folded her tight and
made her submit to the perspiration against which, in convulsive
starts, she fought and strove, crying that she was suffocating, she
was too hot, too hot.

"Lie still, lie still," said Alvina. "You must keep warm."

Poor Madame moaned. How she hated seething in the bath of her own
perspiration. Her wilful nature rebelled strongly. She would have
thrown aside her coverings and gasped into the cold air, if Alvina
had not pressed her down with that soft, inevitable pressure.

So the hours passed, till about one o'clock, when the perspiration
became less profuse, and the patient was really better, really
quieter. Then Alvina went downstairs for a moment. She saw the light
still burning in the front room. Tapping, she entered. There sat Max
by the fire, a picture of misery, with Louis opposite him, nodding
asleep after his tears. On the sofa Geoffrey snored lightly, while
Ciccio sat with his head on the table, his arms spread out, dead
asleep. Again she noticed the tender, dusky Mediterranean hands, the
slender wrists, slender for a man naturally loose and muscular.

"Haven't you gone to bed?" whispered Alvina. "Why?"

Louis started awake. Max, the only stubborn watcher, shook his head
lugubriously.

"But she's better," whispered Alvina. "She's perspired. She's
better. She's sleeping naturally."

Max stared with round, sleep-whitened, owlish eyes, pessimistic and
sceptical:

"Yes," persisted Alvina. "Come and look at her. But don't wake her,
whatever you do."

Max took off his slippers and rose to his tall height. Louis, like a
scared chicken, followed. Each man held his slippers in his hand.
They noiselessly entered and peeped stealthily over the heaped
bedclothes. Madame was lying, looking a little flushed and very
girlish, sleeping lightly, with a strand of black hair stuck to her
cheek, and her lips lightly parted.

Max watched her for some moments. Then suddenly he straightened
himself, pushed back his brown hair that was brushed up in the
German fashion, and crossed himself, dropping his knee as before an
altar; crossed himself and dropped his knee once more; and then a
third time crossed himself and inclined before the altar. Then he
straightened himself again, and turned aside.

Louis also crossed himself. His tears burst out. He bowed and took
the edge of a blanket to his lips, kissing it reverently. Then he
covered his face with his hand.

Meanwhile Madame slept lightly and in