"You little fool!" he said thickly. He was breathing heavily as though
he had been running; she could feel his chest heave as, for an instant,
he held her pressed against him.

He released her almost immediately, and taking her by the arm, led her to
the embankment, where he stripped off his overcoat and wrapped it about
her. But she was hardly conscious of what he was doing, for suddenly
everything seemed to be spinning round her. The lights of the torches
bobbed up and down in a confused blur of twinkling stars, the sound of
voices and the trampling of feet came faintly to her ears as from a great
way off, while the grim, black bulk of the piled-up coaches of the train
seemed to lean nearer and nearer, until finally it swooped down on top of
her and she sank into a sea of impenetrable darkness.

The next thing she remembered was finding a flask held to her lips, while
a familiar voice commanded her to drink. She shook her head feebly.

"Drink it at once," the voice insisted. "Do you hear?"

And because her mind held some dim recollection of the futility of
gainsaying that peremptory voice, she opened her lips obediently and let
the strong spirit trickle down her throat.

"Better now?" queried the voice.

She nodded, and then, complete consciousness returning, she sat up.

"I'm all right now--really," she said.

The owner of the voice regarded her critically.