where he was? It's not like
him. He was always such a good boy, and so fond of his mother. I got
a paper from India, too; announcing his death. I can't understand it
all. Perhaps you can explain, Sir Thomas----'

Thus he went on talking, scarcely conscious of what he was saying.
Evidently the shock had almost unhinged his mind, and he was merely
giving expression to the fugitive thoughts that came to him.

As Edgecumbe's eyes opened, I felt a strange quiver of joy in my heart.
What I saw was no madman's stare, rather it suggested placid
contentment. For a few seconds he glanced from one to another, as if
trying to comprehend, and co-ordinate what had taken place; then he
heaved a deep sigh, half of satisfaction, half of weariness.

'It's all gone,' he murmured like one speaking to himself.

'What is gone, my darling?' asked Lady Carbis.

'The mists, the cobwebs, the black curtain,' he replied.

I heard her gasp as if in fear. I knew of what she was thinking; but
she spoke no word. Instead she continued looking at him with love-lit
eyes.

For a few seconds he lay like one thinking, then he rubbed the back of
his right-hand across his eyes, and laughed like one amused.

'Oh, little mother,' he said, 'it is good to see you again! Good to
know--there kiss me. That's right; it makes me feel as though I were a
kid again, and you were putting me to bed like you did in the old days.'

Lady Carbis kissed him eagerly, calling him all sorts of endearing
names.

'It's your old mother!' she murmured. 'Are you better, Jack, my
darling?'

'Yes, heaps better. Why, there you are, dad! You see I've turned up
again. Oh, I _am_ glad to see you!' and he held out his hand.

'Jack, Jack,' sobbed his father, 'tell me you are all right.'

On considering it all, afterwards, it seemed to me that it was not a
bit what I should have expected him to say, but facts have a wonderful
way of laughing at fancies.

'I feel better every second,' he said. 'Everything came back so
suddenly that I felt like a man bowled over. You see, I couldn't grasp
it all. But--but I'm settling down now. I--I--oh, I'm afraid I'm an
awful nuisance. Forgive me. Thank you all for being so good.'

I saw his eyes rest on Lorna, and his lips twitched as if in pain, but
only for a moment.

'Where's Luscombe?' he asked. 'Ah, there you are, old man. You must
know Luscombe, little mother. He's the truest pal a chap ever had.
But for him--bu