o friends on this side of the sea, and not so very many beyond
it--besides my mother."

This, also, was a stupid sort of thing to say, he owned, when he came to
think of it, and then he added:

"I have heard that this is a fine country to get on in."

"Yes, so they say."

They went on in silence, and very slowly, the stranger walking wearily,
as John could see.

"I am done out," said he at last, stopping and leaning against a tree.

"Yes, so I see. Have you far to go? I will go with you."

"I have nowhere to go. I came here yesterday, and I slept last night in
a boat by the wharf."

"Then ye'll just come with me," said John heartily, giving him his arm
to lean upon. He would have liked to ask his name, but he did not.
They walked on slowly, till they came to the house where John was
staying.

"I have brought a friend," said he to the mistress of the house. "He
will share my room, and I will be responsible for him."

"He looks sick," said the woman gravely. "I hope you realise what you
are undertaking?"

John _thought_ he "realised" it, but he did not. It would have made no
difference, however, if he had. His new friend tossed and muttered all
night, and in the morning was unable to raise his head from the pillow,
and that was but the beginning. Many days passed before he was able to
do so. He was light-headed much of the time, and uttered a great many
names, some of them angrily enough, and some of them with love and
longing unspeakable. It was, "Oh! mother! mother!" Or, "Oh! Allie!
Allie! where are you gone?" through the whole of one painful night when
he was at the worst, till the dawn brought sleep at last, and a respite.

He grew better after a while, and the visits of the doctor ceased, but
his strength came slowly and his spirits failed him often. The house in
which they lodged stood near the water's edge. The heat was great in
the middle of the day, and at night the wind which came from the lake
was damp and chill. John saw that a change of place was needed, and he
would fain have carried him away to get the fresh air of the country.

"A change is what he needs. We can manage it for a day now and then, to
get somewhere," said John to himself; "and then--I must to work again."

He knew, or he supposed, that if he applied to Mr Hadden, who had the
reputation of being a rich man who did much good with his money, all
would be made easy to this stranger; but he himself had the best rig