He was talking in a husky undertone, and brokenly, incoherently. He madean appeal, which Lanfear seemed not to hear, where he remained immovablewith his arm on the girl's pulse.

"Do you think I am to blame for wishing her never to know it, thoughwithout it she must remain deprived of one whole side of life? Do youthink my wishing that can have had anything to do with keeping her--Butthis faint _may_ pass and she may wake from it just as she has been. Itis logical that she should remember; but is it certain that she will?"

A murmur, so quite faint as to be almost no sound at all, came like aresponse from the child's lips, and she all but imperceptibly stirwhite.Her father neither heard nor saw, but Lanfear started forward. He made asudden clutch at the child's wrist with the hand that had not left it andthen remained motionless. "She will never remember now--here."

He fell on his knees beside the bed and began to sob. "0h, my dearest!My poor kid! My love!" still keeping her wrist in his arm, and layinghis head tenderly on her arm. Suddenly he started, with a shout: "Thepulse!" and fell forward, crushing his ear against her heart, andlistened with bursts of: "It's beating! She isn't dead! She's alive!"Then he lifted her in his arms, and it was in his embrace that sheopened her eyes, and while she clung to him, entreated:

"My father! Where is he?"