room was half full of smoke and entirely unprepared.

"Oh, how miserable!" she exclaimed. "Everard, what shall I do?"

He threw open the door of his own apartment. A bright fire was burning
in the grate, the room was warm and comfortable. She threw herself with
a little cry of delight into the huge Chesterfield drawn up to the edge
of the hearthrug.

"I can stay here, Everard, can't I, until you come up to bed?" she
pleaded. "And then you can sit and talk to me, and tell me who is here
and all about the people. You have no idea how much better I am. All my
music has come back to me, and they say that I play bridge ever so well.
I shall love to help you entertain."

The maid was slowly unfastening her mistress's boots. Rosamund held up
her foot for him to feel.

"See how cold I am!" she complained. "Please rub it. I am going to have
some supper up here with nurse. Will one of you maids please go down
and see about it? What a lot of nice new things you have, Everard!" she
added, looking around. "And that picture of me from the drawing-room, on
the table!" she cried, her eyes suddenly soft with joy. "You dear thing!
What made you bring that up?"

"I wanted to have it here," he told her.

"I'm not so nice as that now," she sighed, a little wistfully.

"Do not believe it," he answered. "You have not changed in the least.
You will be better-looking still when you have been here for a few
months."

She looked at him almost shyly--tenderly, yet still with that gleam of
aloofness in her eyes.

"I think," she murmured, "I shall be just what you want me to be. I
think you could make me just what you want. Be very kind to me, please,"
she begged, stretching her arms out to him. "I suppose it is because I
have been ill so long, but I feel so helpless, and I love your strength
and I want you to take care of me. Your own hands are quite cold," she
added anxiously. "You look pale, too. You're not ill, Everard?"

"I am very well," he assured her, struggling to keep his voice
steady. "Forgive me now, won't you, if I hurry away. There are guests
here--rather important guests. To-morrow you must come and see them
all."

"And help you?"

"And help me."

Dominey made his escape and went reeling down the corridor. At the top
of the great quadrangular landing he stopped and stood with half-closed
eyes for several moments. From downstairs he could hear the sound of
pleasantly raised voices, the music of a piano in the dis