"My head!" panted the poor fellow. "I'm frightened. What does it mean? Why do you all stare at me like that? Here! what's the matter? Have I had a dream?" "He calm, old fellow," said the doctor. "You're all right now." "Catch hold of my hand, Kate," he cried, drawing in his breath with a hiss. "There's something wrong with--here--the back of my neck, and my head throbs terribly. Here! Have I been overboard? Why don't you speak?" "Scarlett, old fellow, be calm," said the doctor firmly. "There; that's better." "Yes; I'll lie still. What a frightful headache! But tell me what it all means.--Ah! I remember now. The oar broke, and I went under. I was beaten down.--Jack--Kate, dear--do you hear me?" "Yes, yes, dear love; yes, yes," whispered Lady Scarlett, placing her arm round his neck and drawing his head upon her breast. "It was a nasty accident; but you are quite safe now." "Safe? Am I safe?" he whispered hoarsely. "That's right, dear; hold me--tightly now." He closed his eyes and shuddered, while Lady Scarlett gazed imploringly in the doctor's face. "The shock to his nerves," he said quietly. "A bit upset; but he'll be all right soon;" and as he spoke, the doctor laid his hand upon his friend's pulse. Scarlett uttered a piercing cry, starting and gazing wildly at his old companion. "Oh! It was you," he panted, and he closed his eyes again, clinging tightly to his wife, as he whispered softly, "Don't leave me, dear--don't leave me." He seemed to calm down then and lay quite still muttering about the boat--the oar breaking--and the black water. "It kept me down," he said with another shudder, and speaking as if to himself. "It kept me down till I felt that I was drowning. Jack Scales," he said aloud, "how does a man feel when he is drowned?" "Don't know, old fellow. Never was drowned," said the doctor cheerily.--"Now, look here; it's only just sunrise, so you'd better go to sleep again, and then you'll wake up as lively as a cricket." "Sunrise?--sunrise?" said Scarlett excitedly--"sunrise?" And as he spoke he looked round from one to the other. "Why, you've been sitting up all night! Of course, I'm down here. Have I been very bad?" The doctor hesitated for a few moments, and then, deeming it best to tell him all, he said quietly: "Well, pretty bad, old fellow, but we brought you to again, and it's all right now." "Yes, it's all right now. It's all right now," muttered Scarlett, looking from one to the other, and then clinging tightly to his wife's hand he closed his eyes once more, lay muttering for a time, and then seemed to be fast asleep. Lady Scarlett kept following the doctor's every movement with her wistful eyes till he said in a whisper: "Let him sleep, and I'll come back presently." "Don't you leave me, Kate," cried Scarlett, shuddering.