merited pangs with this: she was his true lover
and his wife: yet there she stood with eye horrorstricken
yet unflinching, and saw the stab of the
little lancet, and felt it deeper than she would a
javelin through her own body; and watched the
blood run that was dearer to her far than her
own.

At the first prick of the lancet, David shivered,
and, as the blood escaped, his eye unfixed, and
the pupils contracted and dilated, and once he
sighed. " Good sign that!" said Osmond.

"Oh, that is enough, sir," said Mrs. Dodd:
"we shall faint if you take any more."

Osmond closed the vein, observing that a local
bleeding would do the rest. When he had
stanched the blood, Mrs. Dodd sank half fainting
in her chair; by some marvellous sympathy
it was she who had been bled, and whose vein
was now closed. Osmond sprinkled water in her
face: she thanked him: and said sweetly, " You
see we could not have lost any more."

When it was over she came to tell Julia; she
found her sitting on the stairs crying, and pale as
marble. She suspected. And there was Alfred
hanging over her, and in agony at her grief; out
came his love for her in words and accents
unmistakable, and this in Osmond's hearing and
the maid's.

"Oh, hush! hush!" cried poor Mrs. Dodd;
and her face was seen to burn through her tears.

And this was the happy, quiet, little villa of
my opening chapters.

Ah, Richard Hardie! Richard Hardie!

The patient was cupped on the nape of the
neck by Mr. Osmond, and, on the glasses drawing,
showed signs of consciousness, and the
breathing was relieved: these favourable symptoms
were neither diminished nor increased
by the subsequent application of the cupping
needles.

"We have turned the corner," said Mr. Osmond,
cheerfully.

Rap! rap! rap! came a telegraphic message
from Dr. Sampson, and was brought up to the
sick room.

"Out visiting patients when yours came. In
apoplexy with a red face and stertorous breathing
put the feet in mustard bath and dash much
cold water on the head from above. On revival
give emetic: cure with sulphate of quinine. In
apoplexy with a white face treat as for a simple
faint: here emetic dangerous. In neither apoplexy
bleed. Coming down by train."

This message added to Mrs. Dodd's alarm;
the whole treatment varied so from what had
been done. She faltered her misgivings; Osmond
reassured her. " Not bleed in apoplexy!" said
he, superciliously, "why, it is the universal
practice. Judge for yourself! You see the
improvement."

Mrs. Dodd admitted it.

"Then as to the cold water," said Osmond,
"I would hardly advise so rough a remedy. And
he is going on so well. But you can send for ice;
and, meantime, give me a good sized stocking."

He cut and fitted it adroitly to the patient's
head: then drenched it with eau-de-Cologne, and
soon the head began to steam.

By-and-by David muttered a few incoherent
words: and the anxious watchers thanked God
aloud for them.

At length Mr. Osmond took leave with a
cheerful countenance, and left them all grateful
to him, and with a high opinion of his judgment
and skill; especially Julia. She said Dr. Sampson
was very amusing to talk to; but she should
be sorry to trust to that rash, reckless, boisterous
man, in time of danger.

Mr. Osmond, returning home, passed Munday
and Co., the undertakers. The shop was shut
long ago; but Munday junior was standing at
the private door, and invited him in.

"Well, sir; buried, old Mrs. Jephson to-day:
and went off capital. Your little commission, sir,
for recommending them our firm." With this
he slipped four sovereigns into Mr. Osmond's
hand. Osmond smiled benignly at their contact
with his palm, and said in a grateful spirit:
"There is an apoplexy at Albion Villa."

"Oh indeed, sir!" and Munday junior's eyes
sparkled.

"But I have bled and cupped him."

"All right, sir: I'll be on the look out; and
thank you."

About two in the morning a fly drove rapidly
up to the villa, and Sampson got out.

He found David pale and muttering, and his
wife and children hanging over him in deep
distress.

He shook hands with them in silence, and eyed
the patient keenly. He took the nightcap off,
removed the pillows, lowered his head, and said
quietly, " This is the cold fit come on: we must
not shut our eyes on the pashint. Why, what is
this? he has been cupped!" And Sampson
changed colour, and his countenance fell.

Mrs. Dodd saw, and began to tremble: "I
could not hear from you; and Dr. Short and Mr.
Osmond felt quite sure: and he seems better.
Oh, Doctor Sampson, why were you not here?
We have bled him as well. Oh, don't, don't,
don't say it was wrong! He would have died;
they said so. Oh, David! David! your wife has
killed you." And she knelt and kissed his hand
and implored his pardon, insensible.

Julia clung sobbing to her mother, in a vain
attempt to comfort her.

Sampson groaned:

"No, no," said he: " don't go on so, my poor
soul; you did all for the best; and now we must
make the best of what is done. Hartshorn!
brandy! and caution! For those two assassins
have tied my hands."

While applying those timid remedies, he inquired
if the cause was known. They told him they
knew nothing; but that David had been wrecked
on the coast of France, and had fallen down