ee, compared with this, so she hasn't much chance, and as she starves
herself half the time that won't make things any better."

"She must have some woman to look after her. I suppose the landlady
here will be no good?"

"Not unless you pay her.--Who's going to do that?"

"There's Estelle."

"Estelle!" Emile exploded a fierce Russian oath. "Do you want _more_
hysterics?" Vardri was tramping up and down the room with the
noiseless agility of an animal, his fingers mechanically at work at a
cigarette.

"She must have a doctor too. Isn't there an English doctor here?"

"Probably. Do you propose to pay him too?"

The dryly sarcastic voice, the practical question brought Vardri down
from the clouds to the hard facts of life. Illnesses and doctors were
expensive things. He had no money, and Emile very little.

"I'll get a _Soeur de Charite_ from one of the convents. She'll come
for nothing. Nursing is their work. I was--I mean I'm a Catholic.
She's a Catholic, too, isn't she?"

"No, she hates them. She was educated in a convent, where as far as I
can gather from her own account she acquired more learning than piety.
Under the present circumstances I can only suggest the horse-doctor."

"What's the use of--?"

"I believe he began by doctoring human beings, but like the rest of us
out here, he is a little under a cloud. He prefers animals now. They
don't tell tales. Human beings do. Besides, he's English, or rather,
Irish. Better go and tell him to come up. You know his rooms. Tell
him it's infectious, and he can bring up a few cigarettes for me if he
feels generous. Don't trouble about your _Soeur de Charite_. I'll see
that the woman here makes herself useful."

Vardri flung himself out of the room and down the rickety stairs at
breakneck speed, thankful beyond measure for the relief of action.

Emile subsided into a chair and smoked furiously and meditated upon the
untoward situation. Being of a practical turn of mind he began to make
calculations. Vardri had told him briefly of how Arithelli had failed
in the trick-riding, fallen off her horse, and been hissed out of the
ring. The loss of popularity might mean the end of her career. In any
case he could see she was desperately ill, and there was small chance
of her being about under three weeks, and even then she would not be
able to work at once. Meanwhile they had exactly two pounds a week to
live upon.

Truly women added to the c