my hand, and said sadly--

"Yes, we have had many talks about it, Mayne, and we can only come to
that conclusion."

"Then you are both going away, and I shall never see you again?" I said
bitterly.

"Who can say?" said Mrs John, smiling. "You know why I am going. I
may come back in a few years strong and well, to find you a prosperous
and--Ah!"

"Alexes! my child!" cried Mr John in agony, for Mrs John, who had been
speaking in a low voice, suddenly changed colour, raised her hands to
her throat, as she uttered a low sigh, and would have fallen from her
chair if I had not caught and supported her.

We were lifting her to the little horse-hair couch, when there was a tap
at the door, and Mrs Dean appeared.

"Is anything the--"

"Matter," she would have said, but as she caught sight of Mrs John's
white face, she came forward quickly, and with all the clever management
of a practised nurse, assisted in laying the fainting woman back on the
couch.

"She's weak, and been trying to do too much, sir."

"Yes, yes, I was afraid," cried Mr John. "But she would come--to see
you, Mayne. Tell me where--I'll run for a doctor."

"Oh no, sir," said Mrs Dean, quietly; "I'll bathe her temples a bit.
She'll soon come round."

Mrs Dean hurried out of the room, and was back directly with basin,
sponge, towels, and a tiny little silver box.

"You hold that to her nose, Mr Gordon, while I sponge her face. Mind--
it's very strong."

"But a doctor," panted Mr John in agony. "She has been so terribly
ill. This was too much for her."

"If you fetched a doctor, sir, he'd tell us to do just what we're
a-doing. Bathe her face and keep her head low. There, poor dear! she's
coming round. Oh, how thin and white she is!"

Mrs Dean was quite right, for under her ministrations the patient soon
opened her eyes, to look vacantly about for a few moments, and murmur--

"So weak--so weak."

"Are you better, dearest?" whispered her husband.

She smiled feebly, and closed her eyes for a time. Then with a deep
sigh she looked up again, and made an effort to rise.

"Ah, that's right," said Mr John; "you feel better."

"No, no," said Mrs Dean, firmly, "not yet. She must lie still till the
faintness has gone off, or she'll bring it back," and, with a sigh, Mrs
John resigned herself to the stronger will, Mr John nodding at me, and
saying in a whisper--

"Yes, Mayne; she knows best."

A few minutes later Mrs Dean went towards