was life, life, life! And she wondered whether any other of the
few had ever come back to life with so little joy.

The female warders were supporting her in a chair; the prison doctor
stood over her with a medicine glass.

"Drink this," said he, kindly.

"But I have been conscious all the time."

"Never mind. You need it."

And Rachel took the restorative without more words.

It did its work. The color came back to her face. The blood ran hot in
her veins. In a minute she was standing up without assistance.

"And now," said Rachel, "I shall not trespass further on your kindness,
and I am sure that you will not wish to detain me."

"We cannot," said the doctor, with a broad smile and a bow; "you are as
free as air, and will perhaps allow me to be the first to congratulate
you. At the same time, my dear madam, and quite apart from your
condition--which is wonderful to me after what you've been through--at
the same time, and even with your fortitude, I think it would be
advisable to--to wait a little while."

The doctor raised his eyes, and all at once Rachel heard.
Overheard--outside--in the world--there was the brutal hooting of a
thoughtless mob.

"So that is for me!"

Rachel set her teeth.

"On the contrary," said the kindly doctor, "it may be for the witnesses;
but crowds are fickle things; and I should strongly urge you not to
court a demonstration of one sort or the other. You are best where you
are for the time being, or at all events somewhere within the precincts.
And meanwhile your solicitor is waiting to add his congratulations to
mine."

"Is he, indeed!" cried Rachel, in a voice as hard as her eye.

"Why, to be sure," rejoined the other, taken somewhat aback. "There
must be many matters for discussion between you, and he at least seems
very anxious to discuss them. In fact, I may say that he is only
awaiting my permission for an immediate interview."

"Then let him await mine!" exclaimed Rachel, in a vindictive voice for
which she was apologizing in the next breath. "I owe you much," she
added, "if only for your kindness and sympathy during these few minutes.
But to him I owe nothing that I cannot pay in cash. He tried to keep me
from telling my own story in the box--they all did--but he was the worst
of all. So I certainly do not owe him my life. He came to me and he said
what he liked; he may have forgotten what he said, but I never shall."

"He would be the first to admit his error now.