hat
I heard my name pronounced in a low, scarcely audible voice. I glanced
at Ellis, but his hard and regular breathing proved him to be sound
asleep. I next turned towards the bed where Harry lay, and, carefully
shading the lamp with my hand, advanced with noiseless step towards
it. As I approached I perceived the patient's eyes were open, and, oh,
happiness I once more animated by the mild light of reason.

"Harry," whispered I, "did you call? Do you know me?"

A faint smile passed across his pallid features as he replied in a voice
so weak and low, that I was obliged to ~225~~stoop my head almost to a
level with his lips, ere I could catch his words--"Know you, dear Frank!
why not?"

"Thank heaven," murmured I, "he is no longer delirious!"

As I again turned towards him, he endeavoured to stretch out his hand to
me, but his strength was unequal even to that slight exertion, and his
arm dropped heavily by his side; as it did so, he spoke again--"Frank,
what is all this? I cannot--I am very weak--very tired."

"Lie still, dear Harry, and do not try to talk--it may do you harm. You
have been very ill, but God in His mercy will soon, I trust, restore
you to health." I then crossed over to Ellis's sofa, and laid my hand
lightly upon his shoulder. "Oaklands is no longer delirious," said I,
as he started up; "he knows me, and has spoken to me."

"Is he?--does he?--has he?"--exclaimed Ellis in an eager whisper. "I
told you it would never kill him. Why didn't you call me before? but
it's always the way; if I do by any chance fall asleep once in a week,
there isn't another head properly so called in the whole house, they
might as well be chair nobs--Yes, I know," he continued, as I attempted
to get in a word of explanation, "if you couldn't wake me before it
happened, that doesn't prevent your giving me the medicine-chest now,
does it?"

I may as well take this opportunity of mentioning that Ellis, though in
the main one of the best-tempered fellows in the world, whenever he was
particularly interested or excited, became extremely cross and snappish,
and was certain at such times to scold every one who fell in his way,
without the slightest regard to age, sex, or station. However, it was
always over in two or three minutes, and I have seen him laugh till the
tears ran down his face, when the rude things he had said were repeated
to him afterwards. While he was staying with his brother at Cambridge,
it used to be a favo