo, 'twas
nothing but the mince pies."
"Oh, no--" began Aurelia, but her own voice seemed to come from
somewhere else, and being inexperienced in fainting, she was
frightened.
"That is right, you are better. Now, a drop of strong waters."
Aurelia choked, and put them aside, but was made to swallow the
draught, and revived enough to ask, "How came I here?"
"Jumbo must have carried you out, ma'am, and laid you here before
ever he called any one," said Mrs. Aylward. "Dear, dear, to think
of your being taken like that. But the tins of those mince-pies
are over large! You must halve one next time."
Aurelia was sensible enough to the reproof of greediness to begin to
protest against the mince-pie theory, but she recollected that she
could not account for her swoon, and thereupon became as red as she
had been pale, thus confirming the housekeeper's opinion. A sound
of footsteps made her start up and cry, "What's that?" in nervous
fright; but Mrs. Aylward declared it was fancy, and as she was by
this time able to walk, she was conducted to her own room. There
she was examined on her recent diet, and was compelled to allow the
housekeeper to ascribe her illness to neglect of autumnal blood-
letting and medicine; and she only stave off the send for the barber
and his lancet the next morning by promising to swallow a dose
compounded of all that was horrible.
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