s ship is sighted off the
Lizard."

The patient opened her eyes slowly, and rolled them for a moment as if
she did not understand.

"Too late!" I cried. "Too late! She is delirious--insensible!"

Hilda repeated the words slowly, but very distinctly. "Do you hear,
dear? Arthur's ship... it is sighted.... Arthur's ship... at the
Lizard."

The girl's lips moved. "Arthur! Arthur!... Arthur's ship!" A deep sigh.
She clenched her hands. "He is coming?" Hilda nodded and smiled, holding
her breath with suspense.

"Up the Channel now. He will be at Southampton tonight. Arthur...
at Southampton. It is here, in the papers; I have telegraphed to him to
hurry on at once to see you."

She struggled up for a second. A smile flitted across the worn face.
Then she fell back wearily.

I thought all was over. Her eyes stared white. But ten minutes later
she opened her lids again. "Arthur is coming," she murmured. "Arthur...
coming."

"Yes, dear. Now sleep. He is coming."

All through that day and the next night she was restless and agitated;
but still her pulse improved a little. Next morning she was again a
trifle better. Temperature falling--a hundred and one, point three. At
ten o'clock Hilda came in to her, radiant.

"Well, Isabel, dear," she cried, bending down and touching her cheek
(kissing is forbidden by the rules of the house), "Arthur has come. He
is here... down below... I have seen him."

"Seen him!" the girl gasped.

"Yes, seen him. Talked with him. Such a nice, manly fellow; and such
an honest, good face! He is longing for you to get well. He says he has
come home this time to marry you."

The wan lips quivered. "He will NEVER marry me!"

"Yes, yes, he WILL--if you will take this jelly. Look here--he wrote
these words to you before my very eyes: 'Dear love to my Isa!'... If you
are good, and will sleep, he may see you--to-morrow."

The girl opened her lips and ate the jelly greedily. She ate as much
as she was desired. In three minutes more her head had fallen like a
child's upon her pillow and she was sleeping peacefully.

I went up to Sebastian's room, quite excited with the news. He was busy
among his bacilli. They were his hobby, his pets. "Well, what do you
think, Professor?" I cried. "That patient of Nurse Wade's--"

He gazed up at me abstractedly, his brow contracting. "Yes, yes; I
know," he interrupted. "The girl in Fourteen. I have discounted her case
long ago. She has ceased to interest