“He is all right, and shall come to you when you are rather more like yourself. Now, drink this for the sake of getting a little strength.” He put a glass to her lips, and she drank mechanically. Then, pushing his hand away, she struggled to a half-sitting posture, and looked fearfully about the room. As her glance fell upon her wedding finery, which had been hastily thrown upon some chairs, she was seized with another violent shivering, and fell back among her pillows, covering her eyes with her hands, as if to shut out from sight and memory the fearful ordeal through which she had passed a few hours previous. But the potion which the physician had administered was a powerful narcotic, which began almost immediately to take effect, and sleep soon locked her senses in oblivion. Hardly had she begun to breathe regularly, and the weary watchers about her bed to hope that the worst was over, when the great clock in the hall below struck the hour of midnight. At the last stroke the door of the sick-room swung softly open, and Geoffrey’s face, pale, haggard, and anxious, appeared in the aperture. It required a mighty effort on the part of Mr. and Mrs. Huntress to refrain from uttering an exclamation of joy at sight of him. But the doctor held up a warning finger. Mrs. Huntress, who had half started from her chair, sank back to her post beside Gladys’ pillow, while her husband, with a look of intense relief, stole quietly from the room. We must now go back to the hour when the wedding party started from the house for the church. Geoffrey, as has been stated, left a little in advance of the others, as he desired a few moments’ interview with the clergyman before the ceremony. Not a thought of foul play entered his mind as he drove away, neither had he a suspicion that a different carriage had been substituted for the one he had ordered, that having been suddenly and cunningly sent off to the station for an imaginary arrival on the evening express. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he did not even observe the route the driver was taking, until he suddenly noticed that the speed of the horses had greatly increased and he was rolling along at a remarkable rate through quiet and almost deserted streets. It was quite dark, but the street-lamps gave light enough to show him that he was a long distance from the place where he wanted to go. He tried to lower the window beside him. It was immovable. He tried the other, but it was as fast as the first one. He thumped on the front of the carriage, to attract the attention of the driver; but a crack of the whip was his only answer. He shouted, commanding the man to stop, but the horses only went on the faster. Driven to desperation, Geoffrey drew back, and, with one powerful blow from his foot, shivered one of the windows to atoms. At the sound of the breaking glass, the coachman slackened the speed of his steeds.