dread of being disabled by illness before tomorrow morning, al-
together mastered me. My burning arm throbbed, and my burn-
ing head throbbed, and I fancied I was beginning to wander. I
counted up to high numbers, to make sure of myself, and repeated
passages that I knew in prose and verse. It happened sometimes
that in the mere escape of a fatigued mind, I dozed for some mo-
ments or forgot; then I would say to myself with a start, 'Now it
has come, and I am turning delirious!'

They kept me very quiet all day, and kept my arm constantly
dressed, and gave me cooling drinks. Whenever I fell asleep, I
awoke with the notion I had had in the sluice-house, that a long
time had elapsed and the opportunity to save him was gone.
About midnight I got out of bed and went to Herbert, with the
conviction that I had been asleep for four-and-twenty hours, and
that Wednesday was past. It was the last self-exhausting effort of
my fretfulness, for after that, I slept soundly.

Wednesday morning was dawning when I looked out of the win-
dow. The winking lights upon the bridges were already pale, the
coming sun was like a marsh of fire on the horizon. The river,
still dark and mysterious, was spanned by bridges that were turn-
ing coldly grey, with here and there at a top a warm touch from
the burning in the sky. As I looked along the clustered roofs, with
church towers and spires shooting into the unusually clear air, the
sun rose up, and a veil seemed to be drawn from the river, and
millions of sparkles burst out upon its waters. From me, too, a
veil seemed to be drawn, and I felt strong and well.

Herbert lay asleep in his bed, and our old fellow-student lay
asleep on the sofa. I could not dress myself without help, but I
made up the fire which was still burning, and got some coffee ready
for them. In good time they too started up strong and well, and we
admitted the sharp morning air at the windows, and looked at the
tide that was still flowing towards us.

'When it turns at nine o'clock,' said Herbert, cheerfully, 'look
out for us, and stand ready, you over there at Mill Pond Bank!'

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