Allhadbeendonethatcouldbedone。Mrs。Barnetwasinherownhouseundermedicalhands，buttheresultwasstilluncertain。
Barnethadactedasifdevotiontohiswifewerethedominantpassionofhisexistence。Therehadbeenmuchtodecide——whethertoattemptrestorationoftheapparentlylifelessbodyasitlayontheshore——whethertocarryhertotheHarbourInn——whethertodrivewithheratoncetohisownhouse。Thefirstcourse，withnoskilledhelporappliancesnearathand，hadseemedhopeless。Thesecondcoursewouldhaveoccupiednearlyasmuchtimeasadrivetothetown，owingtotheinterveningridgesofshingle，andthenecessityofcrossingtheharbourbyboattogettothehouse，addedtowhichmuchtimemusthaveelapsedbeforeadoctorcouldhavearriveddownthere。Bybringingherhomeinthecarriagesomepreciousmomentshadslippedby；butshehadbeenlaidinherownbedinsevenminutes，adoctorcalledtoherside，andeverypossiblerestorativebroughttobearuponher。
Atwhatatearingpacehehaddrivenupthatroad，throughtheyelloweveningsunlight，theshadowsflappingirksomelyintohiseyesaseachwaysideobjectrushedpastbetweenhimandthewest！
Tiredworkmenwiththeirbasketsattheirbackshadturnedontheirhomewardjourneytowonderathisspeed。HalfwaybetweentheshoreandPort-BredytownhehadmetCharlson，whohadbeenthefirstsurgeontohearoftheaccident。Hewasaccompaniedbyhisassistantinagig。BarnethadsentonthelattertothecoastincasethatDowne’spoorwifeshouldbythattimehavebeenreclaimedfromthewaves，andhadbroughtCharlsonbackwithhimtothehouse。
Barnet’spresencewasnotneededhere，andhefeltittobehisnextdutytosetoffatonceandfindDowne，thatnootherthanhimselfmightbreakthenewstohim。