g that she was going back to you. No doubt she overtook your
carriage, which put up at the inn for half an hour."

"No," said the Bishop, "she came on foot. She--walked all the way."

Mr. Gresley smiled. "I am afraid, my lord, Hester has given you an
inaccurate account. I assure you, she is incapable of walking five
miles, much less ten."

"She took about five hours to do it," said the Bishop, who had hesitated
an instant, as if swallowing something unpalatable. "In moments of great
excitement nervous persons like your sister are capable of almost
anything. The question is, whether she will survive the shock that drove
her out of your house last night. Her hands are severely burned. Dr.
Brown, whom I left with her, fears brain fever."

The Bishop paused, giving his words time to sink in. Then he went on
slowly in a level voice, looking into the fire.

"She still thinks that she has killed Regie. She won't believe the
doctor and me when we assure her she has not. She turns against us for
deceiving her."

Mr. Gresley wrestled with a very bitter feeling towards his sister,
overcame it, and said, hoarsely:

"Tell her from me that Regie is not much the worse, and tell her that
I--that his mother and I--forgive her."

"Not me, James," sobbed Mrs. Gresley. "It is too soon. I don't. I can't.
If I said I did I should not feel it."

"Hester is not in a condition to receive messages," said the Bishop.
"She would not believe them. Dr. Brown says the only thing we can do for
her is to show Regie to her. If she sees him she may believe her own
eyes, and this frightful excitement may be got under. I came to take him
back with me now in the carriage."

"I will not let him go," said Mrs. Gresley, the mother in her overriding
her awe of the Bishop. "I am sorry if Hester is ill. I will"--and Mrs.
Gresley made a superhuman effort--"I will come and nurse her myself, but
I won't have Regie frightened a second time."

"He shall not be frightened a second time. But it is very urgent. While
we are wasting time talking, Hester's life is ebbing away as surely as
if she were bleeding to death. If she were actually bleeding in this
room how quickly you two would run to her and bind up the wound. There
would be nothing you would not do to relieve her suffering."

"If I would let Regie go," said Mrs. Gresley, "he would not be willing,
and we could not have him taken away by force, could we, James?"

The door opened, and Regie appeared,