I was too weak to do aught but groan, and my groans my bearers heard not.

But at last the English voice said; "Halt, and set him down.

He may be dead already and so save us the pains of carrying him further." 'Twas a voice I knew; but the agony of my setting down made me forget whose, until once more bending over me, and putting back the hair from my brow, the fellow exclaimed: "Why, this is--mercy on us!--if it be not him they called Dexter." "What!" cried another voice, "doth Neptunus yield us pearls?
and on these inhospitable shores doth Arion indeed discover his lost 'prentice?
hath the Hollander wings to carry--" "A curse on thy tom-fooling tongue!" said the other.

"Hath not the poor wretch had drenching enough, that you must spout thus on the top of him?
Say, Humphrey Dexter, how fare you ?" "Is that you, Jack Gedge ?" "Sure enough." "And Ludar ?" The fellow gave a gasp, but said nothing.

And, in the horror of that silence, I lost all care of life.
I must have been lying still in the same place when next, with a strange thrill of wonder, I lifted my eyes and saw, bent over me, the sweet face of my own Jeannette.
"Humphrey," whispered she, as she kissed my wet brow, "is it indeed thou ?" "Ay, sweetheart," said I.
And I forgot all else for a while.
Presently they carried me up to the top of the path, Jeannette walking with her hand in mine.