spaces of the broken clouds there were
occasional faint stars. A fine, young tree, uprooted by the tempest, lay
across the carriage-way before the house, its topmost branches resting
on the steps of the piazza: the grass was strewed with leaves like
autumn, and the paths were simply pools of water. Sophie, more than
once, came to the door, and begged us to come in, for fear of the
dampness and the cold, but no one heeded her suggestion. Even she
herself came out very often, and looked and listened anxiously. Finally
my ear caught a sound: I ran down the steps, and bent forward eagerly.
There was some one coming along the garden-path that led up from the
river. I could hear the water plashing as he walked, and he was coming
rapidly. In a moment the others heard it too, and starting to the steps,
stood still, and waited breathlessly. He had no lantern, for we could
have seen that; he was almost at the steps before I could recognize him.
It was Richard. I gave a smothered cry, and springing forward, held out
my hands to stop him.

"Tell me what has happened." He put aside my hands, and went past me
without a second look.

"There has nothing happened, but what he can tell you when he comes,"
he said, as he strode past me up the steps, and on into the house. Then
he was alive to tell me: the reaction was a little too strong for me,
and I sat down on the steps to try and recover myself, for I was ill
and giddy.

In a few moments more, more steps sounded in the distance, this time
slowly, several persons coming together. I started and ran up the steps,
I don't exactly know why, and stood behind the others, who were crowding
down, servants and all, to hear what was the news. Kilian came first,
very drenched, and spattered, and subdued looking, then Mr. Langenau,
leaning upon one of the men, very pale, but making an attempt to smile
and speak reassuringly to Sophie, who met him with looks of great alarm.
It evidently gave him dreadful pain to move, and when he reached the
house he was quite faint. Charlotte Benson placed a chair, into which
they supported him.

"Run, Pauline, and get some brandy," said Sophie, putting a bunch of
keys into my hand without looking at me.

When I came back with the glass of brandy, he was conscious again, and
looked at me and took the glass from my hand. The other man had been
sent for the doctor from the village, who was expected every moment,
and Mr. Langenau, who was now revived by stimula