" she said, taking him by both hands
and drawing him forward.

"Don't be frightened," said Horace, in his kind, cheerful
voice, trying to encourage her, for her face and lips were
colourless, and she was trembling as with a sudden chill. He
put one arm round her, and came forward to look at M. Linders.

"Allow me," he said; and this time his voice commanded
attention, and imposed a moment's silence on the confusion of
tongues. "I am a doctor, and can perhaps be of some use; but I
must beg of you not to press round in this way. Can anyone
tell me what has happened?" he added, as he bent over M.
Linders.

"It was an accident, Monsieur," said a man of the working-
class, standing by, "this poor gentleman must have had some
kind of fit, I think. I was crossing the Boulevards with him
about ten o'clock; there were a good many carriages about, but
we were going quietly enough, when suddenly I saw him stop,
put his hand to his head, and fall down in the road. I had to
run just then to get safely across myself, and when I reached
the other side, I saw a great confusion, and heard that a
carriage had driven straight over him."

There was a moment's pause, and Madelon said in a tremulous
whisper, "Papa used to have vertiges last winter, but he got
quite well again."

"To be sure," said Graham; "and so we must hope he will now.
That was more than two hours ago," he said, turning to the
man--"what have you been doing ever since?"

"We carried him into the nearest _cafe_, Monsieur, and some
proposed taking him to a hospital, but after a time we found a
letter in his pocket addressed to this hotel, and we thought
it best to bring him here, as he might have friends; so we got
a _fiacre_. But it was a long way off, and we were obliged to
come very slowly."

"A hospital would perhaps have been the better plan," said
Graham; "or you should have found a doctor before moving him.
However, now he must be carried upstairs without further
delay. My poor child," he said, turning to Madelon, "you can
do no good here--you had better go with Madame, who will take
care of you; will you not, Madame?" he added, turning to the
landlady, who, roused from her bed, had just appeared, after a
hasty toilette.

"Yes, yes, she can come with me," said Madame Lavaux, who was
not in the best of tempers at the disturbance; "but I beg of
you not to make more noise than you can help, Messieurs, or I
shall have the whole house disturbed, and half th