"Doctor Lee seems to be out," she continued, "and—and..." Her voice died away, and she lay back on her pillows, while the harsh-voiced woman bent over her with a look of such infinite love on her weather-beaten face that I inwardly marvelled at the transformation. "You see"—the invalid opened her eyes again as my fingers closed round the weak, fluttering pulse—"it’s very important, Doctor Morton, that I should see my husband.... He has been up in London, and came down by the mail from Euston last night.... So he should be here in a few hours, shouldn’t he?" "He should," I answered, taking out a notebook and pencil. "Don’t talk, Mrs. MacDerry ... just rest." I scribbled a few lines and handed the paper to the maid. I knew only the simplest drugs would be available, and it was going to be a stiff fight to keep the feeble flame alight even for a few hours. "Either go yourself, or send the boy at once to the nearest chemist for those drugs," I whispered. "There’s no time to be lost...." She left the room without a word, and once more the weak voice came from the bed. "Can you do it, doctor; can you keep me ... till my husband comes?" "Of course, Mrs. MacDerry, and long after he’s come," I said, cheerfully; but she only shook her head with a faint smile. "You can’t deceive me," she whispered.... "Besides, I don’t want to stay on.... It’s finished—now; only I just want to hear from his own lips that it went off well.... That it’s not all been in vain...." And then for a while she lay very still—so still that once I thought she had gone. But she stirred again, and said a few words which I could not catch. Faintly through the open window came the ceaseless murmur of the distant sea, while from a dozen cottages on the hillside opposite little yellow beams of light shone out serenely into the darkening night. And after a while I rose and lit the lamp, shading it from the face of the woman in the bed. One swift glance I stole at her, and she was sleeping with a look of ineffable peace on her face.... Then once more I sat down to wait.... It was an hour before the maid returned with the drugs, and the slight noise she made as she entered the room roused the sleeper.... "Has he come?" she cried, eagerly, only to sink back again with a tired sigh as the maid shook her head. "He couldn’t be here yet, Mrs. MacDerry," I said, reassuringly. "Not for an hour or two.... And now I want you to drink this, please...." Without a word she did as I told her, and once again closed her eyes. I beckoned to the maid. "Get a hot bottle. And a little brandy...." "Can you do it, doctor?" she said, gripping my arm tight. "Can you let him see her alive?" "Yes—I think so.... But he will have to come to-night."