ngth and vitality had triumphed at last, and the doctors soon
announced that he was out of danger.

There were still days of weary waiting for Fay before it was
pronounced safe for her to enter her husband's sickroom; but at last
the day came, and one sweet spring evening, Hugh waking up from a
brief doze, felt tears falling on his forehead, and saw Fay leaning
over him. He was too weak even to put out his hand, but a faint smile
came to his lips. "My Wee Wifie," Fay heard him say, but the next
moment the smile had died away into sadness.

CHAPTER XXI.

"LET ME SEE MARGARET."

Be with me, love, when weak and worn,
My life chord vibrates to and fro;
When with the flood-tide's backward flow,
My soul stands waiting to be gone.

And let me, with my failing hand,
Hold fast to that I love so well,
Till thine clasps but an empty shell,
Amid the drift-weed on the sand.

Be with me that my closing eyes
In that last hour may seek thy face,
Thine image so can none displace,
But soar with me through yonder skies.

HELEN MARION BURNSIDE

"But they were not out of the wood yet," as Mrs. Heron observed to
Ellerton.

When, he had reached a certain point Sir Hugh failed to make any
further progress.

The London physician, Dr. Conway, frankly owned that Sir Hugh's case
completely baffled his medical skill and experience.

Just when they had least expected it the fever had abated, and he had
begun to amend, and now he as steadily refused to get well.

Day after day he lay in an extremity of weakness that was pitiable to
witness; and ever, as time went on, seemed sinking slowly from sheer
inanition and exhaustion. After all there must be some strange
mischief at work, he said; but Dr. Martin was of a different opinion.

He had seen enough of his patient by this time to be sure that there
was sickness of heart as well as of brain, and that it needed some
other healing power than theirs before the man could throw off the
load of oppression that was retarding his recovery and, gathering up
his wasted energies, take up his life again.

But now he seemed very far from recovery.

Day after day he lay with that far-off look on his face that it made
Fay weep to see, for she thought that he must surely die.

Hugh thought so too.

Hour by hour he felt himself drifting nearer to the dark valley which,
to his tired eyes and heart, seemed