'What do I know of him?' repeated Edgecumbe, and he spoke as though his mind were far away. 'Yes. You can know nothing of him. He's dead.' 'No,' replied Edgecumbe, 'he's not dead.' 'Not dead!' and St. Mabyn almost gasped the words, while his face became as pale as ashes. 'Not dead! You must be mad!' Then he laughed uneasily. 'Oh, no,' and Edgecumbe still spoke in the same toneless voice. 'I knew him well. He was--where did I see him last?' Before we could recover from the effect of what he said, I knew that we were joined by others. In a bewildered kind of way I noticed that Sir Thomas and Lady Bolivick were accompanied by a tall, distinguished-looking man about fifty-five years of age, by whose side stood a sweet-faced, motherly-looking woman. 'Lorna, my dear,' said Sir Thomas, 'I want you to know Lord and Lady Carbis.' Lorna moved forward to speak to her visitors, but they did not notice her. Both of them had fixed their gaze on Edgecumbe, who stood looking at them with a light in his eyes which made me afraid. 'John!' cried Lady Carbis, her voice almost rising to a scream. 'Why, it's Jack! our Jack!' Never shall I forget the look on my friend's face. He seemed to be in agony. It might be that he was striving to keep himself from going mad. His eyes burnt with a red light, his features were drawn and contorted. Then suddenly he heaved a deep sigh, and lifted his shoulders, as though he were throwing a heavy weight from him. 'Mother!' he said hoarsely. 'Mother! When----? that is---- Why, I'm home again!--and the little mater----' Unheeding the fact of his damaged arm, he held out both his hands and staggered towards her. A second later, unconscious of watching eyes, they were in each other's arms, while Lady Carbis murmured all sorts of fond endearments. 'My dead boy come back to life!' she cried. 'My little Jack who--who--oh, thank God, thank God! Speak to me, Jack, my darling, speak to your mother! Oh, help! What's the matter? Can't you see that----' I was only just in time to keep my friend from falling heavily on the floor, and when a few seconds later I succeeded in lifting him to a sofa, he lay like a dead man. CHAPTER XXXIV MEMORY For some minutes wild confusion prevailed. Lady Carbis knelt by the sofa, and called wildly on my friend to speak to her. Lord Carbis talked incoherently, and made all sorts of impossible suggestions. Evidently he was beside himself with joy and fear. Sir Thomas Bolivick looked from one to another as if asking for explanations, while Lorna Bolivick, with pale, eager face and wild eyes, stood like one transfixed. But she was the first to recover herself. Swiftly she went to the sofa, and caught Edgecumbe's hand. Then she knelt down and placed her ear to his heart. 'He is alive,' she said; 'his heart beats. I think he will soon be better.'