al pitch, Michael did not convey the
impression that he was capable of taking either Life or Death in a
serious spirit. He talked on gaily, in no way depressed by his
unsympathetic audience, telling tales of his own escapades in the
matter of fighting and love-making, of wild midnight steeplechases
ridden across unknown country, and the delights of the fair town by the
river Lee.

Once he stopped talking for a few minutes to boil some more water on
the stove that Arithelli sometimes used for making coffee, and to renew
the application of leaves. The fact that his patient was in exactly
the same condition of stupor, and had not stirred, did not discourage
Michael's optimistic views of her recovery.

"Ye must give it time, me bhoy," he told Emile. "There's no hurry in
Spain, ye know, with anything. Be careful that ye watch her and keep
her hands off her throat. She'll not be lying so quiet presently."

Emile growled out an inaudible response. He was in a smouldering
condition of wrath and impatience. Reserved and limited of words as he
himself always was, and now rendered savage by anxiety, he found it
impossible to understand the other man's mercurial temperament. By
this time he was without hope, and certainly without faith in either
Michael or his remedies.

The doctor having skilfully extracted his crumpled outer garment from
under Arithelli's shoulders, regretfully prepared to depart. He was
obliged to be somewhere about the premises of the Hippodrome during
every performance in case of accident to any of the animals, and
careless as he was where his own benefit was concerned, he had
sufficient wisdom to be always within call.

When he had vanished Emile walked to the window, and threw open the now
useless shutters. He guessed instinctively that Arithelli needed more
air, and he had himself begun to find the temperature almost
unbearable, for the building was lofty, and the room they were in near
the roof. He rested his folded arms upon the sill and leaned his head
and shoulders far out.

The house stood at a corner, and while the side of it was in a small
street, the front overlooked one of the many wide and beautiful
_paseos_, with which the city abounded.

A little breeze borne of the incoming tide in the harbour came sweeping
along, and its coolness stirred him into fresh vitality.

It was the hour of pleasure, when the inhabitants threw off their
sun-begotten sloth and thronged the _cafes_ a