ff the shadow that had momentarily disturbed his quiet and
assured mien, and advancing once more, held out his arm with even more
kindness than before, saying impressively:

"Now you will surely consent to accompany me home. You cannot mean to
remain here any longer, can you, Imogene?"

But before she could reply, before her hand could lay itself on his arm,
a sudden hush like that of awe passed solemnly through the room, and the
physician, who had been set to watch over the dying gasps of the poor
sufferer within, appeared on the threshold of the bedroom door, holding
up his hand with a look that at once commanded attention and awoke the
most painful expectancy in the hearts of all who beheld him:

"She stirs; she moves her lips," he announced, and again paused,
listening.

Immediately there was a sound from the dimness behind him, a low sound,
inarticulate at first, but presently growing loud enough and plain
enough to be heard in the utmost recesses of the furthermost room on
that floor.

"Hand! ring!" was the burden of the short ejaculation they heard. "Ring!
hand!" till a sudden gasp cut short the fearful iteration, and all was
silent again.

"Great heavens!" came in an awe-struck whisper from Mr. Ferris, as he
pressed hastily toward the place from which these words had issued.

But the physician at once stopped and silenced him.

"She may speak again," he suggested. "Wait."

But, though they listened breathlessly, and with ever-growing suspense,
no further break occurred in the deep silence, and soon the doctor
announced:

"She has sunk back into her old state; she may rouse again, and she may
not."

As though released from some painful tension, the coroner, the District
Attorney, and the detective all looked up. They found Miss Dare standing
by the open window, with her face turned to the landscape, and Mr.
Orcutt gazing at her with an expression of perplexity that had almost
the appearance of dismay. This look passed instantly from the lawyer's
countenance as he met the eyes of his friends, but Mr. Byrd, who was
still smarting under a sense of his late defeat, could not but wonder
what that gentleman had seen in Miss Dare, during the period of their
late preoccupation, to call up such an expression to his usually keen
and composed face.

The clinch of her white hand on the window-sill told nothing; but when
in a few moments later she turned toward them again, Mr. Byrd saw, or
thought he saw, the