nbosomed himself.

His effort to follow the regimen medically prescribed to him was even
now futile. At the end of a week's time, imagining himself somewhat
better, he resumed his daily walk to Camberwell Road, but remained at
the warehouse only till two or three o'clock, then returned and sat
alone in his room. On one of the first days of July, when the weather
was oppressively hot, he entered the house about noon, and in a few
minutes rang his bell. Mary Woodruff came to him. He was sitting on the
couch, pale, wet with perspiration, and exhausted.

'I want something to drink,' he said wearily, without raising his eyes.

'Will you have the lime-water, sir?'

'Yes--what you like.'

Mary brought it to him, and he drank two large glasses, with no pause.

'Where is Nancy?'

'In town, sir. She said she would be back about four.'

He made an angry movement.

'What's she doing in town? She said nothing to me. Why doesn't she come
back to lunch? Where does she go to for all these hours?'

'I don't know, sir.'

The servant spoke in a low, respectful voice, looking at her master with
eyes that seemed to compassionate him.

'Well, it doesn't matter.' He waved a hand, as if in dismissal.
'Wait--if I'm to be alone, I might as well have lunch now. I feel
hungry, as if I hadn't eaten anything for twenty-four hours. Get me
something, Mary.'

Later in the afternoon his bell again sounded, and Mary answered it. As
he did not speak at once,--he was standing by the window with his hands
behind him,--she asked him his pleasure.

'Bring me some water, Mary, plain drinking-water.'

She returned with a jug and glass, and he took a long draught.

'No, don't go yet. I want to--to talk to you about things. Sit down
there for a minute.'

He pointed to the couch, and Mary, with an anxious look, obeyed him.

'I'm thinking of leaving this house, and going to live in the country.
There's no reason why I shouldn't. My partner can look after the
business well enough.'

'It might be the best thing you could do, sir. The best for your
health.'

'Yes, it might. I'm not satisfied with things. I want to make a decided
change, in every way.'

His face had grown more haggard during the last few days, and his eyes
wandered, expressing fretfulness or fear; he spoke with effort, and
seemed unable to find the words that would convey his meaning.

'Now I want you to tell me plainly, what do you think of Nancy?'

'Think of her, sir?'