It was sometime before he gained any certain tidings of her as the affair was kept very secret, none outside the family circle knowing of her presence at Orange Grove. She was still unconscious when she arrived there, but by the aid of powerful restoratives, life, accompanied by a high fever, returned to contend once more for the mastery with death. When the fever abated the attending physician gave very little encouragement that reason would ever resume its sway if her life was spared. Mrs. Claremont and Milly were the only ones it was safe to admit to her bedside. The sight of Mr. Livingston and his wife excited her to such a degree that it was impossible to hold her in bed. "Has he come," she would say, "is he here? You will not let him take me will you? Oh my poor children! I must not stay here, I must get away."
Mrs. Claremont's soothing words and assurance of safety as with gentle force she remanded her to her bed, promising to guard her against every harm, generally calmed the invalid, whose strength could sustain her no longer in that state of excitement. As days wore on she became more quiet, but gave very little evidence of returning strength. Upon her will, in a great measure, depended her recovery. Whether consciousness would be restored sufficiently to make her understand this was very doubtful. With the first gleam of reason came the maddening recollection of her stinging wrongs, and her brain reeled again in that unconscious state which comes of dispair.
Mr. Carleton once made his appearance there with
