ike an elongated crow.

"Ah yes--no, I think there is nothing for the moment--there are two of
us here--we instantly wired to London and the London men should be here
if they catch the seven o'clock in an hour and a half. Lady Seddon is
with her husband."

"There's hope?"

"Oh yes--I think Sir Roderick will live--It's the spine that's damaged."

He seemed to realize Miss Rand's efficiency. This was no ordinary
country-house visitor. He went to the hall door and opened it. "I'm
waiting for the things from Lewes. I just came on with what I'd got.
Yes, the spine ... afraid will never be able to get about again--such a
strong fellow too."

"There's nothing I can do?"

"Nothing anyone can do for the moment. Lady Seddon's taking it
wonderfully, but she'll want you later. I advise you to get some quiet
in the next hour--it's afterwards that they'll need your help----"

Lizzie went up to her room and lay down on her bed. She did not light
the candles, but lay there in the darkness striving to compel some order
out of the turmoil that rioted in her brain--her first thought was of
Roddy. Roddy had always been to her the supreme type of animal spirits
and vigour--_that_ had been, above everything else, what he stood for.
That _he_ should have been struck down like this!

The cruelty, the irony of it! Much better that he should die than be
compelled to lie on his back for the rest of his life--anything better
for him than that--

If he died Rachel would be free. Lizzie faced that thought quite calmly!
her quarrel with Rachel seemed to be now very, very long ago, something
distant and remote, something whose very conditions had been torn
asunder and flung aside--

As she lay there tenderness for Rachel came sweeping about her--"She
must want someone now--she's so young and so ignorant--never had any
crisis like this to deal with--hard for this to happen to him just after
she'd thought those things ... that must be terrible for her.... Oh!
she'll need someone now."

Something reminded Lizzie of other things, of Francis Breton, of
Rachel's words, of Lizzie's anger, then--

"Ah, but that's all so long ago. It doesn't seem to count. There are
things more important than all of that. What will she do now? Perhaps
she still hates me--won't let me come near her--it's my own fault after
all; I kept away for so long, wouldn't let _her_ come near _me_. Oh! but
she must have someone to help her!"

After a while Lizzie thought--