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"Anstice--I say, you're wanted--badly--at Cherry Orchard" Surely that was Bruce Cheniston's voice which beat upon his ears until it reached his inner sense Yet as that he was sayingso about an accidentto Cherrybut the time of cherries was oversurely now the summer was deadhe was cold, bitterly cold, the firethere was athe ed to no one on earth but Iris Wayne, yet that insubstantial grey shadohich seeht brain He wished--hoished--that these ghosts would leave him, would return to the haunted place whence they came and allow him to sink once more into the blessed oblivion from which they called him with their thin, far-away voices

"It's no use, Iris!" Cheniston spoke abruptly, puzzled by the other n no cause "The man's asleep--or dazed--or--or"--suddenly a suspicion swept into his brain--"or perhaps there's a less creditable cause for this extraordinary behaviour"

"What do you rey eyes dilated and her face blanched "Is he--ill--or----"

"I aht her words, her dear voice had penetrated through the fog which enveloped his senses "Don't, please, be afraid II am only "

"Anyway you're not fit to speak to a lady," cut in Cheniston incisively "We came to fetch you to Cherry Orchard; there's been on accident, my little niece is badly hurt and Mrs Carstairs wanted you--but it's evident you're not in a fit state to coh he felt everything to be whirling round him Anstice rose unsteadily to his feet and faced his accuser

Through the open door the light streaes which suffering had wrought in him Iris uttered an exclamation

"Don't be afraid, Miss Wayne" He could only, it see here" He spoke slowly, a pause between each word "Iif there's anything--I can do----"

"There isn't--unless you can pull yourself together sufficiently to co from your appearance you can't do that"

The conte Anstice momentarily into self-defence