slope behind the house.

"I have got some more medicines here, Miss Drake," he said, when she
reappeared on the stair.

As he spoke he brought out phial after phial, as if his pockets widened
out below into the mysterious recesses of the earth to which as a gnome
he belonged. Dorothy, however, told him it was not a medicine the
doctor wanted now, but something else, she did not know what. Her face
was dreadfully white, but as calm as an icefield. She went back into the
room, and Polwarth sat down again.

Not more than twenty minutes had passed when he heard again the soft
thunder of Niger's hoofs upon the sward; and in a minute more up came
Lisbeth, carrying a little morocco case, which she left at the door of
the room.

Then an hour passed, during which he heard nothing. He sat motionless,
and his troubled lungs grew quiet.

Suddenly he heard Dorothy's step behind him, and rose.

"You had better come down stairs with me," she said, in a voice he
scarcely knew, and her face looked almost as if she had herself passed
through a terrible illness.

"How is the poor lady?" he asked.

"The immediate danger is over, the doctor says, but he seems in great
doubt. He has sent me away. Come with me: I want you to have a glass of
wine."

"Has he recognized her?"

"I do not know. I haven't seen any sign of it yet. But the room is
dark.--We can talk better below."

"I am in want of nothing, my dear lady," said Polwarth. "I should much
prefer staying here--if you will permit me. There is no knowing when I
might be of service. I am far from unused to sick chambers."

"Do as you please, Mr. Polwarth," said Dorothy, and going down the
stair, went into the garden.

Once more Polwarth resumed his seat.

There came the noise of a heavy fall, which shook him where he sat. He
started up, went to the door of the chamber, listened a moment, heard a
hurried step and the sweeping of garments, and making no more scruple,
opened it and looked in.

All was silent, and the room was so dark he could see nothing.
Presently, however, he descried, in the middle of the floor, a prostrate
figure that could only be the doctor, for plainly it was the nurse on
her knees by him. He glanced toward the bed. There all was still.

"She is gone!" he thought with himself; "and the poor fellow has
discovered who she was!"

He went in.

"Have you no brandy?" he said to the nurse.

"On that table," she answered.

"Lay his head down, and fetc