ld fellow to accompany him, by promising
him more money for his services than the fisherman had ever, at one time,
seen in his life, and finally he accompanied Hugh back to the vessel.

But, by the time they arrived, Dexie had disappeared past George's Island
with the soldier, and Hugh found the vessel's deck alive with a set of men
capable of the darkest deeds that drunken sailors ever perpetrated. Hugh's
inquiries were not understood, of course; but believing the worst, he
demanded to be allowed on board the vessel. This the captain, who now
appeared, and who was about as drunk as his crew, refused to allow. Hugh
urged and argued in vain, the idea of a young lady being aboard the vessel
being hailed with uproarious shrieks of merriment by the vessel's crew.
Hugh was at last obliged to give up in despair, and he rowed back with all
speed towards the city, to secure the aid of the police in his search.

This was the darkest hour Hugh had ever known. The strain on his nerves,
coupled with the anxiety of the previous weeks, was more than he could
bear, and when, with the assistance of two men armed with authority, he
searched the vessel for any trace of Dexie's presence, and found none, his
brain seemed to collapse, and the brass-buttoned officers carried him back
in their boat to Halifax in a state of unconsciousness.

About midnight, with a doctor in attendance, he was carefully carried to
Mr. Gurney's in a state of delirium.

The next morning the startling news was brought into the Sherwood household
that Hugh McNeil was down with brain fever, and that the doctor had not
left the house since midnight.

Why did they all look at Dexie in such a horrified manner? Was she to
blame? Their looks implied as much. She fought against the implication
inwardly, but made no remark whatever as the news was being discussed.

But, as the day wore on, the unnatural stillness of the house seemed to
weigh her down with its oppressiveness, and she caught herself listening to
every sound with strained ears and every nerve on the alert.

She did not dare venture into the next door to make inquiries, not knowing
how much they might be blaming her for Hugh's sudden illness; and the added
trouble and anxiety his sickness necessarily caused, left no time for the
Gurney girls to run in with a report of his condition. Consequently, when
Lancy appeared about nine o'clock in the evening, Dexie's eyes asked the
question her lips had not power