xcitedly searching for the wound,
but without success.

Then he turned his eyes to the floor, looking about in all directions
for the pistol, then about the bed, which had not been turned down, but
without avail; and his eyes sought those of the young man again as he
held him, and with one hand felt for the pulsation at the heart.

"What's matter?" said Lacey, thickly.

At that moment Jerry caught sight of a glass on the dressing-table, and
he uttered a cry, but felt confused and puzzled directly after; for his
common sense told him that, if the lieutenant had tried to poison
himself, whatever he had taken would not have gone off with a tremendous
bang inside and made the windows rattle.

"What's matter?" said the lieutenant again, in a confused way; "did I--
did I--tumble out of bed?"

"No, no. I saved you, sir!" whimpered Jerry, hysterically. "Oh, sir,
where is it? What have you done?"

"I d' know," said Lacey, confusedly. Then, with the power to think
returning, he seized Jerry's hands, and tried to remove them from his
chest. "Here! what are you doing?"

"Doing! doing!" cried Jerry. "Oh, why don't you speak! Can you hold
out while I fetch the doctor?"

"Doctor? I d' know?" cried Lacey, staring in a stupefied way at his
servant, and then growing angry at being held down. "Here! what's the
matter? Have I been taken ill?"

"Ill? It's ten times worse than that, sir. Hold still. Where are you
hurt? Where's the pistol?"

"Confound you! Will you leave go?" cried the lieutenant, who grew angry
as his senses returned; and, gripping Jerry firmly, he wrenched himself
round, made a violent effort, forced his man back, and rose to a sitting
position on the edge of the bed.

"Mr Lacey, sir, don't!" cried Jerry.

"Oh, won't I!" cried the lieutenant. "What do you mean by it? How dare
you, sir? Couldn't you sit up late without getting at my spirit-stand?
What is it--brandy?"

"That it ain't, sir! I never touched a drop!" cried Jerry, indignantly.
"Don't, sir! You hurt me!"

"Hurt you? Yes, you dog, I mean to! You hurt me pretty well! Why,
you're as drunk as a piper!"

"Tell you I ain't, sir!" cried Jerry. "I took four cups o' coffee to
keep me awake. That's all. But--but, Mr Lacey, sir, didn't you do it?
Didn't you hurt yourself?--didn't--didn't--"

"`Didn't--didn't'--don't stammer and stutter like that! Confound you!
What do you mean by dragging me out of bed in this way? You must ha