"Mr.Denton is asleep，just now，but by the time you have bathed and had a cup of tea I am quite sure he will be ready to receive you.""Tell me；how is he？Are you his nurse？"asked theyoung wife with trembling lips.
"I am his nurse，and I assure you he is doing very well，"answered Maud with her pleasant，winning smile."When he finds you by his side I am sure his recovery will be rapid.No nurse can take the place of a wife，you know."Patsy looked at her reproachfully，thinking she wasmisleading the poor young wife，but Maud led the ladies away to a stateroom and it was Dr.Gys who explained the wonderful improvement in the patient.
"Well，"remarked Uncle John，"if we'd known he had achance，we wouldn't have worried so because we were held up.In fact，if we'd known he would get well，we needn't have gone at all.""Oh，Uncle John！"cried Patsy reprovingly.
"It was your going that saved him，"declared the doctor."I promised to keep him alive，for that little wife of his，andwhen he took a turn for the worse I had to assume desperate chances—which won out."Meantime the big Belgian woman and her children had been helped up the ladder by Henderson，who stood respectfully by，awaiting orders for their disposal.The mother had her eye on the shore and was scowling steadily upon it when little Maurie came on deck and strolled toward Mr.Merrick to greet him on his return.Indeed，he had approached to within a dozen feet of the group when the woman at the rail suddenly turned and saw him.
"Aha—mon Henri！"she cried and made a dash towardhim with outstretched arms."Clarette！"Maurie stopped short；he grew pallida；he trembled.But he did not await her coming.With a howl that would have shamed a wild Indian he leaped upon the rail and made a dive into the water below.
Even as her engulfing arms closed around the spot where he had stood，there was a splash and splutter that drew everyone to the side to watch the little Belgian swim franticallyb to the docks.
The woman grabbed a child with either arm and held themup.
"See！"she cried."There is your father—the coward—thetraitor—the deserter of his loving family.He thinks to escape；but we shall capture him yet，and when we do—""Hurry，father，"screamed the little girl，"or she'll getyou."A slap on the mouth silenced her and set the boy wailing dismally.The boy was accustomed to howl without provocationa.He kicked his mother until she let him down.By this time they could discern only Maurie's head bobbing in the distant water.Presently he clambered up the dock and ran dripping toward the city，disappearing among the buildings.
"Madam，"said Uncle John，sternly，"you have cost us the best chauffeur we ever had."She did not understand English，but she shook her fist inMr.Merrick's face and danced around in an elephantine fashion and jabbered a stream of French.
"What does she say？"he asked Patsy，who was laughingmerrily at the absurd scene.
"She demands to be put ashore at once.But shall we do that，and put poor Maurie in peril of being overtaken？""Self preservation is the first law of nature，my dear，"replied Uncle John."I'm sorry for Maurie，but he alone is responsible.Henderson，"he added，turning to the sailor，"put this woman ashore as soon as possible.We've had enough of her."