ace and along it and looked over the iron rail, and I
often woke afterwards in my own bed with the horror of seeing her do it.
The desertion of the wharf below and the flowing of the high water there
seemed to settle her purpose. She looked about as if to make out the way
down, and she struck out the right way or the wrong way--I don't know
which, for I don't know the place before or since--and I followed her the
way she went.

It was noticeable that all this time she never once looked back. But
there was now a great change in the manner of her going, and instead of
going at a steady quick walk with her arms folded before her,--among the
dark dismal arches she went in a wild way with her arms opened wide, as
if they were wings and she was flying to her death.

We were on the wharf and she stopped. I stopped. I saw her hands at her
bonnet-strings, and I rushed between her and the brink and took her round
the waist with both my arms. She might have drowned me, I felt then, but
she could never have got quit of me.

Down to that moment my mind had been all in a maze and not half an idea
had I had in it what I should say to her, but the instant I touched her
it came to me like magic and I had my natural voice and my senses and
even almost my breath.

"Mrs. Edson!" I says "My dear! Take care. How ever did you lose your
way and stumble on a dangerous place like this? Why you must have come
here by the most perplexing streets in all London. No wonder you are
lost, I'm sure. And this place too! Why I thought nobody ever got here,
except me to order my coals and the Major in the parlours to smoke his
cigar!"--for I saw that blessed man close by, pretending to it.

"Hah--Hah--Hum!" coughs the Major.

"And good gracious me" I says, "why here he is!"

"Halloa! who goes there?" says the Major in a military manner.

"Well!" I says, "if this don't beat everything! Don't you know us Major
Jackman?"

"Halloa!" says the Major. "Who calls on Jemmy Jackman?" (and more out of
breath he was, and did it less like life than I should have expected.)

"Why here's Mrs. Edson Major" I says, "strolling out to cool her poor
head which has been very bad, has missed her way and got lost, and
Goodness knows where she might have got to but for me coming here to drop
an order into my coal merchant's letter-box and you coming here to smoke
your cigar!--And you really are not well enough my dear" I says to her
"to be half so far from