a sardonic grin; he rubbed the palm
of one hand with the finger of the other. "Mr. Treffry made me give
him whisky afterwards, and he had no money to pay the bill--that I know
because I paid it. Well, M'mselle, to-day he would be dressed and very
slowly we came as far as Auer; there he could do no more, so went to
bed. He is not well at all."

Christian was overwhelmed by forebodings; the rest of the journey was
made in silence, except when Barbi, a country girl, filled with the
delirium of railway travel, sighed: "Ach! gnadige Fraulein!" looking at
Christian with pleasant eyes.

At once, on arriving at the little hostel, Christian went to see her
uncle. His room was darkened, and smelt of beeswax.

"Ah! Chris," he said, "glad to see you."

In a blue flannel gown, with a rug over his feet, he was lying on a
couch lengthened artificially by chairs; the arm he reached out issued
many inches from its sleeve, and showed the corded veins of the wrist.
Christian, settling his pillows, looked anxiously into his eyes.

"I'm not quite the thing, Chris," said Mr. Treffry. "Somehow, not quite
the thing. I'll come back with you to-morrow."

"Let me send for Dr. Dawney, Uncle?"

"No--no! Plenty of him when I get home. Very good young fellow, as
doctors go, but I can't stand his puddin's--slops and puddin's, and all
that trumpery medicine on the top. Send me Dominique, my dear--I'll put
myself to rights a bit!" He fingered his unshaven cheek, and clutched
the gown together on his chest. "Got this from the landlord. When you
come back we'll have a little talk!"

He was asleep when she came into the room an hour later. Watching his
uneasy breathing, she wondered what it was that he was going to say.

He looked ill! And suddenly she realised that her thoughts were not of
him.... When she was little he would take her on his back; he had built
cocked hats for her and paper boats; had taught her to ride; slid
her between his knees; given her things without number; and taken his
payment in kisses. And now he was ill, and she was not thinking of him!
He had been all that was most dear to her, yet before her eyes would
only come the vision of another.

Mr. Treffry woke suddenly. "Not been asleep, have I? The beds here are
infernal hard."

"Uncle Nic, won't you give me news of him?"

Mr. Treffry looked at her, and Christian could not bear that look.

"He's safe into Italy; they aren't very keen after him, it's so long
ago; I s