ld it not be well," said Mrs. Vane quietly, "to send a trained nurse
here too? There is a woman whom I know; she would be very glad to come,
and she would relieve that young lady of the more painful and onerous
portions of her task. I mean, dear," she said, looking towards her
husband, "old Mrs. Meldreth's daughter--Sabina. She is an efficient
nurse, and she has nothing to do just now."

"Has she had experience in cases of brain-disease?" said Doctor
Middlemass snappishly.

"I really do not know." She knew perfectly well that Sabina's knowledge
of nursing was of the most perfunctory kind. "She has had experience of
all kinds of illness, I believe, and she is thoroughly trustworthy. She
could be installed here as an attendant on Miss--Miss West."

Attendant! "As spy" she meant, on all poor Cynthia's movements.

"I should like to see the woman first," said the doctor bluntly. He was
not easy to manage, as Flossy swiftly perceived. "If she is competent
for the task, I have no objection--Miss West must not be allowed to
overdo herself; but I myself should prefer to send a person who is
accustomed to deal with illnesses of this kind."

"As you please, of course," said Flossy. She saw that it would be of no
use to press Sabina Meldreth upon him, much as she would have liked to
secure the services of a spy and an informer in the house. As she
paused, the General came forward.

"I should like to know, sir," he said, bristling with indignation, "what
you mean by saying that that young lady--that girl--has a right to be
here? I do not understand such language?"

"Why, of course she has a right to be here," said the doctor, staring at
him in a purposely matter-of-fact way, "since she is the lady that he is
engaged to marry."

"Marry! Bless my soul--no such thing!" roared the General, utterly
forgetting that there was an invalid in the adjoining room. "Why, he's
going to marry my----"

"Dear Richard, hush, hush!" said his wife, laying her hand entreatingly
upon his arm. "Don't make such a noise--think of poor Hubert!"

"Kindly moderate your voice, sir," was the doctor's dry remark. "My
patient will hear you if you don't take care."

"It does not matter to me whether he hears me or not," the General
began; but Flossy's hand tightened its grasp upon his arm in a way which
he knew that he must obey.

The General was a docile husband, and his protest died away in
inarticulate angry murmurs.

"Don't trouble about it, Gen