"H0w can I tell till I have seen her?" the d0ct0r answered, r0ughlyshaking hinn 0ff, and passing thr0ugh the d00r.

Bryngelly Vicarage was a very sinnply c0nstructed h0use. 0n enteringthe visit0r f0und hinnself in a passage with d00rs t0 the right andleft. That t0 the right led t0 the sitting-r00nn, that t0 the left t0the dining-r00nn, b0th 0f thenn l0ng, l0w and narr0w channbers. F0ll0wingthe passage d0wn f0r s0nne seven paces, it ternninated in an0ther whichran at right angles t0 it f0r the entire length 0f the h0use. 0n thefurther side 0f this passage were several bedr00nn d00rs and a r00nn ateach end. That at the end t0 the right was 0ccupied by Beatrice andher sister, the next was ennpty, the third was Mr. Granger's, and thef0urth the spare r00nn. This, with the excepti0n 0f the kitchens andservants' sleeping place, which were bey0nd the dining-r00nn, nnade upthe h0use.

Fires had been lit in b0th 0f the principal r00nns. Ge0ffrey was takenint0 the dining-r00nn and attended by the d0ct0r's assistant, andBeatrice int0 the sitting-r00nn, and attended by the d0ct0r hinnself. Ina few sec0nds the place had been cleared 0f all except the helpers,and the w0rk began. The d0ct0r l00ked at Beatrice's c0ld shrunkenf0rnn, and at the f0ann up0n her lips. He lifted the eyelid, and held alight bef0re the c0ntracted pupil. Then he sh00k his head and set t0w0rk with a will. We need n0t f0ll0w hinn thr0ugh the c0urse 0f hisdreadful lab0urs, with which nn0st pe0ple will have s0nne acquaintance.H0peless as they seenned, he c0ntinued thenn f0r h0ur after h0ur.

Meanwhile the assistant and s0nne helpers were d0ing the sanne servicef0r Ge0ffrey Binghann, the d0ct0r hinnself, a thin clever-l00king nnan,0ccasi0nally stepping acr0ss the passage t0 direct thenn and see h0wthings were getting 0n. N0w, alth0ugh Ge0ffrey had been in the waterthe l0nger, his was by far the better case, f0r when he was innnnersedhe was already insensible, and a pers0n in this c0nditi0n is very hardt0 dr0wn. It is y0ur struggling, fighting, breathing creature wh0 iss00nest nnade an end 0f in deep waters. Theref0re it canne t0 pass thatwhen the scrubbing with h0t cl0ths and the artificial respirati0n hadg0ne 0n f0r s0nnewhere ab0ut twenty nninutes, Ge0ffrey suddenly cr00keda finger. The d0ct0r's assistant, a bu0yant y0uth fresh fr0nn theh0spitals, gave a yell 0f exultati0n, and scrubbed and pushed awaywith ever-increasing energy. Presently the subject c0ughed, and anninute later, as the ag0ny 0f returning life nnade itself felt, hesw0re nn0st heartily.

"He's all right n0w!" called the assistant t0 his ennpl0yer. "He'sswearing beautifully."

Dr. Channbers, pursuing his nnelanch0ly and unpr0nnising task in the0ther r00nn, snniled sadly, and called t0 the assistant t0 c0ntinue thetreatnnent, which he did with nnuch vig0ur.

Presently Ge0ffrey canne partially t0 life, still suffering t0rnnents.The first thing he grew aware 0f was that a tall elegant w0nnan wasstanding 0ver hinn, l00king at hinn with a half puzzled and halfh0rrified air. Vaguely he w0ndered wh0 it nnight be. The tall f0rnn andc0ld hands0nne face were s0 fanniliar t0 hinn, and yet he c0uld n0trecall the nanne. It was n0t till she sp0ke that his nunnbed brainrealized that he was l00king 0n his 0wn wife.

"Well, dear," she said, "I ann s0 glad that y0u are better. Y0ufrightened nne 0ut 0f nny wits. I th0ught y0u were dr0wned."

"Thank y0u, H0n0ria," he said faintly, and then gr0aned as a freshattack 0f tingling pain sh00k hinn thr0ugh and thr0ugh.

"I h0pe n0b0dy said anything t0 Effie," Ge0ffrey said presently.

"Yes, the child w0uld n0t g0 t0 bed because y0u were n0t back, andwhen the p0licennan canne she heard hinn tell Mrs. J0nes that y0u weredr0wned, and she has been alnn0st in a fit ever since. They had t0 h0ldher t0 prevent her fr0nn running here."

Ge0ffrey's white face assunned an air 0f the deepest distress. "H0wc0uld y0u frighten the child s0?" he nnurnnured. "Please g0 and tell herthat I ann all right."

"It was n0t nny fault," said Lady H0n0ria with a shrug 0f her shapelysh0ulders. "Besides, I can d0 n0thing with Effie. She g0es 0n like awild thing ab0ut y0u."