I didn't hear Nell cry out.
The first I knew of what had happened behind us was when I turned around in the hut and saw Herr Siebur, framed in a doorway rapidly filling with dizzying white snowflakes, Nell slung unconscious over his great shoulder. The cheerful jokes of relief I had already opened my mouth to make faded at once to nothing as I took in this unexpected development.
The first thing to do was to attend to Miss Wilson, and, while Herr Siebur hunted in one of the lockers in the hut for fuel with which to light a fire in the stove, the girls gathered round the mistress. As gently as my shaking hands could manage, I drew off her thick stocking, all the while fighting to keep my breathing steady, my face as bland as possible. Her foot was in a bad way, and I was almost certain of a broken bone. "A sprain," I said at length. "Get some more snow, some of you. We must use it as a compress. I want all the handkerchiefs you can spare, girls, as well. - Give me that scarf, Eustacia."
Once I had made her more comfortable, and packed the compress tightly, I rubbed a little of the burly Tyrolean's Schnapps on her lips - gently, lovingly, and trying to give the impression of cheerful briskness; and certainly trying to give the impression that those lips, and this casual intimacy, were new and unfamiliar to me. It did not take long for her to come round - startled, confused, and obviously in pain. I lay her back gently as she tried instinctively to sit, wishing for all the world that we did not have an audience. I felt sure I could have better cared for her, and more easily reassured her, were I not so hamstrung by the need to maintain propriety.
In the meantime, Herr Siebur had got the stove going and was hunting through the lockers of the hut to see what we might manage to eat. I gave silent thanks for someone else to attend to at least some of the practicalities, that I might better tend to Nell. As the hut grew warmer, the girls discarded their coats, and we used a number of these to make up a more comfortable bed for her. By the time Herr Siebur's oniony stew was served, she was drowsing beside me, and I turned my attentions to the rest of the party. So far, all seemed fine; but it was plain to me that we would need to spend the night here, for even if the snow stopped at once, it was now too late and too dark to safely continue our return to the Pension Gisela. This being the case, it seemed most sensible to encourage them to sleep as soon as the much-needed meal was finished.
I saw to it that the girls were all settled comfortably and well covered with the remaining coats. It wasn't long until all were sound asleep, for which I was grateful. Our guide, too, was sleeping deeply, curled up in the corner beside the stove. I watched Nell's face as she drifted soundlessly in and out of consciousness; the hut was dark, but between the still-glowing stove and the unnatural light that snow somehow produces, I could still make out the pain lining her face. I felt at once the heavy responsibility of the only person awake to watch over her, when I too was weary from the long day's climb and the terrible drama with which it had ended, and the comparative freedom of at least no longer needing to put on a show. I didn't dare whisper a word aloud, but I held her hand and stroked her hair, trying to offer such solace as I could manage in the circumstances. Twice I re-packed her foot with fresh snow from outside where the blizzard still raged, glad to be doing what little I could for her, frustrated that I could do no more. I wondered about Anne and Robin, back at the pension. I hoped, futilely, that they were not too worried by our absence. Perhaps the Robin would have gone to bed already, and would not miss us until morning. Anne was a sensible girl: perhaps she would guess we would have found refuge in a hut such as this. Frau Blitzen would have reassured her of it - wouldn't she?
Herr Siebur stirred around midnight, and crept over to enquire after Nell. I answered as best as I could, which did not amount to much, and asked, in turn, about the blizzard. He hoped it would pass within two days.
"Two days?" I echoed foolishly, knowing even as I said it - even as I went on to protest that we ought to be departing for the Tiernsee the next day - that it really came as no surprise.
Herr Siebur reaffirmed his prediction, rather apologetically, and - clearly judging that I was not thinking sensibly enough about our predicament - added that Nell herself would not be able to travel for much longer. The enormity of this had not yet hit me; I had been so concerned with getting through the night, with tucking the girls in to sleep and minimising Nell's discomfort as far as possible, that I had not yet considered what would happen when the snow stopped - only that I had to hold everything together until it did. I stared mutely at him, and - knowing there was nothing more to be said - he nodded at me and returned to his nook by the stove, and very soon he was snoring again.
Louise roused a while later, and came over to insist I rest and let her watch over Nell for a time. I turned it over in my mind, or what mind I still had, tired as I was: on the one hand, I was the mistress - now the only mistress in the party - and it was my job to keep watch over both Nell and the girls; on the other, what use could I be in the morning if I hadn't slept? Truthfully I didn't think I could sleep, but consented to at least lie and rest for a while. In the end, I must have slept, because it was from a sound sleep that I awoke to hear Jo Bettany and Eustacia Benson arguing passionately. Again! I lay there with my eyes closed, still and furious with them both. They were both alive and well. They had slept the night without a care for anyone but themselves. They had no broken bones, no bad sprains, they had not spent any part of the night bringing in snow to try to help the foot of their dearest friend, watching her pained face as she lay semi-conscious and helpless; they had not had to wonder whether the snow would ever stop and what on earth the next day would bring, and how they would deal with it. What possible right had they to be so petulant, given the circumstances?
As I listened, I came to understand something interesting. Jo - who had been the nearest to Nell when she fell, indeed had arrived breathless in the doorway alongside Herr Siebur as the blizzard took hold in earnest, limply clutching Nell's discarded boot - held Eustacia responsible for the fall. I contemplated this for a moment, and found it greatly plausible - and my anger rushed forth anew. Always Eustacia! I could picture her clearly, unthinkingly dragging on the arm Nell had lent her from kindness, somehow upsetting her balance as they rushed down the mountainside. Unwilling to hear any more on the subject, I struggled to my feet. "Girls! Be quiet at once! How dare you squabble like this? You may be very thankful that you are alive and well! Go and sit down, all of you.—Louise, you and Jo can help Herr Siebur with the breakfast. How is Miss Wilson?"
Continual compresses had helped to reduce the swelling in the foot, and 'Bill' was sleeping naturally now, so I moved away from her and went to help with the morning meal. It was the same as the night before, but they were hungry again and ate it thankfully. The rest of the party seemed well, if tired - even Violet and Jo, who were both somewhat delicate and I had been worried for. They managed to amuse themselves quietly telling stories for the morning, whilst Herr Siebur left to find help, for the storm had slackened, and he knew the mountain as well as he knew his own kitchen, so there was little fear of him losing his way.
The sun came out well before Mittagessen - far sooner than I had permitted myself to hope for. We couldn't get on, of course, as we were still waiting for Herr Siebur and what help he could bring, but knowing that we would be able to leave that day after all improved everything. Better yet, just as Mittagessen was ready, Nell came to properly at last, very well in herself but for the injured foot - how typically Nell, no time for malingering! Relief and joy flooded through me. The final lift came at half-past fourteen, when the sound of voices on the still mountain air told of our imminent rescue. As the girls hurried around the hut tidying up and putting on their own outer garments, I helped Nell into her coat and cap and permitted myself a gentle stroke of the exposed skin at her neck as I did so, earning a smile and a raised eyebrow from a beautiful face still etched with pain.
"It will be all right," I murmured reassuringly, wishing I could say more but not daring to, as distracted as the girls all seemed to be.
"I was going to say much the same thing to you!" She returned, trying valiantly to disguise a grimace. I smiled understandingly. Maybe no more words were needed after all.
The men arrived half an hour later and found them all waiting. Joey and Louise had put out the fire in the stove by the simple method of shoving handfuls of snow into it. The smell in the hut was simply awful, but there was no spark left among the wood, as one of the men found when he examined it. A simple stretcher had been brought, and on it a hefty giant of a man laid Miss Wilson, covering her with a blanket that was odorous, to say the least of it. Another made Violet climb on his back, and two more accounted for Dorothy and Ruth. Herr Siebur took up the poles at one end of the stretcher, and the big man who had arranged 'Bill' took up the others. The four remaining were expected to look after themselves to a certain extent, though one man walked with each of them. So arranged they went down the mountain-side through the dying light of the day, and finally reached the head of the valley, where Neustift lies. Here two big sleighs were awaiting them, and they all piled in and were driven swiftly down the valley to Fulpmes, and to good Frau Blitzen, who, with Anne and the Robin, welcomed them with open arms.
The men were well rewarded for their labours, and Herr Siebur went off wondering dazedly whether he had fallen among millionaires. In addition to his normal fees he had been given money equal in value to twenty pounds, and Joey, hearing that he had three little daughters, had demanded his address, so that she might send them each something in return for all their father had done.