“Yes. She seemed pleased to find me here, and as long as she wants me I shall stay.” He could not bring himself to mention the words which had wounded him so sorely. He had taken his one small piece of revenge on the Grand-Duchess for the reproaches she had heaped upon him, and he would not put another weapon into her hand immediately. “And after all, she turns to you instead of to me!” said Helene’s mother, desolately; and Usk forbore to say that he could not conscientiously see any reason why she should not. He maintained his position, despite cramp and stiffness, until Helene awoke, and recognised her mother, and in the joy of that fact he and the Grand-Duchess buried their enmity. It would be long before Helene could return to her old active life,--there were weary months of pain and languor before her; but at least she would not slip out of life through sheer lack of interest in it, as she had been doing when Usk’s voice recalled her. And yet, while the Grand-Duchess was unfeignedly grateful for her daughter’s hope of recovery, and really glad she was happy with her husband, a curious maternal jealousy made it impossible for her ever to forget that it was Usk’s voice, and not her own, which had brought Helene back from death. “Nym,” said Helene to her husband one day, in a puzzled tone, “why does mamma think you are not kind to me?” “I’m sure I don’t know, unless you have told her so. I haven’t done anything particularly brutal just lately, have I?” “Nym! as if I could be so wicked as to say things against you! But she seems to think the accident was your fault, and I have told her over and over again that it was mine for laying hold of the whip. And she blames the dear Count too, and nothing I can say will put it right.” “Well, perhaps you made shocking revelations in your delirium. I know you nearly broke my heart one day by something you said.” “Something I said? What was it?” “You said you were glad to be going to die.” “I didn’t! I couldn’t! To leave you!” “I’ll take my oath of it. You asked me if that was why I was crying.” “Of course! I knew it! It was because you were crying that I was glad--to think you were so sorry to lose me.” “Well, this is startling and gratifying, I must say, after all my heroic determination to make you glad that you were alive, after all.” “Did you determine to make me glad I was alive, Nym? What were you going to do? Tell me.”