nued:

"And you went late at night through a dreadful fog, and took refuge with
a friend?"

"Yes," he said, with his features contracting, and a shudder passing
through him, as he gazed furtively at Rich.

"And what can you recollect besides? Are you sure you had what you
say--diamonds and money?"

"Yes, I am certain."

"I never wore diamonds," said Janet, with her pretty white forehead
growing more puckered, "and I don't want any; but after being so poor,
and with one's dearest friends so poor, and when it would make every one
so happy, I should like you to find them again."

Mark uttered a low groan.

"But tell me, Mark, what else can you recollect?"

"Very little," he said. "It all seems misty; but I recollect drinking
something."

"Brandy, Mark?"

"Yes; and afterwards a medicine that was to calm him, for I was half mad
with excitement."

"Yes; go on."

"Then everything is confused: I seemed to fall asleep--a long restful
sleep, that was broken by my taking a long journey."

"Yes, but that was dreaming, dear."

"Maybe," he said, "and then I was swimming--swimming for life--and then
toiling on and on, a long weary journey under a hot sun to get my
diamonds."

"Yes, dear, fever," said Janet, with the tears streaming down her
cheeks. "Oh, Mark, what you have suffered! Rich, love, do you hear?"

"Yes--yes," cried Rich, who seemed to be roused from a strange dream, in
which she was fighting to recall another of which she had a misty
recollection--a dream that troubled her on the night she took the
chloral, when half mad with pain.

"You have seen and borne so much, dear," said Janet piteously. "Was not
all this about the bag of diamonds and those people a feverish dream?"

"Jenny, do you want to drive me mad?"

"My own dear old darling brother, no," she whispered caressingly; and
once more that strange half-jealous feeling swept like a hot breath of
wind across Rich, making her pale face flush. "I only want to make you
see things rightly, and not fret about a fancy."

"I tell you it was no fancy," he said angrily; and then, as the nurse
held up a warning hand. "All right," he added, "I'll be calm."

"Say something to him, Rich," said Janet piteously.

Rich started, and then took Mark's hand. "You say that you went to the
house of a friend?" she whispered.

"Ye-es," he replied hesitatingly.

"And that you partook of some medicine that was to make you sleep?"

He bowed his head slow