AgainGodfreydreamed，astrangeandbeautifuldreamwhichwentonfromdaytoday。ItwasthathewasveryillandthatIsobelhadcometonursehim。Shecamequitesuddenlyandatfirstseemedalittlefrightenedanddisturbed，butafterwardsveryhappyindeed。Thiswentonforawhile，tillsuddenlytherestruckhimasenseofsomethingterriblethathadhappened，ofanupheavalofconditions，ofawrenchingasunderofties，ofchangeutterandprofound。
Thenwhilehemournedbecauseshewasnotthere，Isobelcameagain，butdifferent。Thedifferencewasindefinable，butitwasundoubted。
Herappearanceseemedtohavechangedsomewhat，andintheintervalsbetweenhercomingshecouldneverrememberhowshehadbeenclothed，exceptfortwothingswhichshealwaysseemedtowear，thelittleringwiththeturquoisehearts，thoughoddlyenough，notherweddingring，andthestringofsmallpearlswhichhehadgivenherwhentheyweremarried，andknewagainbytheclasp，thatwasfashionedinalover’sknotofgold。Hervoice，too，seemedchanged，orratherhedidnothearhervoice，sinceitappearedtospeakwithinhim，inhisconsciousness，notwithouttohisears。Shetoldhimallsortsofstrangethings，aboutawonderfullandinwhichtheywouldlivetogether，andthehomethatshewasmakingreadyforhim，andthetreesandflowersgrowingaroundit，thatwereunlikeanyofwhichGodfreyhadeverheard。Alsoshesaidthatthereweremanyothermatterswhereofshewouldwishtospeaktohim，onlyshemightnot。
Finallytherecameavividdreaminwhichshetoldhimthatsoonhewouldwakeuptotheworldagainforalittlewhilesheseemedtolayemphasisonthis“littlewhile“and，ifhecouldnotfindherinit，thathemustnotgrieveatall，sincealthoughtheircaseseemedsad，itwasmuchbetterthanhecouldconceive。Inhisdreamshemadehimpromisethathewouldnotgrieve，andhedidso，wondering。Atthisshesmiled，lookingmorebeautifulthaneverhecouldhaveconceivedhertobe。Thenshespokethesewords，always，asitappeared，withinhim，printingthem，asitwere，uponhismind：
“NowyouareabouttowakeupandImustleaveyouforawhile。ButthisIpromiseyou，mymostdear，mybeloved，myown，thatbeforeyoufallasleepagainforthelasttime，youshallseemeoncemore，forthatisallowedtome。IndeeditshallbeIwhowillsootheyoutosleepandIwhowillreceiveyouwhenyouawakeagain。Alsointhespacebetween，althoughyoudonotseeme，youwillalwaysfeelmenear，andIshallbewithyou。Sosweartomeoncemorethatyouwillnotgrieve。“
TheninhisvisionGodfreyswore，andsheappearedtoleanoverhimandwhisperwordsintohisearthat，althoughtheyimpressedthemselvesuponhisbrainastheothershaddone，hadnomeaningforhim，sincetheywereinsomelanguagewhichhedidnotunderstand。
Onlyheknewthattheyconveyedablessingtohim，andnotthatofIsobelalone!
Godfreyawokeandlookedabouthim。Hewaslyinginasmallroomoppositetoanopenwindowthathadthingauzeshutterswhich，asanoldIndian，heknewatonceweretokeepoutmosquitoes。Throughthiswindowhecouldseethemighty，toweringshapesofthePyramids，andreflectedthatafteralltheremusthavebeensometruthinthosewonderfuldreams。Heliftedhishand；itwassothinthatthestrongsunlightshonethroughit。Hetouchedhisheadandfeltthatitwaswrappedinbandages，alsothatitseemedbenumbedupononeside。
Alittledarkwomanwearinganurse’suniform，enteredtheroomandheaskedherwherehewas，asoncebeforehehaddoneinFranceandunderverysimilarconditions。ShestaredandansweredwithanIrishaccent：
“WhereelsebutatMenaHouseHospital。Don’tthePyramidstellyouthat？“
“Ithoughtso，“hereplied。“HowlonghaveIbeenhere？“
“Oh!twomonths，ormore。Ican’ttellyou，Colonel，unlessIlookatthebooks，withsomanysickmencomingandgoing。Shure!it’sapleasuretoseeyouyourselfagain。Wethoughtthatperhapsyou’dneverwakeupreasonably。“
“Didyou？IalwaysknewthatIshould。“
“Andhowdidyouknowthat？“
“BecausesomeonewhomIamveryfondof，cameandtoldmeso。“
Sheglancedathimsharply。
“Thenit’smyselfthatshouldbeflattered，“sheanswered，“orthenightnurse，seeingthatitiswewhohavecaredforyouwithnovisitorsadmittedexceptthedoctors，andtheydidn’ttalkthatway。
Now，Colonel，justyoudrinkthisandhaveanap，foryoumustn’tspeaktoomuchallatonce。Ifyoukeepwaggingyourjawyou’llupsetthebandages。“
Whenhewokeagainitwasnightandnowthefullmoon，suchamoonasoneseesinEgypt，shoneuponthesideoftheGreatPyramidandmadeitsilver。Hecouldhearvoicestalkingoutsidehisdoor，onethatoftheIrishnursewhichherecognised，andtheotherofaman，foralthoughtheyspokelow，thissenseofhearingseemedtobepeculiarlyacutetohim。
“Itisso，Major，“saidthenurse。“Itellyouthatexceptforalittlematteraboutsomeonewhomhethoughthadbeenvisitinghim，heisasreasonableasIam，andmuchmorethanyouare，savingyourpresence。“
“Well，“answeredthedoctor，“asyouspeakthetruthsometimes，Sister，I’minclinedtobelieveyou，butallIhavetosayisthatI
couldhavestakedmyprofessionalreputationthatthepoorchapwouldnevergethiswitsagain。Hehashadanawfulblowandonthetopofanoldwound，too。Afterallthesemonths，it’sstrange，verystrange，andIhopeitwillcontinue。“
“Well，ofcourse，Major，thereisthedelusionaboutthelady。“
“Lady!Howdoyouknowitwasalady？Justlikeawomanmakinguparomanceoutofnothing。Yes，there’sthedelusion，whichisbad。Keephismindoffitasmuchaspossible，andtellhimsomeofyourowninyourbestbrogue。I’llcomeandexaminehimto-morrowmorning。“
ThenthevoicesdiedawayandGodfreyalmostlaughedbecausetheyhadtalkedofhis“delusion，“whenheknewsowellthatitwasnone。
Isobelhadbeenwithhim。Yes，althoughhecouldneitherhearnorseeher，Isobelwaswithhimnowforhefeltherpresence。AndyethowcouldthisbeifhewasinEgyptandshewasinEngland？Sowondering，hefellasleepagain。
Bydegreesashegatheredstrength，Godfreylearnedallthestoryofwhathadhappenedtohim，orrathersomuchofitasthoseinchargeofthehospitalknew。Itappeared，accordingtoSisterElizabeth，ashisnursewasnamed，thatwhenhewasstruckdowninthechurch，“somewhereinAfrica“asshesaidvaguely，theguardswhomhehadwithhim，rushedin，firingonthenativemurdererswhofledawayexceptthosewhowerekilled。
Believingthat，withthemissionary，theyhadmurderedtheKing’sOfficer，agreatman，theyfledfastandfarintoGermanEastAfricaandwerenomoreseen。TheChief，Jaga，whohadescaped，causedhimtobecarriedoutoftheburningchurchtothemissionary’shouse，andsentrunnerstothenearestmagistracymanymilesaway，wheretherewasadoctor。Sotherehelayinthehouse。Anativeservantwhoonceactedasahospitalorderly，hadwashedhiswoundsandboundthemup。
Oneofthese，thatonthehead，wascausedbyakerryorsomebluntinstrument，andtheotherwasaspear-stabinthelung。Alsofromtimetotimethisservantpouredmilkdownhisthroat。
Atlengththedoctorcamewithanarmedescortand，greatlydaring，performedsomeoperationwhichrelievedthepressureonthebrainandsavedhislife。Inthathousehelayforamonthormoreandthen，inasemi-comatosecondition，wascarriedbyslowstagesinalitterbacktoMombasa。Herehelayanothermonthorsoandashismindshowednosignsofreturning，wasatlengthputonboardashipandbroughttoEgypt。
Meanwhile，asGodfreylearnedafterwards，hewasbelievedtohavebeenmurderedwiththemissionary，andareporttothateffectwassenttoEngland，which，inthegeneralmuddlethatprevailedatthebeginningofthewar，hadneverbeencorrected。ForbeitremembereditwasnotuntilhewascarriedtoMombasa，nearlytwomonthsafterhewashurt，thathereachedanyplacewheretherewasatelegraph。Bythistimealso，thoseatMombasahadplentyoffreshcasualtiestoreport，andindeedwerenotaware，orhadforgottenwhatexactstoryhadbeensenthomeconcerningGodfreywhocouldnotspeakforhimself。Soitcameaboutthroughaseriesofmischances，thatathomehewasbelievedtobedeadashappenedtomanyothermeninthecourseofthegreatwar。
AfterhecametohimselfattheMenaHouseHospital，Godfreyinquiredwhethertherewerenotsomelettersforhim，butnonecouldbefound。
Hehadarrangedwiththeonlypersonlikelytowritetohim，namelyIsobel，todosothroughtheWarOffice，andevidentlythatplanhadnotsucceeded，forherlettershadgoneastray。Thetruthwas，ofcourse，thatsomehadbeenlostandafterdefinitenewsofhisdeathwasreceived，theresthadnotbeenforwarded。NowhebethoughthimthathewouldcablehometoIsobeltotellherthathewasrecovering，thoughsomehowheimaginedthatshewouldknowthisalreadythroughtheauthorities。Withgreatdifficulty，forthehurttohissidemadeithardforhimtousehisarm，hewrotethetelegramandgaveittoSisterElizabethtosend，remarkingthathewouldpaythecostassoonashecoulddrawsomemoney。
“Thatwon’tmatter，“sherepliedasshetookthecable。Thenwithanoddlookathimshewentawayasthoughtoarrangeforitsdespatch。