When his strange story became well known it excited the greatest sympathy and pity. Many of the townspeople would have liked to call upon him to express their feelings, but this was strictly forbidden by the physician, who prescribed the strictest quiet for his patient. Every one was very sorry for him, although under the peculiar circumstances of the case no one ever blamed Mr. Rodney for what he had done. Every father sympathized with him, and declared that with the same provocation they would have done the same. Effie came at last. Dr. Anthony drove over from Maywood with her the morning after their return. There was a most affecting meeting between mother and daughter. Mrs. Rodney fell on the bride’s neck in tears. Effie listened to her story of Aline’s disappearance, with a strange look upon her beautiful, happy face. “And he is here, Effie, Mr. Delaney is here,” she said. “It is stranger than a novel, is it not? Aline lay wounded and ill in his house once, and now here he is in ours, wounded and dying.” CHAPTER LXI. Dr. Anthony was most anxious to meet Oran Delaney when they told him the story of all that had transpired while he and Effie were absent upon their bridal tour. Mr. Rodney undertook to ask Mr. Delaney’s permission to present his son-in-law to him. He felt rather dubious over it. He was not at all sure that he would care to meet Dr. Anthony under the new conditions in which he found himself. To his surprise Mr. Delaney was willing and eager to meet the young physician whom he had treated so cavalierly on that long-to-be-remembered night. He declared that it would not excite him at all. On the contrary, it would be a relief to see him and ask his pardon for his rudeness. Dr. Anthony was surprised when he entered the room and saw the man whom he remembered so vividly, although he had never seen his face. He now beheld one of the handsomest men he had ever seen in his life in spite of the pallor and emaciation of illness and hopelessness. He thought he had never seen such splendid, fathomless dark eyes as those that now turned upon his face with something that was almost humility in their sad gaze as he extended his hand. “Dr. Anthony, I do not know how to ask you to forgive me for the way I treated you,” he said. “But I was half maddened with fears for Miss Rodney. That must be my excuse.” “I am not at all angry with you,” said Dr. Anthony, with his frank smile. “I can find it in my heart to excuse your rashness, considering the circumstances of the case.” And after that the two men were good friends always. The genial, handsome young doctor, who was so happy with his fair young bride, had a great fund of pity and sympathy for the man who, while but a few years older than himself, had had his whole life blasted by the treachery of one whom he believed his friend.