s time help had arrived. Two men came up, and assisted Mr
Oliphant to raise the poor man, and support him to the "Oldfield Arms,"
where he was immediately put to bed; one of the men being sent off by
the rector to fetch the nearest medical man, while he himself gave
orders that everything should be done to restore the unhappy sufferer to
warmth and consciousness.

"Please, Mrs Barnes," said he to the landlady, "be so good as to send
up to the rectory, and let me know, when the doctor comes, if he says
that there is any danger. If his report is favourable, I will leave a
night's rest to do its work, and will look in again early to-morrow.
And pray let the poor man have everything that he needs, and send up to
the rectory if you are short of anything."

"Thank you, sir," said Mrs Barnes. "I will see that he is properly
looked to."

The rector then went home, and in another hour received a message from
the inn that the doctor had been, and that there was no danger of any
immediately fatal result; that he would call again on his patient the
following morning, and should be glad to meet the rector at the inn.

Accordingly, the following day at the appointed hour Bernard and the
doctor went up together into the sick man's room. As they opened the
door they were astonished to hear the patient declaiming in a loud
voice,--

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us."

Bernard's heart grew sick. Could it be? Could this miserable creature
be one of his own profession? Were these words the ramblings of one who
had been used to officiate as a Church minister? And, if so, what could
have brought him to such a state of utter destitution? The doctor
seemed to read his thoughts, and shook his head sadly. Then, putting
his mouth to his ear, he said,--

"It's the drink; the smell of spirits is still strong on him."

"Poor wretched creature!" said Mr Oliphant. "Can it be that the love
of drink has brought a man of position and education to such a state as
this? What can be done for him?"

"Not much at present," was the reply, "beyond keeping him quiet, and
nursing him well till the fever has run its course. And one thing is
clear--we must keep all intoxicants from him. They are downright poison
to a man of his constitution; and should he get hold of any spirits
before his health is thoroughly established again, I would not answer
for his life."

The rector called Mrs Barnes