Hoffman went to see to the horses , Casimer strolled away with him , and the young ladies went to gather wild flowers at the foot of the tower . `` Not a harebell here ; is n't it provoking , when they grow in tufts up there , where one ca n't reach them . Mercy , what 's that ? Run , Nell , the old wall is coming down ! '' Both had been grubbing in a damp nook , where ferns and mosses grew luxuriantly ; the fall of a bit of stone and a rending sound above made them fly back to the path and look up . Amy covered her eyes , and Helen grew pale , for part way down the crumbling tower , clinging like a bird to the thick ivy stems , hung Casimer , coolly gathering harebells from the clefts of the wall . `` Hush ; do n't cry out or speak ; it may startle him . Crazy boy ! Let us see what he will do , '' whispered Helen . `` He ca n't go back , the vines are so torn and weak ; and how will he get down the lower wall ? for you see the ivy grows up from that ledge , and there is nothing below . How could he do it ? I was only joking when I lamented that there were no knights now , ready to leap into a lion 's den for a lady 's glove , '' returned Amy , half angry . In breathless silence they watched the climber till his cap was full of flowers , and taking it between his teeth , he rapidly swung down to the wide ledge , from which there appeared to be no way of escape but a reckless leap of many feet on to the turf below . The girls stood in the shadow of an old gateway , unperceived , and waited anxiously what should follow . Lightly folding and fastening the cap together , he dropped it down , and , leaning forward , tried to catch the top of a young birch rustling close by the wall . Twice he missed it ; the first time he frowned , but the second he uttered an emphatic , `` Deuce take it ! '' Helen and Amy looked at each other with a mutual smile and exclamation , -- `` He knows some English , then ! '' There was time for no more -- a violent rustle , a boyish laugh , and down swung the slender tree , with the young man clinging to the top . As he landed safely , Helen cried , `` Bravo ! ''
and XXXXX rushed out , exclaiming reproachfully , yet admiringly , -- `` How could you do it and frighten us so ?
Amy Casimer Deuce English Hoffman Nell climber harebell harebells mosses