of her bosom as she breathed, but my difficulty was to know
what remedies to apply. I have a little experience in resuscitating the
half-drowned, but in this case insensibility seemed to have been caused
by the blow on her forehead, if it was not from shock or fear.

So all I could do was to force a few drops of brandy between the white
teeth, and bathe the forehead patiently, and hope that nature would soon
reassert itself with these aids.

After what seemed a long while to me, but which I suppose was not more
than a quarter of an hour or twenty minutes, one of the little white
hands moved, a deep sigh came from the lips, and I thought she was
"coming to."

But it was merely a change from one state of insensibility to another;
for, though a colour came back into the cheeks and the breathing grew
stronger and more regular, the warmth of the cabin had its effect, and
she sank into a natural and peaceful sleep.

My greatest anxiety being now relieved, and my fair young visitor
restored to animation and resting peacefully enough, my mind naturally
turned to the consideration of the strange position I was so
unexpectedly placed in; but in my state of absolute ignorance as to the
identity of my charge, where she came from, what had happened, and of
the whole chain of circumstances which led up to her strange visit, I
came to the conclusion that I could only wait for her to awake and
enlighten me before taking any steps whatever. It might mean losing
valuable time to try to find out anything by going off in the fog and
darkness; whilst, meanwhile, the poor girl might awake and find herself
deserted, instead of finding me ready and waiting to take her
instructions for her safe restoration to her friends.

So there was nothing for me to do but wait, and having made up the fire
in the stove and put the kettle on in readiness for a cup of tea, I made
myself as comfortable as I could in a corner and longed for daylight.

As I watched the face of the sleeping girl, now rather flushed from the
warmth of the cabin and the unaccustomed drops of spirit I had given
her, I thought I had never before seen a fairer and sweeter countenance,
and even then began to bless the chance which had allowed me to become
her protector.

Once she stirred, and a look of dread, almost terror, came into her
face, and I heard her utter in an agonised voice the single word
"Harold."

It may sound ridiculous, but, coming so soon after my feelings o