the sky, and the gray
twilight was filling the room. She rose up, drew back the green
curtains, and looked for a moment at the peaceful village street. When
she returned to the bedside, the sleeper was awake, his eyes calm and
clear for the first time. She restrained the exclamation of delight
which arose to her lips, and tried to catch the one faint word he
uttered:

"Water?"

She gently raised his head, her cheeks flushing, and held a glass of
lemonade to his lips. A faint smile thanked her; and then his eyes
closed, and he was asleep again. Kate sank down on her knees by the
bedside, grateful tears falling from her eyes, to thank God for the life
that would be spared.

From that evening the young man rallied fast.

The Doctor, who came from Montreal every day to see him, said it was all
owing to his superb constitution and wondrous vitality. But he was very,
very weak. It was days and days before he was strong enough to think, or
speak, or move. He slept, by fits and starts, nearly all day long,
recognizing his sister, and Kate, and Eeny, and the Captain, by his
bedside, without wondering how they came to be there, or what had ailed
him.

But strength to speak and think was slowly returning; and one evening,
in the pale twilight, opening his eyes, he saw Kate sitting beside him,
reading. He lay and watched her, strong enough to think how beautiful
that perfect face was in the tender light, and to feel a delicious
thrill of pleasure, weak as he was, at having her for a nurse.

Presently Kate looked from the book to the bed, and blushed beautifully
to find the earnest brown eyes watching her so intently.

"I did not know you were awake," she said, composedly. "Shall I go and
call Grace?"

"On no account. I don't want Grace. How long have I been sick?"

"Oh, many weeks; but you are getting better rapidly now."

"I can't recall it," he said, contracting his brows. "I know there was a
fire, and I was in the house; but it is all confused. How was it?"

"The Hall was burned down, you know--poor old house!--and you rushed in
to save Eeny, and--"

"Oh, I remember, I remember. A beam or something fell, and after that
all is oblivion. I have had a fever, I suppose?"

"Yes, you have been a dreadful nuisance--talking all day and all night
about all manner of subjects, and frightening us out of our lives."

The young man smiled.

"What did I talk about? Anything very foolish?"

"I dare say it was foolish enou