tended. But I am quite willing--now--to consult Mr. Ingledew a
little."

She sank into a chair as if she were very tired, and for a moment closed
her eyes. Her face was almost colorless, and there were violet tints on
her eyelids and her lips. Mr. Ingledew looked at her gravely and knit
his brows. He knew well that her explanation of Mrs. Vane's words was
quite insufficient. Mrs. Vane had sweetly and solemnly assured him that
she had begged "dear Enid" to see a doctor--Mr. Ingledew or another--and
that she had firmly refused to do so, saying that she felt quite well.
Enid's words did not tally with Mrs. Vane's report at all. The doctor
knew which of the two women he would rather believe.

The General walked away, leaving the patient and the medical man
together. At the close of the interview, which did not last more than a
few minutes, Enid rose with a weary little smile and left the room. The
General came back to Ingledew.

"Well, Ingledew?"--Mr. Ingledew looked grave.

"I should not say that there was anything very serious," he said; "but
Miss Vane certainly requires care. She suffers from palpitation of the
heart and faintness; her pulse is intermittent; she complains of nausea
and dizziness. Without stethoscopic examination I cannot of course be
sure whether there is anything organically wrong; but I should
conclude--judging as well as I can without the aid of auscultation--that
there was some disturbance--functional disturbance--of the heart."

"Heart! Dear, dear--that's very serious, is it not?"

"Oh, not necessarily so! It may be a mere passing derangement produced
by indigestion," said the doctor prosaically. "I will come in again
to-morrow and sound her. I hope it is nothing more than a temporary
indisposition." And so Mr. Ingledew took his leave.

"Mrs. Vane didn't want me to see her!" he said, as he left the house. "I
wonder why?"

Meanwhile Enid, passing out into the hall, had been obliged to stand
still once or twice by reason of the dizziness that threatened to
overcome her. She leaned against the wall until the feeling had gone
off, and then dragged herself slowly up the stairs. She had suffered in
this way only for the last week or two--since Hubert went away. At first
she had thought that the warm spring weather was making her feel weak
and ill; but she did not remember that it had ever done so before. She
had generally revived with the spring, and been stronger and better in
the warmth and sun