don't deserve this kind treatment at your hands. Have you really been
watching over me all this time?"

"Do not talk about it, my lord," said Dick. "Here, take this; it may
not be first-rate soup, but I think it will do you good."

As he spoke he placed the shell to the lips of his patient, who taking
it in both his hands, drank off the contents.

"First-rate stuff, whatever it is," murmured Lord Reginald. "Pray give
me some more, I feel it putting new life into me. I have had a narrow
escape, I suspect. If it hadn't been for you, Hargrave, I should have
died; I am fully aware of that."

"I only did my duty, and I am thankful to see your lordship so much
better," said Dick.

"You are a generous, noble fellow, Hargrave, that I know, for, after the
way I treated you, I had no right to expect that you would trouble
yourself about me."

"I should never have forgiven myself if I hadn't done my best to look
after your lordship," answered Dick, turning away to make some of the
cooling drink, which had hitherto proved so beneficial to his patient.

"Hargrave, my dear fellow," said Lord Reginald, in a comparatively
strong tone of voice, "can you really forgive me?"

"My lord, I am sure I need your forgiveness, so pray don't ask me to
forgive you, though I do so most heartily. Let bygones be bygones. It
will be the happiest day of my life when I see you restored to perfect
health."

"Hargrave, I wonder I could have been guilty of persecuting a man
capable of such generous conduct," exclaimed Lord Reginald.

"Again I say, my lord, don't talk about it," answered Dick, observing
that Lord Reginald was becoming too much agitated. "I trust in a short
time that you will be well enough to say what you think fit; but I want
you to understand that not a particle of ill feeling, to the best of my
belief, remains in my heart."

"I must say what I have got to say, or I may never have an opportunity,"
replied Lord Reginald; "for what I can tell I may not have another
interval of reason. I wish to assure you that I die at peace with you,
and pray for forgiveness from all I have ever ill treated. When I am
gone, cut off a lock of my hair, and if you ever reach home give it to
my mother, and tell her that one of my greatest regrets was not being
able to see her and my brothers and sisters again, and confessing to my
father that I had attempted to misrepresent you to him. Again, I ask,
can you forgive me?" and Lord Regina