nce over the two women
seated at the table. After a sonorous blessing, uttered by Mrs.
Stoddard in tones full of unction, she and Agatha ate supper in a
sympathetic silence. It was a meal upon which Sallie Kingsbury
expended her best powers as cook, with no mean results; but nobody took
much notice of it, after all. Mrs. Stoddard poured her tea into her
saucer, drinking and eating absent-mindedly. Her face lighted with
something very like a smile whenever she caught Agatha's eyes, but to
her talk was not necessary. Sallie hovered around the door, even
though Lizzie had condescended to put on a white apron and serve. But
Agatha sent the city maid away, bidding her wait on the people in the
sick-room instead.

Mr. Hand had been left with the patient and had acquiesced in the plan
to stay on duty until midnight, when Mrs. Stoddard was to be called.
Agatha had spent an hour with James, helping Mrs. Stoddard, or watching
the patient while the nurse made many necessary trips to the kitchen.
The sight of James's woeful plight drove every thought from her mind.
Engagements and managers lost their reality, and became shadow memories
beside the vividness of his desperate need. He had no knowledge of
her, or of any efforts to secure his comfort. He talked incessantly,
sometimes in a soft, unintelligible murmur, sometimes in loud and
emphatic tones. His eyes were brilliant but wandering, his movements
were abrupt or violent, heedless or feeble, as the moment decreed. He
talked about the dingy, nasty fo'cas'le, the absurdity of his not being
able to get around, the fine outfit of the _Sea Gull_, the chill of the
water. He sometimes swore softly, almost apologetically, and he
uttered most unchristian sentiments toward some person whom he
described as wearing extremely neat and dandified clothes.

After the first five minutes Agatha paid no heed to his words, and
could bear to stay in the room only when she was able to do something
to soothe or comfort him. She was not wholly unfamiliar with illness
and the trouble that comes in its train, but the sight of James, with
his unrecognizing eyes and his wits astray, a superb engine gone wild,
brought a sharp and hitherto unknown pain to her throat. She stood
over his bed, holding his hands when he would reach frenziedly into the
air after some object of his feverish desire; she coaxed him back to
his pillow when he fancied he must run to catch something that was
escaping him