All the life had gone out of his face as I ceased speaking. His lips
trembled. 'Then--it was not she?' he said brokenly.

'My dear fellow,' I put my hand upon his, 'listen: Until the next
morning she did not know you were here, but after reading that letter
I could not help believing that you were the man of whom she wrote,
and I went to her, told her of my meeting with you, described you, and
saw at once that she recognised you. Then I told her how you had been
attacked, and the next morning I brought her and her aunt to see you.
I don't want to flatter you, and I can't betray a lady; but while it
was not she that night upon the bridge--and in your own sober senses
and free of Cupid's blindness you would be among the first to know
that it could not be she--she is now very near, and she is only
waiting to be told that she may come to see, with her own eyes, that
you are better, and that you will be glad to see her.'

'Glad!' How much the one word said, but in a moment he looked up.'
But--these men--how do you know----'

'About the attack? I saw it. I had been following, watching you and
them.'

He put his hand to his head as if bewildered.

'But, my God! those men! If they are following her--and myself--and if
it is not--not Voisin----' He lifted his hand suddenly. 'I tell you,
man, it is Voisin!'

As his hand dropped, the doctor came up and looked keenly from one to
the other. I got up quickly.

'Doctor,' I said, 'I fear he has talked too much; but if you will let
me talk to him a little longer--tell him something that will lift a
weight from his mind, once he understands it, I am sure he will
promise not to talk; and I will be brief.'

The doctor looked at his watch. 'Go on,' he said; 'I give you fifteen
minutes.'

The guard heaved a long sigh of relief, and I seated myself again
beside his cot.

'Now,' I said, 'I, on my part at least, am going to be perfectly frank
with you. We must understand and aid each other.'

CHAPTER XXI.

'LET ME LAUGH!'

There were moments, yes, even hours, during the week while our guard
lay upon his hospital cot unconscious or delirious, when I blamed
myself severely for my lack of confidence or frankness that afternoon
of his encounter with the brunette; times when I felt that he should
have been told at least what I believed was the truth concerning her.

Yet, how was I to have guessed her intent concerning him?

Knowing her pursuit of Miss Jenrys, I felt s