At this moment Jael stretched her great arms and sighed.  The movement, though gentle and feminine, had a grandeur and freedom that only goes with power.

The doctor lowered his voice to a whisper.  “She is a good Christian, and most likely she will be penitent, and then she will cry her heart out.  Any way, she is pretty sure to be hysterical, so mind and be firm as well as kind.  There, her color is coming back.  Now put yourself in her place.  You and I must call this an accident.  Stick to that through thick and thin.  Ah, she is coming round safe.  She shall see you first.  You take her right hand, and look at her with all the pity and kindness I am sure you feel.”

Mr. Raby took Jael’s hand in both his, and fixed his eyes on her with pity and anxiety.

She came to her senses, and stared at him a long time.

Then she looked down at her wet clothes.  Then she snatched her hand away, and covered her face with both hands, and began to rock and moan, and finally turned round and hid her face against the very floor as if she would grovel and burrow into it.

“Are you better, my dear?” said the doctor, quietly.

No reply.  And the face still crushed against the floor.

“The next time you faint away, don’t let it be on the banks of a river.  You have been going too long without food; and you fainted away and fell into the river.  Luckily it was not very deep or it might have been serious.  You have given us a fine fright, I can tell you.”

While these words were being uttered, Jael, who did not miss a syllable, began to look very, very slowly round with scared and troubled eyes, and to defend herself.  “I remember naught,” said she, doggedly.  “Who took me out?”

“Mr. Raby.”

She looked timidly at him, and saw his wet clothes.

“Oh, squire, why did you spoil your clothes for me?” and she laid her head on his knee and began to cry.

“My clothes!” said Raby.  “The girl wants to break my heart.”

“Eh, dear! and I’ve spoiled the beautiful carpet,” said Jael, piteously.

“D—­n the carpet!” said Raby, nearly blubbering.

All this time Amboyne was putting himself in Jael’s Dence’s place.

“Is there a good fire in her room?” asked he, with a significant look.

Raby took the hint, and said he would go and see.

As soon as he was out of the room, the transmigrator began to talk very fast to Jael.  “Now look here, Jael, that poor man is alone in the world now, and very sad; he wants you to keep his house for him.  He has been sending messages all day after you, and your room has been ready ever so long.”

“My room in this house?”

“Yes.  But we could not find you.  However, here you are.  Now you must not go back to the farm.  The poor squire won’t be quite so sad if he sees you about him.  You know he was always fond of you Dences.  You should have seen him cry over you just now when he thought you were dead.”