feared than desired, since her peculiar sensitiveness
might feel too keenly the unfortunate happening.
"Anyway," he continued, "I will call early in the
morning, and, in the event of her awakening before
that time, I will leave a sedative with Mary, with
directions she will attend to. She will remain here
at her side. And as to yourself, Mr. Clark," the
doctor went on in an anxious tone, as he marked the
haggard face and hollow eyes, "I insist that you
retire. You must rest, sir--worrying for the past
week as you have been doing is telling on you
painfully. You need rest--and you must take it."

"And I will," said Mr. Clark submissively.
Stooping again, he clasped the sleeping face between
his hands and kissed it tenderly. "Good night!" I
heard him whisper--"good night-good night!" He
turned, and motioning for me to follow, opened the
door--"Doctor, good night! Good night, Mary!"

He led the way to his own room up-stairs. "And
now, my friend," he said, as he waved me to an easy
chair, "I have but two other favors to ask of you:
The first is, that you talk to me, or read to me, or
tell me fairy tales, or riddles--anything, so that you
keep it up incessantly, and never leave off till you
find me fast asleep. Then in the next room you
will find a comfortable bed. Leave me sleeping
here, and you sleep there. And the second favor,"
he continued, with a slow smile and an affected air