The woman, naturally, never drank the
medicine, but instead of that got a village quack to rub her stomach
with some wonder-working salve so vigorously that the poor patient died
in consequence; in fact she was already at the last gasp when Henrietta
arrived. Henrietta was beside herself with grief and anger. She felt
like a doctor whose prescriptions have been interfered with by a
competitor. She could not indeed help the woman, who expired soon after
her arrival, but she had at least the satisfaction of making
arrangements for a decent funeral. In the meantime it had grown so late
that when she turned back toward Hidvar the moon was already pretty high
in the heavens.
She was alone on horseback, for it was only a two hours' journey between
the two places, and she had therefore not thought it worth while to
bring an escort with her. Besides, whom had she to fear? Since she had
lived in these parts, all the bad men had disappeared, and whoever she
might meet in the roads or lanes would be ready to kiss her hand.
So she turned homewards again alone. The road wound in and out among the
valleys and was therefore much longer than if it had gone in a straight
direction across the mountains. She had, however, often heard from the
peasants that there was a shorter way to Hidvar from Ravacsel on which
mules and ponies could go, and she thought it better to look for this
road lest night should surprise her among the mountains.
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