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"No I think--perhaps--I shall be a little--afraid--if Bruce dies while you are gone"--a shiver passed through her as she spoke the fatal words--"but I will try to be brave"

"Mrs Wood will come and sit here with you," said Anstice quickly; but Iris shook her head

"No, she is asleep just now, and I won't awaken her You know she has been so anxious about poor little Molly to-day" The child had indeed been feverish and ailing of late "But after all, weourselves unnecessarily, mayn't we? You--you're not certain that Bruce will die?"

And because he could not bear to see the terror in her face, hear the quiver of dread in her voice, Anstice lied at last

"No--Iyet I will stay here till the last possible moment Look--his eyes are open--co his head"

And as she obeyed without a word Anstice took up his own position opposite to her where he could watch every change in the grey face of the man who had once been his enehtiest enemy of all

It was nearly ten o'clock before Anstice started on his perilous adventure

Shortly before the time fixed for his departure little Molly Wood had been taken alarh temperature, and Anstice had spent an anxious hour beside her i her sink into a quiet sleep beneath the re the distracted mother to watch her slumbers, he had crept into Cheniston's room, he had found Bruce still desperately ill, and Iris paler and yet more wan beneath the stress of the position in which she found herself

It was only the imperative need of water which nerved Anstice to leave her alone, but he knew perfectly well that it would be ih Mr Wood would certainly have volunteered to make the attempt in his place, had he known the circumstances, Anstice had discovered, by a casual word let drop by his wife, that the clergy weakness of the heart which would have prevented hih the project successfully

Plainly he o, for Hassan, whoh stress of circumstance, to take into their confidence, had absolutely refused to brave the perils of the journey and the dangling rope, and since he ht as possible, Anstice steeled his heart and bade Iris good-bye with a stoical calm which did not deceive her in the least