there merciful sleep overtook her.

How long she slept, she did not know. The low growl of a dog aroused
her. She sat up, and the growl of the dog became a heavy bark.
Looking from out of the clump of bushes, she saw a mastiff standing
there, eying her suspiciously.

"What is it, boy?" she heard a heavy voice ask. "A woodchuck? Never
mind now, come on."

But the mastiff continued to bark, and came close enough to sniff at
Margaret's foot. She essayed to draw back, but was too weak to do so.

"Won't come, eh?" cried the man. "What's the bloomin' reason, I'd like
to know?"

He came closer and then caught sight of Margaret. For a second he
stared in amazement; then uttered an exclamation.

"You! How did you get here?"

"Oh!" she fairly screamed. She recognized Matlock Styles, and knew not
what to say. For some reason she felt as does the bird in the net of
the fowler.

"This is bloomin' strange," went on the Englishman. "I thought you
were down in the village, under the care of the doctors."

"I was," she managed to falter.

"How did you get here--run away?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I--I do not know. I--they have found me out! They are going to hang
me, or electrocute me! I--I couldn't stand it!"

"How do you know that?"

"Oh, I know only too well."

"So you ran away, did you? 'Twas a bloody cute thing to do, Margaret.
Say, your dress is wet," he went on wonderingly.

"Yes, I was in a rowboat and had to wade ashore." She looked at him
with a face full of wild misery. "Oh, please go away and leave me!"

"Leave you?"

"Yes! yes!"

"I can't do that, Margaret."

"You must!"

"But you are not fit to be left alone. You're sick."

"Never mind--only leave me!"

"Better let me take care of you." And now, having stopped the barking
of the mastiff, he came and sat down by her side.

"No! no!" She tried to shrink away, but was too weak to succeed.

"So you ran away, eh? Are they after you?"

"I don't know. I--I suppose so."

"How did you get out of the house?"

"I climbed out of a window, when the nurse and the policeman were not
looking."

"Bloomin' clever, that," he murmured. His eyes were watching her
closely, and to himself he was saying: "Gad, what a beauty she is, in
spite of what she has suffered!"

"I am going away--far away!" she went on, in a low voice. "Oh, I
cannot, cannot stay here."

"You can't travel in your condition, Margaret." He pulled thoughtfully
at h