best to look the big-brother
way of old--"I wish you'd wait a moment. This habit of yours of always
walking up is a beastly one."

"Don't worry about it." There was a sharp, metallic ring in her voice
that made it unnatural. "That's one habit that will soon be broken."

The House Surgeon smiled rather helplessly; inside he was making one of
the few prayers of his life--a prayer to keep Margaret MacLean free of
bitterness. "There is something I want to say to you," he began.

She broke in feverishly: "No, there isn't! And I don't want to hear
it. I don't want to hear you're sorry. I don't want to hear they'll
be taken care of--somewhere--somehow. I think I should scream if you
told me it was bound to happen--or will all turn out for the best."

"I had no intention of saying any of those things--in fact, they hadn't
even entered my mind. What I was going to--"

"Oh, I know. You were going to remind me of what you said this
morning. Almost prophetic, wasn't it?" And there was a strong touch
of irony in her laugh. She turned on him crushingly. "Perhaps you
knew it all along. Perhaps it was your way of letting me down gently."

"See here," said the House Surgeon, bluntly, "that's the second
disagreeable thing you've said to-day. I don't think it's quite
square. Do you?"

"No!" Her lips quivered; her hands reached out toward his impulsively.
"I don't know why I keep saying things I know are not true. I'm
perfectly--unforgivably horrid."

As impulsively he took both hands, turned them palm uppermost, and
kissed them.

[Illustration: Impulsively he took both hands, turned them palm
uppermost, and kissed them.]

She snatched them away; the crimson in her cheeks deepened. "Don't,
please. Your pity only makes it harder. Oh, I don't know what has
happened--here--" And she struck her breast fiercely. "If--if they
send the children away I shall never believe in anything again; the
part of me that has believed and trusted and been glad will stop--it
will break all to pieces." With a hard, dry sob she left him, running
up the remaining stairs to Ward C. She did not see his arms reach
hungrily after her or the great longing in his face.

The House Surgeon turned and went downstairs again.

In the lower corridor he ran across the President, who was looking for
him. With much courtesy and circumlocution he was told the thing he
had been waiting to hear: the board, likewise, had discovered that
Sai