rtable bed
propped up with pillows. The room was large, cheerful and beautifully
furnished. A small table covered with a white cloth was by the bedside
with medicine bottles upon it. A bright fire burnt in the grate. The
blinds were down and warm red curtains pulled across the large bow
window.

A small lamp was carefully placed where no light or glare could reach
the bed and the very atmosphere of the room spoke of extreme comfort.

A nurse, in a white cap and apron was gliding noislessly about the room
arranging things here and there.

For a moment Helen lay quite still staring about her plerpexedly, but on
making a slight movement in the bed the nurse turned round, "So you are
awake at last miss?" she said in a slow gentle voice, "do you know you
have slept quite quietly for three hours."

"Where are am I?" asked Helen gazing from the kind face of the nurse
around the strange room.

"You are in Lord Beaufort's house in Portman Square" replied the nurse.

"Lord Beaufort?" repeated Helen, "I have heard the name before."

"Yes you have" said the nurse, "Miss Lincarrol is here you know, and her
brother, and your old servant Mrs. Marshland, so you see no one has
deserted you."

"Except Cyril" sighed Helen.

"You must not think of that now" replied the nurse soothingly, "all you
have to do is rest and keep quiet; I expect Miss Lincarrol will be up
soon, she has come twice already only you were asleep, now take your
medicine and then lay quiet; you will hear all the story soon from
other lips than mine."

Thus reassured Helen took her cooling draught and lay down, patiently
awaiting any visitor who would enlighten her as to past events. Her
thoughts naturally enough wandered back to the episode of Cyril's
departure and she was getting extremely restless, much to the nurse's
dismay, when the door softly opened and Gladys appeared in the room.

With a smile she instantly ran to the bedside and Helen tried to raise
herself to greet her friend, but her head instantly swam round and she
fell back on the pillow, white and gasping. The nurse gave her a dose of
medicine and she quickly came to herself again.

"You must not try to exert yourself too much" said the nurse kindly, "it
will do you no good, and will only hinder your recovery."

"Very well" said Helen faintly, "but how is it I get so queer?"

"Because your head is in a weak state" replied the nurse, "and it will
probable injure you very much to rampage."