He bore her away from the spot, to a small patch of grass, and there gently laid her down, and bent over to see if any sign of life remained. It was Flora whom he had thus rescued, and who, without a token of life, lay motionless--the very reality it seemed of death in as fair a form as was ever presented to mortal eye. Hal knelt by her in a state of frenzy--his eyes inflamed, his throat swollen; he appeared the incarnation of despair. So intense was his emotion, that he was wholly without power to move. The agent bent over the prostrate form of the senseless girl, and regarded her face with scrutinising eyes. He, though agitated, was of course not so deeply affected as his companion, and he exclaimed-- “She’s alive--she has only fainted, rub her hands briskly, she’ll come too directly--I don’t believe she is hurt, she has been frightened into a swoon.” The man commenced actively chafing her hands as he spoke. Hal, who had seemed paralysed, now followed his example. The friction upon her palms and the cool air which played upon her pallid features had the desired effect, and shortly her eyelids began to work tremulously, then she uttered a deep-drawn sigh and opened her eyes. With a sudden motion she rose half up, looked wildly round her, her dim sight took in the face of the agent; she turned from him with a shudder, and her eyes fell upon Hal’s intensely anxious face, within a foot of her own. A low cry escaped her lips. “Hal! Hal!” she exclaimed, in a tone of doubt, yet of strong hope. “It is even I, dear Flora,” he ejaculated, hoarsely, through his parched lips. She flung her arms about his neck, and cried, passionately-- “Save me! save me! Hal, save me!” “You are saved,” he murmured, almost inaudibly; and burying his face on her shoulder, gave way to a paroxysm of scalding tears. It was but for a moment that this weakness overcame him. Had he not suffered the gush of emotion to have its course, he had fallen back in a fit. He sprang to his feet, and raising up Flora, conducted her to his horse. He called to his companion the agent, and bade him remain at the scene of disaster until he sent up help to him; and, as there was yet some three miles to traverse before he could reach the house--a lone one--where it had been Colonel Mires’ intention to stay for some hours, if not all night, he mounted his horse, and placing Flora before him, went at an easy canter from the terrible spot. Oh, that short ride of three miles. Never before did he experience such unalloyed happiness as he enjoyed during the brief term occupied in proceeding from the place of accident to the inn. Flora, saved from a horrible death, was in his arms--his left encircled her small waist, and her two soft hands met and clasped about his neck. Her now flushed cheek rested against his, and her gentle eyes looked into his own with an expression of loving tenderness and a perfect sense of security.