verything as quiet as you can." To me: "I
am going to bring a doctor, and I shall be back in a few moments. Do not
worry, they will take good care of you."

When I heard Richard shut the carriage-door and drive away rapidly, I
felt as if I were abandoned, and by the time he returned with the
Doctor, I was in a state that warranted them in supposing me
unconscious, tossing and moaning, and uttering inarticulate words.

The Doctor stood beside me, and talked about me to Richard with as much
freedom as if I had been a corpse.

"I may as well be frank with you," he said, after a few moments of
examination. "I apprehend great trouble from the brain. How long has she
been in this condition?"

"She has been unlike herself since yesterday; as soon as I saw her, at
seven o'clock last night, I noticed she was looking badly. She answered
me in an abstracted, odd way, and was unlike herself, as I have said.
But she had been under much excitement for some time."

"Tell me, if you please, all about it; and how long she has been under
this excitement."

"She has been often agitated, and quite overstrained in feeling for some
time. Three weeks ago I thought her looking badly. Two days ago she had
a frightful shock--a suicide--which she was the first to discover. Since
then I do not think that she has slept."

"Ah! poor young lady. She has had a terrible experience, and is paying
for it. Now for what we can do for her. In the first place, who takes
care of her?" with a look about the room.

"You may well ask. I have just brought her home, and find here, the
man-servant ill, one woman too old and inactive to perform much service,
and another to whom I would not trust her for a moment. I must ask
_you_, who shall I get to take care of her?"

"You have no friend, no one to whom you could send in such a case? One
of life and death,--I hope you understand?"

"None," answered Richard, with a groan. "There is not a person in the
city to whom I could send for help. All my family--all our friends, are
away. Is there no one that can be got for money--any money? no nurse
that you could recommend?"

"I have a list of twenty. Yesterday I sent to every one, for a dangerous
case of hemorrhage, and could not find one disengaged. It may be
to-morrow night before you get on the track of one that is at liberty,
if you hunt the city over. And this girl is in need of instant care; her
life hangs on it, you must see."

"In God's name, then," s