’Now tell me what the doctor said.  Did he say I would soon recover?  Did he say that I was very bad?  Tell me all.’

’He said that you ought to have a change—­that you should go south somewhere.’

‘And you agree with him that I ought to go away?’

‘Is he not the best judge?—­the doctor’s orders!’

‘Then you, too, have learnt to hate me.  You, too, want to send me away?’

’My dear Emily, I only want to do as you like.  You asked me what the doctor said, and I told you.’

Hubert got up and walked aside.  He passed his hand across his eyes.  He could hardly contain himself; the emotion that discussion with this sick girl caused him went to his head.  She looked at him curiously, watching his movement, and he failed to understand what pleasure it could give her to have him by her side, knowing, as she clearly did, that his heart was elsewhere.  Turning suddenly, he said—­

’But tell me, Emily, how are you feeling?  You are, after all, the best judge.’

‘I feel rather weak.  I should get strong enough if——­’

She paused, as if waiting for Hubert to ask her to finish the sentence.  But he hurriedly turned the conversation.

’The doctor said you looked as if you had not had any sleep for several nights.  I told him that that was strange, for you were taking chloral.’

‘I sleep well enough,’ she said.  ’But sometimes life seems so sad, that I do not think I shall be able to bear with it any longer.  You do not know how unfortunate I have been.  When I was a child, father and mother used to quarrel always, and I was the only child.  That was why Mr. Burnett asked me to come and live at Ashwood.  I came at first on a visit; and when father and mother died, he said he wished to adopt me.  I thought he loved me; but his love was only selfishness.  No one has ever loved me.  I feel so utterly alone in this world—­that is why I am unhappy.’

Her eyes filled with tears, and at the sight of her tears Hubert’s feelings were overwrought, and again he had to walk aside.  He would give her all things; but she was dying for him, and he could not save her.  No longer was there any disguisement between them.  The words they uttered were as nothing, so clearly did the thought shine out of their eyes, ’I am dying of love for you,’ and then the answer, ’I know that is so, and I cannot help it.’  Her whole soul was spoken in her eyes, and he felt that his eyes betrayed him equally plainly.  They stood in a sort of mental nakedness.  The woman no longer sought for words to cover herself with; the man did, but he did not find them.  They had not spoken for some time; they had been thinking of each other.  At last she said, and with the querulous perversity of the sick—–­

‘But even if I wished to go abroad, with whom could I go?’

Hubert fell into the trap, and, noticing the sudden brightness in his eyes, a cloud of disappointment shadowed hers.  ’Of course, with Mrs. Bentley.  I assure you, my dear Emily, that you——­’