It was too late; Enna seized the ribbon with a jerk that threw Elsie also into the water, and they were struggling there together, both in imminent danger of drowning.

It was but an instant before Lester was there also; death with Elsie would be far preferable to life without her, and he would save or perish with her.

It was near being the last; would have been had not Bruno come to his aid, but with the good help of the faithful dog, he at length succeeded in rescuing both ladies, dragging them up the bank and laying them on the grass, both in a state of insensibility.

“Go to the house, Bruno, go and bring help,” he said pantingly, for he was well-nigh overcome by his exertions, and the dog bounded away in the direction of the house.

“Lord, grant it may come speedily,” ejaculated the young man, kneeling beside the apparently lifeless form of her he loved so well.  “Oh, my darling, have those sweet eyes closed forever?” he cried in anguish, wiping the water from her face, and chafing her cold hands in his.  “Elsie my love, my life, my all! oh!  I would have died to save you!”

Enna had been missed almost immediately, and Calhoun, Arthur and several servants at once set out in different directions in search of her.

Arthur and Pomp got upon the right scent, followed her to Ion, and joined by Mr. Travilla, soon traced her through the garden and shrubbery down to the lake, coming upon the scene of the catastrophe, or rather of the rescue, but a moment after Bruno left.

“Why, what is this?” exclaimed Mr. Travilla in alarm, “is it Elsie? can she have been in the water?  Oh, my child, my darling!”

Instantly he was down upon the grass by her side, assisting Lester’s efforts to restore her to consciousness.

For a moment she engrossed the attention of all, to the utter exclusion from their thoughts of poor Enna, for whom none of them entertained any great amount of affection.

“She lives! her heart beats! she will soon recover!” Arthur said presently, “see, a faint color is coming into her cheek.  Run, Pomp, bring blankets and more help; they must be carried at once to the house.”

He turned to his aunt, leaving Mr. Travilla and Lester to attend to Elsie.

Enna seemed gone; he could not be sure that life was not extinct.  Perhaps it were better so, but he would not give up till every possible effort had been made to restore her.

Both ladies were speedily conveyed to the house, Elsie, already conscious, committed to the care of her mother and Aunt Chloe, while Arthur, Dr. Barton and others, used every exertion for Enna’s resuscitation.  They were at length successful in fanning to a flame the feeble spark of life that yet remained, but fever supervened, and for weeks afterward she was very ill.

Elsie kept her bed for a day, then took her place in the family again, looking quite herself except a slight paleness.  No; a close observer might have detected another change; a sweet glad light in the beautiful brown eyes that was not there before; full of peaceful content and quiet happiness as her young life had been.