# VI explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Anthony Trollope.

## What happens

A page is poisoned with strychnine, but the widow finds an antidote and administers it. Meanwhile, the Mountfidget hears war cries and prepares for battle, while the page lies dying at the bed-foot.

## Character check-ins

### Lord Mountfidget

Raises himself on his elbow, recognizes war cries, and grasps his sword to join the fight.

## Key lines

> But as the page sank upon the floor, a small bottle fell from his breast coat-pocket, and the widow saw that it was labelled 'antidote for the oil of strychnine.'

When the page collapsed, a bottle labeled as strychnine antidote dropped from his pocket, and the widow noticed it.

_The widow discovers the antidote for the page's poisoning._

> Then the widow’s heart leaped for joy, and as she poured the precious drops into the gaping wound, she said a prayer that the page might recover also.

The widow rejoiced and administered the antidote into the wound while praying for the page's recovery.

_The widow administers the antidote and prays for the page._

> Ha! ha! he cried. 'Rowdadow, a Rowdadow, Rowdadow-dow; 'tis the war-cry of the Mountfidget!' And he grasped the sword which lay beneath his pillow.

He exclaimed that the war cry was that of the Mountfidget and grabbed his hidden sword.

_The Mountfidget recognizes his clan's war cry and prepares for combat._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_4_se/chapters/vi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_4_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_4_se/chapters