Harry had slept most of the time during the two days, but was now awake and able to tell his wife all about the fire, and with what difficulty he made his way back to her mother and Margaret. How his arm was broken he did not know, but it was in the struggle to reach them. When he described the moment when they both dropped away from him, she apprehended the whole situation at once, and was down on her knees at his side in a moment. "And I reproached you!" she cried. "Harry, can you ever forgive me?" "I knew you would come out all right, at last," he said. "I did not know you tried to save them, with one arm disabled," she said, very humbly. "Forgive me, Harry." "There is nothing to forgive, dearie. But there is a great deal I wish I could forget. It was an awful moment when I found I must let one go; but, oh, Laura! when both went! I wonder I did not drop dead." "You did, nearly, poor boy. But tell me how it was they both dropped?" "Oh, I was such a fool! Knowing what characters they were, I ought to have known that when I said one must loose her hold, each would resolve to be that one. Margaret was grasping my disabled arm with all her strength, when I spoke; she actually threw it from her, then, as one _disdaining_ to purchase her life by another's; your mother's last movement was different: she clasped my hand, kissed me, then dropped it gently, or to express it more truly, _laid_ it down, as she would something forever done with; the action symbolized final quiet parting with life. You can't wonder that that awful moment deprived me of my senses." Some one knocked; it proved to be Frank. "There is a possibility, a bare possibility, that Margaret is living. There is a rumor that a young woman floated down the river clinging to a board, and was picked up by a fisherman." "But if it were Margaret she would have sent us some message." "So it would seem. Still, Cyril is going to see. Belle is very hopeful about it." "In religion Belle is an enthusiast," was the reply. "Frank, mamma sacrificed her life to Margaret, and Margaret sacrificed hers to mamma. They both had high notions on such points, and I can easily imagine mamma as dying for almost any one she dearly loved; but I did not believe Margaret had such heroism. They died _sublimely_! Better such death than a thousand narrow, selfish lives!" "Yes, yes, indeed. Shall you be able to leave Harry to go with us to-morrow?" "Yes; I must. George Van Zandt will stay with him. Poor Harry! I have been so unjust to him! Think of his trying to save mamma and Margaret, with one arm broken!" "Harry is a noble fellow. There goes Cyril. And Belle with him, I declare! I must see to that." He ran down and overtook them. "I looked for you everywhere," she said, "and finally left a message for you. If this proves to be Margaret she is in a disabled condition, or she would have sent a message. She knows how careful we are never to leave each other in needless suspense. So I am going to see."