Mellen lifted her in his arms and rested her head upon his shoulder, while many emotions struggled across his face. "Child!" he said, in a tremulous voice, "you knew before--you have always known. My mother's treasure--my pride--my blessing!" There Elizabeth stood, forgotten, disregarded--so it seemed to her; but she made no sign which could betray the bitter anguish at her heart. There came a knock at the door. "That's Tom Fuller," said Elsie; "tell him to come in, Bessie." Mellen started up and opened the door himself. There stood Tom, clad in dry garments, but still greatly agitated. "How is she?" he asked. "Is she better?" "You have saved her life!" exclaimed Mellen, grasping his two hands; "you have saved her life!" "But is she better?" he repeated, quite too anxious for any thought of the credit due himself, and too unselfish to desire it even if he had remembered. "Come in and see," called Elsie, in a tender voice from her sofa. Tom brushed by Mellen, and down he went on his knees by the couch, exclaiming: "She looks all right now. Oh, thank God!" Mellen had been too profoundly disturbed himself for conjecture regarding this passionate outburst; to him it seemed natural that every one should be agitated, and Elsie soon brought them back to safer common-places by her gayety, which not even the peril from which she had been so recently rescued could entirely subdue. "I declare, Tom," said she, "you are useful in a household located near the water, as a Newfoundland dog." "Oh, I can't laugh," cried Tom. "But you must!" said the wilful creature. "You will not put on long faces because I am saved, I suppose?" "Elsie," said her brother, "you ought to sleep awhile; Tom and I will go out." "No, no," she persisted, "I am not in the least sleepy--you must not go away--I shall only get nervous if you leave me alone; I shall be quite well by dinner-time. Tom Fuller, don't go!" They did not oppose her; every one there knew that it was of no use, for in the end they would surely yield to her caprices. "I haven't thanked you yet, Tom," she said. "I don't know what there is to thank me for." "Indeed!" said Elsie; "so you don't think my life of enough importance to have the saving of it a matter of consequence?" "You know that wasn't what I meant," said Tom, rubbing his damp hair with one hand. "You are too bad," said Mellen, laughing, "too bad, Elsie." "Indeed, I shall tease him more than ever," replied Elsie; "he will grow conceited if I don't. Tell him how much you like me to tease you, old Tom." "Well," said he, a little ruefully, "you have always done it, and I suppose you always will--I shouldn't think it was you if you stopped now." Even Elizabeth laughed, and Elsie said: "There, there, old Tom, don't get sentimental. Perhaps I'll be good-natured for three days by way of reward for pulling me out of the water." "I'd like to save your life every day in the week at that rate," cried Tom in ecstasy.