f
sickness."

And without waiting to heed Jay Gardiner's expostulations--that he must
go somewhere else first--he called a passing cab, and hustled him into
it.

Owing to his splendid physique, he felt quite as good as new the next
morning, save for the pain in his head, where he had fallen upon the
stone flagging of the wine cellar.

Without any more loss of time than was absolutely necessary, he set out
for the old nurse's house, at which he had left Bernardine two days
before. He had half expected to find her ill, and he was not a little
surprised when she came to the door in answer to his summons.

"Mrs. Gray is out," she said, "and I saw you coming, Doctor Gardiner,
and oh, I could not get here quick enough to see you and thank you for
what you have done for me--risked your own life to save a worthless one
like mine."

"Hush, hush, Bernardine! You must not say that!" he cried, seizing her
little hands.

He drew her into the plain little sitting-room, seated her, then turned
from her abruptly and commenced pacing up and down the room, his
features working convulsively.

It was by the greatest effort he had restrained himself from clasping
her in his arms. Only Heaven knew how great was the effort.

"Why did you attempt to drown yourself, Bernardine?" he asked, at
length. "Tell me the truth."

"Yes, I will tell you," sobbed Bernardine, piteously. "I did it because
I did not wish to become Jasper Wilde's bride."

"But why were you driven to such a step?" he persisted. "Surely you
could have said 'No,' and that would have been sufficient."

For a moment she hesitated, then she flung herself, sobbing piteously,
on her knees at his feet.

"If I tell you _all_, will you pledge yourself to keep my secret, and
my father's secret, come what may?" she cried, wringing her hands.

"Yes," he replied, solemnly. "I shall never divulge what you tell me.
You can speak freely, Bernardine."

And Bernardine _did_ speak freely. She told him all without reserve--of
the sword Jasper Wilde held over her head because of her poor father,
whom he could send to the gallows, although he was an innocent man, if
she refused to marry him.

Jay Gardiner listened to every word with intense interest.

"While I have been here I have been thinking--thinking," she sobbed.
"Oh, it was cruel of me to try to avoid my duty to poor father. I must
go back and--and marry Jasper Wilde, to save poor papa, who must now be
half-crazed by my d