I was no use as a sick nurse, and my efforts
to make the room look fit to live in, though meant splendidly, seemed
to me to make the place more uncomfortable and cheerless than ever.

I promised faithfully that I would stay with him during the night, but
he could not make me say that I would not see a doctor, and as soon as
I could I went off and got a man whom I had once met at a smoking
conceit. This doctor was a bustling little man who did not sympathize
with nonsense, and I had to explain a lot of things before I made him
understand that this was a peculiar case.

"What is the good of you sitting up all night, even if it is
necessary," he said to me as we walked from his house to Lomax Street;
"you would certainly go to sleep and do more harm than good."

"Owen has a fairly bad cough," I answered.

"If it is bad enough to keep you awake he ought to have a proper nurse."

"He doesn't want to have a proper nurse, he is rather hard up," I said.

"Pish," was his only answer, but when he got to Owen's rooms I should
think he must have known that I had spoken the truth.

I got leave from the Subby to stay with Owen during the night, but I
cannot say that I was a successful nurse. I took some books with me
because I thought it would be a good opportunity to do some reading,
but of course I went to sleep, and woke up with a snort which would
have made me unpopular in any dormitory in the world. Owen was so much
worse in the morning that he had to be moved out of his wretched
lodgings into a place where he would be properly looked after.

I went back to St. Cuthbert's about eleven o'clock in a state of
horrible depression. I had promised to pay all the expenses of this
illness, and how I was to do it I had not an idea. The year was nearly
over and my funds were exceedingly low, but I could not help making
Owen believe that I had more money than I knew how to spend.

Outside St. Cuthbert's I met Mrs. Faulkner and Nina, and while Mrs.
Faulkner was commenting upon my dejected appearance Nina told me
frankly that I looked dirty.

"I have been up all night," I said, for there was no longer any reason
why I should not explain what had happened.

"We were not in bed until four o'clock," Nina answered proudly.

"What have you been doing?" Mrs. Faulkner asked.

"I have been nursing a man who is ill," I replied.

"Infectious?" Mrs. Faulkner asked breathlessly.

"Pneumonia, double pneumonia, I believe," I answere