"I hope this success won’t turn his head and drive him back to his vicious courses," said Mrs Maybury, somewhat severely. Mr Cleave was scanning the new number of his favourite weekly. "I should not be surprised," he conjectured, in his quavering tenor, "if alcohol proved Mortimer’s stumbling-block in life. There is a sad case in the _Abstainer’s_ list this week of a young naval doctor who has lately lost his post on account of his habitual drunkenness." Miss Bird cast a lowering eye on her fellow-boarder, but before she could make any remark the door was opened with unexpected suddenness, and Mary came in. "Oh, if you please, mum," she said, addressing Mrs Maybury, "there’s some policemen at the door, and Mr Somers, and they’ve brought Dr Mortimer----" But here the little maid broke down and burst into tears. Fortunately Koko appeared at this juncture to complete the announcement. "Jim has been hurt by Hooligans," he said, quietly. "At first I wanted to take him to a hospital, but he told me he would like to be brought here." "Is he badly hurt?" asked Mr Maybury. "Yes," said Koko, "very seriously hurt. The police fetched a doctor----" He paused, for he noticed that Dora had risen to her feet, and, white as death, was awaiting the doctor’s verdict. "The doctor pronounced him to be suffering from concussion of the brain and a fracture of the spine." Mr Maybury walked out of the room, closing the door after him. The police ambulance containing Jim’s unconscious form had been set down in the hall. By the ambulance stood Dr Taplow’s representative--the bearded man. "Please follow me," said Mr Maybury, and those in the drawing-room could hear ominously heavy footsteps on the stairs as the policemen bore their burden up to Jim’s little room on the second landing. Koko slipped out of the drawing-room after giving Mrs Maybury and the others further details concerning the affair. Dora made as if to follow him. "You had better stay in here, dear," said Mrs Maybury; "anybody else will only be in the way, at present." "I am only going into the dining-room," said Dora. How long she waited in the dining-room, Dora never knew. It seemed like a lifetime. She heard the police go out and shut the front door after them, and later she heard the front door opened and closed again, and yet again. At length, after what seemed an interminable period, Mr Maybury came into the dining-room. His face was very grave. "Father--tell me the truth!" Dora was looking at him with beseeching eyes that would brook no subterfuge. "The doctor says," replied Mr Maybury, "that he will not live more than twenty-four hours." Dora hid her face on his shoulder. "Oh, father, father," she sobbed, "if he dies my heart will break!" Mr. Maybury gently disengaged himself from her embrace, and looked steadily into her face. "Dora, tell me! do you love him?" She buried her face again in the kind shoulder. "Yes," she said, "with all my heart."