Then she fetched a chopping board and a piece
of raw beef-steak, which she proceeded to cut up into dice and put
into a stone jar until it was crammed full. Her sensitive mouth showed
some shrinking from the rawness, and her white fingers were soon dyed
red; but she prepared the meat none the less carefully for that. When
the jar was filled and the contents seasoned, she put it in the pot on
the stove for the heat to extract the juice.

"What is it going to be to-day?" he asked.

"Beef-jelly," she said. "You must be tired of beef-tea."

"I'm tired of nothing you do for me," he rejoined. "This is the
homiest time I've had in England."

Beth smiled. In spite of poverty, anxiety, and fatigue, it was the
"homiest time" she had had since Aunt Victoria's death, and she loved
it. Now that she had some one she could respect and care for dependent
on her, whose every look and word expressed appreciation of her
devotion, the time never hung heavily on her hands, as it used to do
in the married days that had been so long in the living. It was all as
congenial as it was new to her, this close association with a man of
the highest character and the most perfect refinement. She had never
before realised that there could be such men, so heroic in suffering,
so unselfish, and so good; and this discovery had stimulated her
strangely--filled her with hope, strengthened her love of life, and
made everything seem worth while.

She went on with her work in silence after that last remark of his,
and he continued to watch her with all an invalid's interest in the
little details of his narrow life.

"It would be a real relief to me to be able to get up and do all that
for you," he finally observed. "I don't feel much of a man lying here
and letting you work for me."

"This is woman's work," Beth said.

"Woman's work and man's work are just anything they can do for each
other," he rejoined. "I wonder if I should get on any quicker with a
change of treatment. Resignation is generally prescribed for
rheumatism, and a variety of drugs which distract attention from the
seat of pain to other parts of the person, and so relieve the mind. My
head is being racked just now by that last dose I took. I should like
to try Salisbury."

"What is Salisbury?" Beth asked.

"Principally beef and hot water, to begin with," he replied. "You'll
find a little work on the subject among my books."

Beth read the volume, and then said, "You shall try Sali