bare foot, at that moment, came in contact with a warm pool of gore by the bed-side.

Sick with terror, she bent forward. Julian, whom the Sangrado Jobb had bled, lay apparently senseless; his arm was tossed over the counterpane. In the excitement of fever, he had got the bandage off; and there he lay in the dark and still night, his life-blood ebbing silently away. He had not fainted. Ellen perceived that he slept gently, moaning in what had all but been his last sleep.

Ellen did not scream, but her heart grew cold, and her tongue clove to the roof of her mouth; she stood for one moment, asking strength of the merciful power which had sent her to Julian's rescue; and then, the blood rushing back to her brow, and power to her limbs, she went to fetch her lamp, aroused the nurse, and, pointing to Julian, exclaimed: "Wretched woman! would you let him die ?"

The woman, startled by the white and spectral figure before her, looked up, rubbed

H 5

her eyes, and began her accustomed professional fib.

"I'd only just closed my eyes-I wasn't asleep-Lor love you, miss, I never sleeps." "Does that prove your assertion ?" said Ellen, pointing to Julian. "But waste no time in words. Can you bandage his arm? if not, let me try."

"Lor love him, has he got the bandage off? Well, now, who could ever have dreamed of that ere? Oh! I can do it capital: I'm a regular hospital nurse. Lor, how he have bled, to be sure! Well, it'll do him a world of good."

Meanwhile, she adroitly bound up his arm. "He is dying," said Ellen, gazing at his wan face. "Oh God! oh God!"

66

Now, don't'ee take on, miss; he's only a-fainting. I knows death directly he comes -a drop of brandy will bring him to."

"Where shall we find some? I have no idea where to look for it."

"I keeps a little by me in case o'need, miss;" and she took a leathern bottle from her capacious pocket.

She forced a few drops down Julian's throat. Ellen wildly rubbed his hands, and bathed his forehead. Ere long a faint colour dawned on his face.........Julian was saved!

Mrs. Jobb then compelled him to drink some hot brandy and water; and Ellen, in silent thankfulness, remained by his bed-side. Day had dawned before a stealthy step was

:

heard and Mr. Jobb glided into the room. He exchanged a significant glance with the nurse; and, seeing Ellen barefoot and in her blood-stained dress, he began to chide her, and to say

"You'll destroy my patient and yourself too, miss-what is all this ?"

Ellen briefly told her tale. Mr. Jobb began a severe lecture to the nurse.

began to cry.

The nurse

"But why were you not here?" asked Ellen. "I depended on you; was it not agreed between us?"

"I must throw myself on your kindness, miss. For some time past I've been engaged to attend a lady -a capital customer; she

was taken ill three hours ago. My wife sent Mr. Smith; she wouldn't see him; he came to me. As all seemed going well with the young squire, I resolved to slip out, for I had given her my word, as it were. I'm a feeling man, and a family man, miss-though she lives in the New Road, I've not been gone two hours: I thought I could depend on that woman; but, I see, there's no dependance on any one."

"No! that I believe," said Ellen, significantly.

"However, miss, though it was, as one may say, 'kill or cure,' the young squire is all the better for the bleeding. The fever's gonethe skin's moist; the pulse is calm as an infant's. He's sure to do now. Let me beg you to go to bed, miss, and not to let this little affair transpire. Nurse will be more careful another time."

"I had only jist closed my eyes to rest 'em; I wasn't asleep."

"I do not blame you; poor woman! all, all must sleep; and you, perhaps, have been

long without a night's rest-I blame myself, for when relations leave the sufferer to strangers, what may they not expect ?"

Mr. Jobb looked very sheepish; he felt that Ellen's confidence in him was gone. To console himself, he clutched in his pocket the fee he had just received. No exhortations of his could drive Ellen away at six, she said, the Count de Villeneuve, her cousin's friend, had promised to be there to watch him. A little before that time she would retire, and not till then.

Mr. Jobb's power was sadly eclipsed-discovered in a stealthy desertion of his post, he could not reassume his importance at once. He tried to recover it by being very talkative and busy. Ellen sat cold, pale, and abstracted, heeding him not. The nurse bustled about, whined, and canted in vain. At a quarter to six, De Villeneuve, who had hoped that Ellen would have risen to share his watch, appeared. He started to see her so deadly pale, bloodstained, and barefoot.

Ellen blushed deeply, in a few words re