Rose Stillwater held out one hand to Mr. Rockharrt and one to Cora Rothsay, in silence and with a faint smile. The sister, seeing this recognition, set two cane bottomed chairs for the visitors and then went out, leaving them alone with the patient. "Good Lord, my dear, how did all this come about?" inquired old Aaron Rockharrt, as he sank heavily upon one of the chairs, making it creak under him. "It was while we stood in the crowd. I was pressed almost out of breath. Then the terrible pang shot through my head, and I ceased to struggle and let everybody pass before me. I dropped down on one of the benches. I had taken a morphia pellet before I left the hotel. I had the medicine in my pocket. I took another then--" "Very wrong, my dear. Very wrong, my dear, to meddle with that drug, without the advice of a physician." "Yes; I know it now, but I did not know it then. The second pellet stopped my headache, and I went to the ladies' dressing room to recover myself a little, so as to be able to write a telegram saying that I would follow you by the next train, but there a stupor came over me, and I knew no more until I awoke late last night and found myself here." "How perilous, my child! In that stupor you might have been robbed or kidnapped by persons who might have pretended to be your relations and carried you off and murdered you for your clothing," said old Aaron Rockharrt, unconscious in his native rudeness that he was frightening and torturing a very nervous invalid. "But," urged Rose--who had grown paler at the picture conjured up--"providentially I was found by the kind lady who sent or rather brought me here, and even caused me to be put in this room instead of in a ward. Sister Susannah explained this to me as soon as I was able to make inquiries." "Now, my dear, do you feel able to go back with us to the Blank House, where we are now again staying and waiting for Sylvanus to join us?" "Oh, yes; I shall be glad to go, though all here are most tender and affectionate to me. But I would like to see and thank the doctor for all his goodness. How like the ideal of the beloved apostle he seems to me--so mild, so tender, so reverend." "I think you cannot wait for that to-day, my dear. The reverend doctor is engaged with the Dean of Olivet, who is going through the hospital." Rose Stillwater's face blanched. "Will they--will they--will they--come into this room?" "Of course not! And if they should, you are up and in your chair. And if you were not, they are a party of ministers of the gospel and medical doctors, and you would not mind if they should see you in bed. You are a nervous child to be so easily alarmed. It is the effect of the reaction from your stupor," said Mr. Rockharrt. "I will go with you, however, if I may," said Rose Stillwater, touching the hand bell, that soon brought an attendant into the room. "Will you ask Sister Susannah, please, to come to me?" said Mrs. Stillwater.