"Badly, perhaps fatally, wounded," he thought, "and immediate aid might be invaluable;" so, with this idea uppermost, he flung himself upon the young officer just as his feet touched the carpet, stooped down, and, by a clever quick motion, seized him round the knees, lifted his legs, and threw him on his back. "Oh, how could you--how could you?" he cried, as he leant over him, pressing him down with his head on the pillow, and searched him wildly with his eyes, and then with one hand, for the wound. "Do you hear?" he half-whimpered. "How could you? Oh, Mr Lacey, sir, how could you?" The young officer's eyes looked fixed and staring, his face was white and drawn, and his mind was evidently confused and wandering. For the first few moments he struggled violently; then he lay back panting with his lips apart, while Jerry went on excitedly searching for the wound, but without success. Then he turned his eyes to the floor, looking about in all directions for the pistol, then about the bed, which had not been turned down, but without avail; and his eyes sought those of the young man again as he held him, and with one hand felt for the pulsation at the heart. "What's matter?" said Lacey, thickly. At that moment Jerry caught sight of a glass on the dressing-table, and he uttered a cry, but felt confused and puzzled directly after; for his common sense told him that, if the lieutenant had tried to poison himself, whatever he had taken would not have gone off with a tremendous bang inside and made the windows rattle. "What's matter?" said the lieutenant again, in a confused way; "did I-- did I--tumble out of bed?" "No, no. I saved you, sir!" whimpered Jerry, hysterically. "Oh, sir, where is it? What have you done?" "I d' know," said Lacey, confusedly. Then, with the power to think returning, he seized Jerry's hands, and tried to remove them from his chest. "Here! what are you doing?" "Doing! doing!" cried Jerry. "Oh, why don't you speak! Can you hold out while I fetch the doctor?" "Doctor? I d' know?" cried Lacey, staring in a stupefied way at his servant, and then growing angry at being held down. "Here! what's the matter? Have I been taken ill?" "Ill? It's ten times worse than that, sir. Hold still. Where are you hurt? Where's the pistol?" "Confound you! Will you leave go?" cried the lieutenant, who grew angry as his senses returned; and, gripping Jerry firmly, he wrenched himself round, made a violent effort, forced his man back, and rose to a sitting position on the edge of the bed. "Mr Lacey, sir, don't!" cried Jerry. "Oh, won't I!" cried the lieutenant. "What do you mean by it? How dare you, sir? Couldn't you sit up late without getting at my spirit-stand? What is it--brandy?" "That it ain't, sir! I never touched a drop!" cried Jerry, indignantly. "Don't, sir! You hurt me!" "Hurt you? Yes, you dog, I mean to! You hurt me pretty well! Why, you're as drunk as a piper!"