s accepted the Duke's command; and, having
so far relieved his soul, he went to Mrs Constable and begged to be
allowed to remain at The Paddock until the arrival of the physicians.

During this long time of waiting he had an interview with Jasper, who
gave him a vivid and most modest account of what had occurred the night
before.

'You are a brave lad,' said the Duke. 'I 'll never forget it--never.
And that fine horse--that bonnie beastie--if _she_ doesn't ride him
again, no one else shall. He 'll browse in my grounds, and live happy
till his dying day.'

'Oh, but he 'd die!' cried Jasper. 'Dear Duke of Ardshiel, I _think_,
down deep in my heart, that Hollyhock will recover.'

Meanwhile, in the sickroom, the girl who had gone through so much raved
and moaned, and went over and over again the terrible feat she had
achieved, and over and over again one special name came to her lips.
'Leuchy, you _might_ have kissed me. I do think you _might_ have
kissed me. I 'm wondering if she 'd kiss me _now_, before I go away.'

Hollyhock kept up this fearful moaning until both the great doctors
arrived. They saw that Hollyhock was quite delirious, and they
listened to her wild and rambling words. Of course, George Lennox was
in the child's room, his heart in truth nearly broken; but Hollyhock
did not know that he was there. She was thinking more of that kiss
which had been refused than of anything else just then.

Ah! why was Leuchy _so_ hard--harder than a rock?'

The doctors noticed the constant repetition of the girl's remark, and
having spoken very gravely of the case to Mrs Constable, and to the
poor stricken father, went down to interview the Duke.

'Well, your Grace,' Sir Alexander Macalister said, 'we have no good
news for you. The lassie is ill--very ill. She's fretting over and
over for a girl she calls Leucha. We think that if, perhaps, she saw
Leucha, it might do her good, and calm her, and tend to bring down her
fever. It runs very high at present. She talks of a girl who refuses
to _kiss_ her.'

'My word!' said Ardshiel; 'and you think she ought to see _that_
creature?'

'It might be wise,' said Sir Alexander Macalister. 'It might be the
means of saving her life.'

'Then run, my lad, run for your bare life, and bring that girl to her.
I met the girl in the avenue crying like anything. I gave her no sort
of comfort; but if the doctors think that she may save brave Hollyhock,
she shall come.