She stretched out her hand. He touched it, then drew the window wide. As he stepped noiselessly down on to the springy turf, the lightning flashed again--a pale-green glow that seemed almost before her face. She drew back, and the same instant, through the thunder, the electric bell on the wall rang sharply. She threw on her dressing-gown, thrust her feet into slippers, and hastened from the room. The same flash that had startled Jessica lighted brightly the physician and the watchman, who stood at the corner of the building, having finished their tour of inspection. It was the latter who had found the open door and who had aroused the doctor, insisting that he had seen a man in the hall. The other had pooh-poohed this, but now by the lightning both saw the figure emerge from the French window and disappear in the darkness. They ran back, the physician ahead. The window was not locked, and they stepped through it into an empty room. "To be sure!" said the doctor disgustedly. "He was here all the time--heard us searching the halls, and took the first unlocked door he found. Miss Holme, no doubt, is sitting up with Mr. Stires. Not a word of this," he added as they walked along the hall. "Unless she misses something, there is no need of frightening her." He barred the outer door behind the watchman and went on. As he reached David Stires' room, the door opened and Jessica came out. She spoke to him in a low, anxious voice. "I was coming for you," she said. "I am afraid he is not so well. I can not rouse him. Will you come in and see what you can do?" The doctor entered, and a glance at his patient alarmed him. Until dawn he sat with Jessica watching. When the early sunlight was flooding the room, however, David Stires opened his eyes and looked upon her quite naturally. "Where is Harry Sanderson?" he asked. "I thought he was here." She looked at him with a forced smile. "You have been dreaming," she answered. He seemed to realize where he was. "I suppose so," he said with a sigh, "but it was very real. I thought he came in and spoke your name." She stroked his hand. "It was fancy, dear." If he but knew who had really been there that night! If she could only tell him all the happy truth! He lay silent a moment. Then he said: "If it could only have been Harry you married instead of Hugh! For he loved you, Jessica." She flushed as she said: "Ah, that was fancy, too!" It was the first time since the day of her marriage that he had spoken Hugh's name. CHAPTER XXVI LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT Dawn had come with an unleashed wind and the crash of thunder. The electric storm, which had muttered and menaced like a Sabbath of witches till daylight, had broken at length and turned the world to a raving turmoil, pitilessly scarring the mountain and deluging the gulches with cloud-burst.