"Why, where else should I take her?" "Is she from up the country?" "From up the country--no. Do you mean to say you've lived here all your life and don't know Miss Hamblyn?" "But she is only a girl," Ralph said, looking at the white face that was leaning against the doctor's shoulder. "Well?" "Miss Hamblyn is going to be married!" The doctor's face clouded in a moment. "I fear this will mean the postponement of the marriage," he said. Ralph groaned inwardly and turned away. "The doctor says you must drive round to the surgery before going on to Hamblyn Manor," he said, speaking to the coachman, and then he stood back and watched the carriage move away. It seemed to him like a funeral, with Jess as the mourner, limping slowly behind. The doctor hoped to avoid attracting attention in St. Goram. He did not know that Jess was following the carriage all the way. It was the sight of the riderless horse that attracted people's attention. Then, when the carriage pulled up at the doctor's door, someone bolder than the rest looked in at the window and caught a glimpse of the unconscious figure. The doctor's anger availed him nothing. Other people came and looked, and the news spread through St. Goram like wildfire, and in the end an enterprising lad took to his heels and ran all the distance to Hamblyn Manor that he might take to Sir John the evil tidings. CHAPTER IV A BITTER INTERVIEW Dr. Barrow remained at the Manor House most of the night. It was clear from his manner, as well as from the words he let fall, that he regarded Dorothy's case as serious. Sir John refused to go to bed. "I shall not sleep in any case," he said. "And I prefer to remain downstairs, so that I can hear the latest news." Lord Probus remained with him till after midnight, though very few words passed between them. Now and then they looked at each other in a dumb, despairing fashion, but neither had the courage to talk about what was uppermost in their thoughts. Just as the daylight was struggling into the room, the doctor came in silently, and dropped with a little sigh into an easy-chair. "Well?" Sir John questioned, looking at him with stony eyes. "She is a little easier for the moment," was the quiet, unemotional answer. "You think she will pull through?" "I hope so, but I shall be able to speak with more confidence later." "The wound in her head is a bad one?" The doctor smiled. "If that were all, we would soon have her on her feet again." "But what other injuries has she sustained?" "It is impossible to say just at present. She evidently fell under the horse. The wonder is she's alive at all." "I suppose nobody knows how it happened?" Sir John questioned after a pause. "Well, I believe nobody saw the accident, though young Ralph Penlogan was near the spot at the time--and a fortunate thing too, or she might have remained where she fell till midnight." "You have seen the young man?"