pelessly, he flung himself out of bed and
made another attempt at unscrewing the flask. Once more in vain. Well,
he did not want to disturb the household, but even consideration had its
limits. He would go and knock up Suffield.

Sick with pain and exhaustion, he made for the door; but before he
reached it, to his surprise it opened--opened softly.

"Roden, darling! Where are you?" whispered a voice.

"Good God!--Mona!" was all he could ejaculate, in his unbounded
astonishment.

"Something told me you were in pain, and wretchedly ill," she whispered,
her voice shaking with a thrill of tenderness. "And you are. I came to
see what I could do for you."

"Just this, Mona," was the firm reply. "Go back to your room at once.
Good God! Only think! Supposing any one were to hear you! Heavens! it
would be too awful."

In the light of the newly risen moon he could distinguish the soft,
velvety gleam in her eyes, that wondrous kindling of her face into a
love-light which rendered it strangely beautiful. She wore a white
clinging dressing-gown, which set off the lines of her splendid form,
and as she stood thus before him, Roden Musgrave would not have been
human if he had remained unmoved.

"Mona, Mona, why are you doing this?" he whispered, his voice slightly
thrown off its balance. Then encircling her with his uninjured arm, he
kissed the lips uplifted to his. And at the same time, while her eyes
closed, and she nestled against him with a long, shuddering sigh of
contentment, he recognised that on his part this was not love.

"But--how selfish I am, keeping you standing like this!" she said
suddenly. "I can tell by your very voice that you are in pain."

"I am that. But go back at once to your room."

"Not yet. I am here now; and I want to do something for you, and I
will."

"Then see if you can unscrew this infernal flask. I've been trying hard
at it all night, but can't do anything with only one hand."

She took the recalcitrant flask. A firm hold, a vigorous grip with her
strong, lithe fingers--the stopper came off in the most provokingly easy
manner.

"Ah, I feel better now!" he said, after a liberal admixture of its
contents with a little water. "And now, Mona, having done guardian
angel to very considerable purpose, you must go."

"Not even yet. I am going to do guardian angel to more purpose still.
You must try and get some sleep. You are hot and feverish; but see, I
have brought a f