I had no sooner sent off to you my last letter, dated from
  Rome, when I received orders to return post haste to England at all
  costs, as my uncle had been taken suddenly ill, and now lies on his
  death-bed. He is not expected to last long, and I must be in the house
  when he dies, and remain till the funeral is over. "I daren't risk seeing you even for a moment, but I _had_ to be very
  near you last night, though you knew me not. I had heard from the
  gossip of the village that a grand carriage and pair with liveried
  coachman and footman were putting up at 'The Headless Lady,' and I
  guessed the worst and prepared myself accordingly to frustrate the
  diabolical plans of those villains. If I were to be hanged to-morrow
  for it, I should die happy in the consciousness of having rescued
  innocence from the clutches of vice. "Immediately after the fray I reported myself to the authorities, who
  will by this time have sent over a constable to the hostel to
  interview his lordship's coachman and footman. For the present I am
  free, but I am bound to appear when called for at the next assizes. Matters are apt to go hard with a commoner like myself when the slain
  man happens to be a person of title; but I have hopes, as both the
  serving men are bound to give evidence that my act was to protect
  innocence; also that Lord Scampford first drew his sword upon me,
  having previously attempted to shoot me. No more for the present. With
  kind remembrances to all,--I remain,

                                "Your very faithful friend,
                                                  "VANDYKE MCGUILP." Our antiquary had hardly finished reading the letter, and thrust it into
his pocket, when Dr. Bleedem re-entered the room with a very serious
expression on his face. "Well, doctor," said Mr. Oldstone cheerily, not noticing his
countenance, "What news?" "Bad, bad, very bad indeed," replied the leech gravely. "She is in a
high fever and delirious. Quite off her head. If I ever get her through
this----"

"Good heavens! doctor," ejaculated Oldstone, "you don't mean to say that
there is any actual danger of her life?" "Very considerable danger, I am afraid," responded the physician. "She
will require the most careful nursing, such as I am afraid she is not
likely to get even from her own mother." "Doctor, you frighten me," cried Oldstone. "Surely someone can be found
to attend upon her to relieve her mother." "They are a rough lot about here, and not always dependable," answered
Bleedem. "It must be someone who will remain with her all night long
without going to sleep. If she ever _should_ get over it----"

"Nonsense! doctor. She _must_ get over it, if _I_ myself have to sit up
to attend upon her." "Well, well, we must see how we can manage; but it is a very bad case,
for besides the chill she caught, which was of itself enough, there was,
in addition, the mental shock to the nervous system. She is so
delicately organised." "Poor dear! poor dear!" whimpered Oldstone. "If _she_ dies under your
treatment, doctor, I shall never----"

"Under _my_ treatment!" exclaimed Dr. Bleedem, with vehemence. "God
bless the man! She'ld die all the sooner under anyone else's. Do you
think I shan't do my best to bring her round--if it were only for my
reputation. If _I_ fail, no man in the whole wide world will be able to
save her." Our antiquary then, by way of changing the conversation, fearing he had
somewhat nettled the physician, inquired, "By the way, doctor, did she
discourse much during her delirium?" "Lord, yes; a lot of rubbish, of course," replied the leech. "Imagined
she was undergoing again the adventure of last night. Thought Lord
Scampford was after her with his bully. Stretched out her arms for
succour towards an imaginary angel, whom she said had been sent down
from heaven to protect her; ever and anon confounding him with Mr. McGuilp." Here the man of medicine indulged in the ghost of a smile. "Did she indeed, doctor? Well, this is most interesting. Now, while you
have a moment of leisure, oblige me by reading this letter." Here the antiquary handed over the epistle of our artist to Dr. Bleedem. The physician seized it gravely, read it through in silence to the end;
re-read it, slowly folded it up, and returned it to Oldstone. "Humph! remarkable--very," he observed, after a pause. Further discussion on the subject was checked by the entry of the other
members for their mid-day meal, during which no secret was made as to
the identity of the mysterious stranger. "Well, well, well," cried our host, when the mystery had been cleared
up. "If I didn't half suspect it all along. Why, bless my soul, if I
think there could be found another man in the world capable of it. Eh,
Molly?" As for our hostess, she went right off into hysterics, and Mr. Oldstone
was not the only member of the club who was visibly affected. A month had passed over, and it was now time for the case of that
memorable night to be tried at the assizes. Our host, the two serving
men, and every member of the club had received a summons to appear as
witnesses. Helen herself would have been obliged to put in an
appearance, had not Dr. Bleedem signed a certificate that her state of
health prevented her from attending. The greatest excitement prevailed
when our artist appeared in court. Nearly all were prepossessed in his
favour, and several women were overheard to express hopes that they
would not hang so good-looking a man. The two serving men were then
called, one after the other, and both deposed that their deceased
master, Lord Scampford, had first drawn his sword on the gentleman, who
was forced to act on the defensive. The case was soon settled. The jury brought it in as justifiable
homicide, and in spite of some ineffectual opposition on the part of the
family of the defunct Lord Scampford, who wondered what had come of
nobility in these times, when a mere commoner like the defendant could
waylay and assassinate a peer of the realm and get off unscathed, etc.,
etc. In spite, however, of all opposition, our artist was acquitted and
left the court without a stain on his character, amid the cheers and
congratulations of the crowd. As he left the court house he was
accompanied to the "Headless Lady" by all the members of the club, who
vied with each other in the cordiality of their welcome. Many changes of importance had taken place of late. Our artist's
relative had long since breathed his last, and he now slept with his
fathers. His nephew had sat up with him to the end, and was chief
mourner at his funeral. The will of deceased had been read, and our
friend Vandyke McGuilp was known to have inherited his entire fortune,
which was considerable, so that the once struggling limner was now
little short of a millionaire. A sudden change for the better had taken place in the health of our
heroine, which now mended apace in a way that surprised the doctor.