morning--often do--cannot
say. With a great deal of care, I think he has a chance."

"I am very anxious to save him," said the squire, looking hard at the
physician.

"Very good of you, I am sure," replied Doctor Longstreet, cheerfully. "It
is not everybody who would take so much trouble for a tramp. Of course if
he dies people will say your dog killed him; but I will sign a paper to
the effect that it is not true. If he had left you and your dog alone, he
would have been dead in the morning to an absolute certainty."

"How very extraordinary!" exclaimed the squire, suddenly realising that
instead of causing the man's death Stamboul had perhaps saved his life.

"It was certainly very odd that he should have chosen the best moment for
assaulting you," continued the doctor. "It is quite possible that even
then he was under some delusion--took you for somebody else--some old
enemy. People do queer things in a brain fever. By the bye has he said
anything intelligible since he has been here?"

John Short who had been standing silently by the bedside during the whole
interview looked up quickly at the squire, wondering how he would answer.
But Mr. Juxon did not hesitate.

"Yes. Twice he repeated a woman's name. That is very natural, I suppose.
Do you think he will have any lucid moments for some time?"

"May," said the doctor, "may. When he does it is likely to be at the
turning point; he will either die or be better very soon after. If it
comes soon he may say something intelligible. If he is much more
exhausted than he is now, he will understand you, but you will not
understand him. Meningitis always brings a partial paralysis of the
tongue, when the patient is exhausted. Most probably he will go on
moaning and mumbling, as he does now, for another day. You will be able
to tell by his eye whether he understands anything; perhaps he will make
some sign with his head or hand. Ah--here is the ice."

Doctor Longstreet went about his operations in a rapid and business like
fashion and John gave what assistance he could. The squire stood leaning
against the chimney-piece in deep thought.

Indeed he had enough to think of, when he had fully weighed the meaning
of the doctor's words. He was surprised beyond measure at the turn things
had taken; for although, as he had previously told John, he suspected
that Goddard must have been in a fever for several hours before the
assault, it had not struck him that Stamboul's attack