Mr. William Middleton and Mr. Miller, who were bearing Julia from the room, now passed them.  Dr. Lacey glanced once at the corpse-like face over which the heavy braids of long black hair had fallen, then with a shudder he again strained Fanny to his heart, saying, “Thank God, thank God, I escaped her in time!” Then turning to the minister, who all this time had stood looking on in mute astonishment, he added, in an authoritative manner, “Go on with the ceremony, sir, and make her my wife.”  But a new thought entering his mind, he released Fanny, and said, “Pardon me, dear Fanny; sorrow has well nigh bereft me of my senses.  In my first joy in finding you innocent, I forgot that you could not be mine, for you belong to another—­to Mr. Cameron.”

“Cameron go to Thunder!” exclaimed Uncle Joshua, who was still standing near.  “That’s another of Tempest’s lies.  She never was engaged to him; never loved him, or any other mortal man, save yourself.”

Here, Fanny, who, it will be remembered, was all this time ignorant of the truth, asked if some one would not explain what she saw and heard.  “I will,” said Dr. Lacey, “it is my duty to do so,” and he led her to a window, where he hurriedly told her all—­everything which he himself knew, intermingling his words with so much passionate embraces that his sanity was much to be doubted.  He had scarcely finished his story when Kate approached him, saying, “For humanity’s sake, Dr. Lacey, if you have any skill, exert it in behalf of Julia, who seems to be dying.”

Dr. Lacey arose, and winding his arm about Fanny, as if afraid he might lose sight of her, moved toward the room where Julia lay.  They had borne her to the bridal chamber, which Fanny had arranged with so much care, and as Dr. Lacey appeared at the door, Uncle Joshua met him and said, “I know she sarved you mean, but I would not have her die.  She is my own child, and you must save her if you can.”  At the same time he pointed to Julia, who lay in the same death-like trance, with the blood still issuing slowly from her livid lips.  All that Dr. Lacey could do, he did, but when Dr. Gordon arrived, he gladly gave up his charge to him, and turned his attention toward Fanny, who, overcome by what she had seen and heard, had fainted, and been carried to her own room, where she was surrounded by Mrs. Carrington, Florence and Mabel.  These ladies ran against each other, upset the camphor bottle, dropped the lamp and spilled half the cologne, in their zealous efforts to take care of their patient!

In the midst of their confusion Dr. Lacey entered, and they immediately gave up to him the task of restoring her.  This he soon did, for it would seem that his very voice had a power to recall Fanny’s suspended faculties.  Slowly her eyes unclosed; then, as if wearied out, she again closed them, and for a time slept sweetly, calmly, on Dr. Lacey’s bosom.