the sofa-cushion. I had lost all grip
of myself--of my voice and limbs alike. I could neither stir nor
speak, but lay watching with half-closed eyes, while the room swam
and in my ears I heard a thin voice buzzing: "Tell your friends-the
ice--_he_ never touches the ice. But it will not save them. He will
find some other way."

The door opened, and its opening broke the spell. On the threshold
stood the tall negress with a tray of coffee-cups, and on the tray a
salver with a number of little glasses and a glass bowl--a bowl of
ice. Her master pushed back the decanters to make room for the tray
before him. She set it down, and the little glasses jingled softly.

"Upon my word, sir," said Miss Belcher, "what wonder upon wonders is
this? Ice? And in Mortallone?"

"It is Rosa's little surprise, madame, and she will be gratified by
your--"

He pushed back his chair and, leaving the sentence unfinished, rose
swiftly and came to me as I staggered up from the sofa. A cry worked
in my throat, but before I could utter it his two hands were on my
shoulders, and he had appealed to the company with a triumphant
little laugh.

"Did I not tell you the child would come to himself all right? A
simple sedative--after the fright he had. He's trembling now, poor
boy. No, ma'am"--he turned to Plinny, who had risen, and was coming
forward solicitously; "let him sit upright for a moment, while he
comes to his bearings. Or, better still, when you have finished your
coffee--if Miss Belcher will be kind enough to pour it out for me--
we will take him out into the fresh air. Yes, yes, and the sooner
the better, for I see that Mr. Rogers is fidgeting to be out and
assure himself that the treasure has not taken wings."

He forced me gently back to my seat, and walked to the table.

"What were we saying? Ah, yes--to be sure--about the ice."
He lifted his coffee-cup with a steady hand, and, his eyes travelling
over it, fixed themselves on me, as though to make sure I was
recovering. "The ice is a surprise of Rosa's, and I assure you she
is proud of it. But (you may go, Rosa) I advise you to content
yourselves with wondering; for the water on these hills, strange to
say, is not healthy."

They voted the Doctor's advice to be good, and, having finished their
coffee, wandered out into the fresh air. Plinny took my arm, and,
leading me to the verandah, found me a comfortable seat, where I
could recline and compose myself, for