, which were feverish
dreams, it is quite impossible to tell, but every day's experience
seemed to be lived through again, and, at all events, at last I must
have fallen pretty soundly asleep; and after I actually woke again,
reality appeared like a dream. It seemed perfectly natural, after my
recent adventure with Parsons, to meet Jacintha and a lady, who, from
the likeness, in a confused kind of way I imagined must be her mother.

I fancy that I must have opened my eyes for an instant, and then,
unwillingly, have closed them again. At any rate, as I sat on the seat,
there stood Jacintha, much more gaily dressed than I had seen her
before, with gloves and a sunshade, and high buttoned boots, but
apparently taking no notice of me as she continued to talk very quickly
and excitedly to her companion. They were still in the same position,
Mrs. Westlake listening with a kindly, grave face, Jacintha looking
almost as if she had been crying, when I once more opened my eyes.

CHAPTER XX.

'Jacintha!' I murmured, and still she seemed to be almost a part of my
dream.

'Mother, he is awake!' cried Jacintha, and Mrs. Westlake leaned forward
towards me.

'I want you to come home with me,' she said, but when I tried to stand,
it seemed as if I should have fallen if she had not put a hand beneath
my arm. With Mrs. Westlake supporting me on one side and Jacintha on the
other, I managed to cross the road to the nearest gate, where a hansom
was hailed, and I found myself seated by Mrs. Westlake's side, while
Jacintha was perched on her knees. Probably I dozed off again the next
minute, for the next thing I knew was that the hansom had stopped before
the door of a large house, where a middle-aged butler carried me through
the hall and laid me down on the dining-room sofa.

Mrs. Westlake seemed to be holding a whispered conversation with a
short, stout, rather elderly nurse, whose name was Harper, and presently
she left the room, to return a few minutes later with a breakfast cup
full of beef-tea, after drinking which I felt very much better. A little
later, the butler half-led, half-carried me upstairs, and I seemed to be
getting into a deliciously comfortable bed, where I quickly fell asleep
in earnest. I have an idea that Harper came to look at me once or twice
during that night, and the next morning she took my temperature with a
thermometer, but although she declared there was not anything the matter
with me, I felt ve