Jane had laughed; and Schehati, encouraged by the success of his
attempt to edify and amuse, used lines of the immortal nursery epic as
signals for united action during the remainder of the climb. Therefore
Jane mounted one step to the fact that Jack fell down, and scaled the
next to information as to the serious nature of his injuries, and at
the third, Schehati, bending over, confidentially mentioned in her ear,
while Ali shoved behind, that "Jill came tumbling after."

The familiar words, heard under such novel circumstances, took on fresh
meaning. Jane commenced speculating as to whether the downfall of Jack
need necessarily have caused so complete a loss of self-control and
equilibrium on the part of Jill. Would she not have proved her devotion
better by bringing the mutual pail safely to the bottom of the hill,
and there attending to the wounds of her fallen hero? Jane, in her
time, had witnessed the tragic downfall of various delightful jacks,
and had herself ministered tenderly to their broken crowns; for in each
case the Jill had remained on the top of the hill, flirting with that
objectionable person of the name of Horner, whose cool, calculating way
of setting to work--so unlike poor Jack's headlong method--invariably
secured him the plum; upon which he remarked "What a good boy am I!"
and was usually taken at his own smug valuation. But Jane's entire
sympathy on these occasions was with the defeated lover, and more than
one Jack was now on his feet again, bravely facing life, because that
kind hand had been held out to him as he lay in his valley of
humiliation, and that comprehending sympathy had proved balm to his
broken crown.

"Dickery, dickery, dock!" chanted Schehati solemnly, as he hauled
again; "Moses ran up the clock. The clock struck 'one'--"

THE CLOCK STRUCK "ONE"?--It was nearly three years since that night at
Shenstone when the clock had struck "one," and Jane had arrived at her
decision,--the decision which precipitated her Jack from his Pisgah of
future promise. And yet--no. He had not fallen before the blow. He had
taken it erect, and his light step had been even firmer than usual as
he walked down the church and left her, after quietly and deliberately
accepting her decision. It was Jane herself, left alone, who fell
hopelessly over the pail. She shivered even now when she remembered how
its icy waters drenched her heart. Ah, what would have happened if
Garth had come back in answer t