recisely
what I want. It would be ravishing."

Poor Dickie's heart misgave him slightly; but he summoned all his
resolution. He threw off the concealing rug.

"I--I walk very slowly, I'm afraid," he said rather huskily, looking up
at her, while in his expression appeal mingled pathetically with
defiant pride.

"But, so much the better," she replied. "We shall be the longer
together. I shall have the more to observe, to recount."

She was on her feet. She hovered round him, birdlike, intent on his
every movement.

Meanwhile the sound of conversation rose continuous. Lady Calmady,
calling to Julius, had moved away to the great writing-table in the
farther window. Together they searched among a pile of papers for a
letter of Dr. Knott's embodying his scheme of the new hospital at
Westchurch. Mr. Cathcart stood by, expounding his views on the subject.

"Of course a considerable income can be derived from letters of
recommendation," he was saying, "in-patient and out-patient tickets.
The clergy come in there. They cannot be expected to give large
donations. It would be unreasonable to expect that of them."

Mademoiselle de Mirancourt, Mrs. Cathcart, and Mary had drawn their
chairs together. The two elder ladies spoke with a subdued enthusiasm,
discussing pleasant details of the approaching wedding, which promised
the younger lady so glad a future. Mrs. Ormiston chattered; while
Ormiston, listening to her, gazed away down the green length of the elm
avenue, beyond the square lawn and pepper-pot summer-houses, and pitied
men who made such mistakes in the matter of matrimony as his brother
William obviously had. The rose of the sunset faded in the west. Bats
began to flit forth, hawking against the still warm house-walls for
flies.

And so, unobserved, Dickie slipped out of the security of his armchair,
and rose to that sadly deficient full height of his. He was nervous,
and this rendered his balance more than ever uncertain. He shuffled
forward, steadying himself by a piece of furniture here and there in
passing, until he reached the wide open space before the door on to the
stair-head. And it required some fortitude to cross this space, for
here was nothing to lay hold of for support.

Little Helen Ormiston had kept close beside him so far. Now she drew
back, leaving him alone. Leaning against a table, she watched his
laborious progress. Then a fit of uncontrollable laughter took her. She
flew half-way across to t