ith his hands in the
pockets of his water-proof, wincing from the weather.

"I'm afraid she will never be able to dance tomorrow," said Alvina.

"You think she won't be able?" he said.

"I'm almost sure she won't."

After which he said nothing, and Alvina also kept silence till they
came to the black dark passage and encumbered yard at the back of
the house.

"I don't think you can see at all," she said. "It's this way." She
groped for him in the dark, and met his groping hand.

"This way," she said.

It was curious how light his fingers were in their clasp--almost
like a child's touch. So they came under the light from the window
of the sitting-room.

Alvina hurried indoors, and the young man followed.

"I shall have to stay with Madame tonight," she explained hurriedly.
"She's feverish, but she may throw it off if we can get her into a
sweat." And Alvina ran upstairs collecting things necessary. Ciccio
stood back near the door, and answered all Miss Pinnegar's
entreaties to come to the fire with a shake of the head and a slight
smile of the lips, bashful and stupid.

"But do come and warm yourself before you go out again," said Miss
Pinnegar, looking at the man as he drooped his head in the distance.
He still shook dissent, but opened his mouth at last.

"It makes it colder after," he said, showing his teeth in a slight,
stupid smile.

"Oh well, if you think so," said Miss Pinnegar, nettled. She
couldn't make heads or tails of him, and didn't try.

When they got back, Madame was light-headed, and talking excitedly
of her dance, her young men. The three young men were terrified.
They had got the blankets scorching hot. Alvina smeared the plasters
and applied them to Madame's side, where the pain was. What a
white-skinned, soft, plump child she seemed! Her pain meant a touch
of pleurisy, for sure. The men hovered outside the door. Alvina
wrapped the poor patient in the hot blankets, got a few spoonfuls of
hot gruel and whiskey down her throat, fastened her down in bed,
lowered the light and banished the men from the stairs. Then she sat
down to watch. Madame chafed, moaned, murmured feverishly. Alvina
soothed her, and put her hands in bed. And at last the poor dear
became quiet. Her brow was faintly moist. She fell into a quiet
sleep, perspiring freely. Alvina watched her still, soothed her when
she suddenly started and began to break out of the bedclothes,
quieted her, pressed her gently, firmly down,