it you, Dexie, or your spirit?" the words were low and tremulous, but,
in the stillness of the room, sounded clear and distinct.

"It is I, Mr. McNeil, alive, and well as ever I was."

"Thank God!"

His eyes closed, and with a gesture the doctor dismissed her; then taking
his seat beside the bed, he watched until he was assured that Hugh had
fallen into a natural sleep.

As Dexie left the room, she mentally said a final good-bye to it, feeling
thankful enough that her services would not be needed again to hush the
despairing cries or still the grasping hands that had clutched at space. It
was the last time her eyes rested on Hugh for weeks. She knew he was
recovering, and that was enough.

During his convalescence, Dexie never entered the Gurney household, lest by
some chance she might come face to face with her enemy.

The occurrence on the boat was tacitly dropped by all parties concerned,
and only when Hugh accidentally heard that the Sherwoods were preparing to
return to the States did his reserve break down, and it was to Mrs. Gurney
alone he expressed his regrets and intentions.

CHAPTER XXXI.

"Here's news, girls; we are going back to Maine!" and Georgie rushed into
the sitting-room where his sisters and their girl friends were chatting
together. "Papa says we are going back _for sure_, in just a few weeks,
too! Isn't that jolly?" and he manifested his delight in a series of
handsprings that would have charmed the heart of an acrobat.

"Yes, I heard something of it, but hoped it would not come to pass," said
Dexie.

"It is the best news I've heard for a long time, the sooner we leave this
horrid place the better I'll be pleased," was Gussie's comment.

Elsie was quite depressed at the thought of parting from her friends; but
the intervening weeks were full of pleasure and excitement, and drives and
parties seemed to follow one another in quick succession.

One day Dexie came in from a shopping expedition in great excitement,
saying:

"Oh, girls, I have met my double; met her down in a store on Granville
Street, and I actually followed her until she entered a house on Spring
Garden Road. If she had worn one of my suits, I should have expected her to
walk home instead of me. I began to think 'this could not be I.' Whom do
you think she can be?"

Nobody knew; but a few days after, Lancy related the fact that he had
hurried after a lady, supposing her to be Dexie, and found he had been
follo