“No; by the time I could get my hat on she had heard it, poor thing, and was gone to Backsworth; for he’s there, in the county gaol; was taken at the station, I believe; I don’t half understand it.”

Her manner was indeed strange and flighty; and though she recurred to questions about the Ordination and the Bowaters, Julius perceived that she was forcing her attention to the answers as if trying to stave off his inquiries, and he came to closer quarters.  “How is Terry?  Has Dr. Worth been here?”

“Yes; but not till very late.  He says he never was so busy.”

“Rosamond, what is it?  What did he say of Terry?”

“He said”—­she drew a long breath—­“he says it is the Water Lane fever.”

“Terry, my dear—­”

She held him down with a hand on his shoulder—­

“Be quiet.  Finish your dinner.  Dr. Worth said the great point was to keep strong, and not be overdone, nor to go into infected air tired and hungry.  I would not have let you come in if there had been any help for it; and now I’ll not have you go near him till you’ve made a good meal.”

“You must do the same then.  There, eat that slice, or I won’t;” and as she allowed him to place it on her plate, “What does he call it—­ not typhus?”

“He can’t tell yet; he does not know whether it is infectious or only epidemic; and when he heard how the dear boy had been for days past at the Exhibition at the town-hall, and drinking lots of iced water on Saturday, he seemed to think it quite accounted for.  He says there is no reason that in this good air he should not do very well; but, oh, Julius, I wish I had kept him from that horrid place.  They left him in my charge!”

“There is no reason to distress yourself about that, my Rose.  He was innocently occupied, and there was no cause to expect harm.  There’s all good hope for him, with God’s blessing.  Who is with him now?”

“Cook is there now.  Both the maids were so kind and hearty, declaring they would do anything, and were not afraid; and I can manage very well with their help.  You know papa had a low fever at Montreal, and mamma and I nursed him through it, so I know pretty well what to do.”

“But how about the baby?”

“Emma came back before the doctor came, crying piteously, poor child, as if she had had a sufficient lesson; so I said she might stay her month on her good behaviour, and now we could not send her out of the house.  I have brought the nursery down to the spare room, and in the large attic, with plenty of disinfecting fluid, we can, as the doctor said, isolate the fever.  He is quiet and sleepy, and I do not think it will be hard to manage, if you will only be good and conformable.”

“I don’t promise, if that means that you are to do everything and I nothing.  When did Worth see him?”

“Not till five o’clock:  and he would not have come at all, if Anne had not sent in some one from the Hall when she saw how anxious I was.  He would not have come otherwise; he is so horribly busy, with lots of cases at Wil’sboro’.  Now, if you have done, you may come and see my boy.”