saying so.

The doctor's brougham, coming at full speed, drew up suddenly at the
door.

"There he is at last," said the Bishop, and before the bell could be
rung he opened the door.

A figure was already on the threshold, but it was not Dr. Brown. It was
Dick.

"Where is Dr. Brown?" said Rachel and the Bishop simultaneously, looking
at the doctor's well-known brougham and smoking horses.

"He asked me to come," said Dick, measuring Rachel with his eye. Then he
did as he would be done by, and added, slowly: "He was kept. He was on
his way here from Wilderleigh, where one of the servants is ill, and as
I was dining there he offered me a lift back. And when we were passing
that farm near the wood a man stopped us. He said there had been an
accident--some one nearly drowned. I went, too. It turned out to be
Scarlett. Dr. Brown remained with him, and sent me to take you to him."

"Is he dead?" asked Rachel, her eyes never leaving Dick's face.

"No, but he is very ill."

"I will come now."

The chaplain came slowly across the hall, laden with books and papers.

"Let Canon Sebright know at once that I cannot take part in the
service," said the Bishop, sharply; and he hurried down the steps after
Rachel, and got into the carriage with her. Dick turned up the collar of
his fur coat, and climbed up beside the coachman.

The carriage turned warily, and then set off at a great pace.

The cathedral loomed up suddenly, all aglow with light within. Out into
the night came the dirge of the organ for the dying year.

The Bishop kept his eyes fixed on the pane. The houses were left behind.
They were in the country.

"Who is that?" said Rachel, suddenly, as a long shadow ran beside them
along the white hedgerow.

"It is only Dick. There is a rise in the ground here, and he is running
to ease the horses."

There was a long silence.

"I believe he did it on purpose," said Rachel, at last. "I forsook him
in his great need, and now he has forsaken me."

"He would never forsake you, Rachel."

"Not knowingly," she said. "I did it knowing. That is the difference
between him and me."

She did not speak again.

For a lifetime, as it seemed to the Bishop, the carriage swayed from
side to side of the white road. At last, when he had given up all hope,
it turned into a field and jolted heavily over the frozen ruts. Then it
came to a stand-still.

Rachel was out of the carriage before Dick could get off the box.

She loo