at rest. Henrietta's pain
had not, he thought, served any good purpose; but he did not want to
say so, lest he should acquire a reputation for impiety and lose his
practice. He believed that the general practitioner who attended the
family, and had called him in when the case grew serious, had treated
Henrietta unskilfully, but professional etiquette bound him so strongly
that, sooner than betray his colleague's inefficiency, he would have
allowed him to decimate London.

"One word more," said Trefusis. "Did she know that she was dying?"

"No. I considered it best that she should not be informed of her danger.
She passed away without any apprehension."

"Then one can think of it with equanimity. She dreaded death, poor
child. The wonder is that there was not enough folly in the household to
prevail against your good sense."

The physician bowed and took his leave, esteeming himself somewhat
fortunate in escaping without being reproached for his humanity in
having allowed Henrietta to die unawares.

A moment later the general practitioner entered. Trefusis, having
accompanied the consulting physician to the door, detected the family
doctor in the act of pulling a long face just outside it. Restraining a
desire to seize him by the throat, he seated himself on the edge of the
table and said cheerfully:

"Well, doctor, how has the world used you since we last met?"

The doctor was taken aback, but the solemn disposition of his features
did not relax as he almost intoned: "Has Sir Francis told you the sad
news, Mr. Trefusis?"

"Yes. Frightful, isn't it? Lord bless me, we're here to-day and gone
to-morrow."

"True, very true!"

"Sir Francis has a high opinion of you."

The doctor looked a little foolish. "Everything was done that could be
done, Mr. Trefusis; but Mrs. Jansenius was very anxious that no stone
should be left unturned. She was good enough to say that her sole reason
for wishing me to call in Sir Francis was that you should have no cause
to complain."

"Indeed!"

"An excellent mother! A sad event for her! Ah, yes, yes! Dear me! A very
sad event!"

"Most disagreeable. Such a cold day too. Pleasanter to be in heaven than
here in such weather, possibly."

"Ah!" said the doctor, as if much sound comfort lay in that. "I hope so;
I hope so; I do not doubt it. Sir Francis did not permit us to tell her,
and I, of course, deferred to him. Perhaps it was for the best."

"You would have told her, then,