ld
friend, the baby ailment had faded from his mind. I hated to bring the
shadow to his face, but it had to be done.

"Billie has a high temperature, Mr Thorold. I think a doctor ought to
see him."

He looked shocked--incredulous.

"To-night! Wouldn't to-morrow morning--?"

"I should advise you to see him to-night. It may be nothing but a
feverish cold, but it is half the battle to start treatment in time. He
is nearly 103."

"I will telephone at once," he said shortly, and marched out of the
room.

The tenants of Heath Mansions do not, as a rule, run to the extravagance
of possessing a private telephone, but down in the basement there is a
species of ice cupboard, where, in surroundings of abject dreariness, we
deposit our pence and shout messages, to the entertainment and
enlightenment of the maids at "Well" windows. Mr Thorold was bound for
this haunt, and the nice Mr Hallett and I sat down to entertain one
another during his absence.

He is nice! I liked him the moment I saw him, and I went on liking him
more and more. He is a big, powerfully-built man, but his face is thin,
the fine moulding of the bones showing distinctly beneath their slight
covering. The clean line of his jaw is a joy to behold; his eyes are
dark and unusually deep-set--I would say "cavernous," if I had not a
particular dislike to the word. He has large, expressive hands, and a
low-pitched, unusually deliberate way of talking.

"I hope the youngster is not going to develop anything serious!"

"I hope not. He is a dear little fellow. It is so sad to see a child
ill."

"It is; but--frankly!" he said, with a slow, grave glance, "I was
thinking more of my friend. He has had more than his share of trouble,
and another spell of anxiety would be hard luck. It's a big strain on a
man to play father _and_ mother to a growing family."

"There is one thing which would be harder! To have no growing family to
look after, and to take his mind off himself."

He looked at me sharply, and as sharply looked away. I had a lightning
impression that I had touched a tender spot, but it passed the next
moment at sound of the perfectly calm, perfectly controlled voice:--

"You think that is so? I should be glad to agree, but Frank has lost an
ideal companion. I did not imagine that such young children could fill
the gap--"

"In a sense they never can, but they fill so many smaller gaps that it
is impossible to think of the big one a