could give her as much as she might forego,—­but Vandervelde somehow didn’t relish the idea.  That girl Gracie, lingering on in the hospital ward, had brought the real Peter Champneys poignantly close to his trustee.  He couldn’t help thinking that if Anne could know that real Peter, there might be a hope that old Chadwick’s judgment would be once more vindicated.  At the same time, he cared a great deal for Berkeley Hayden, and the latter wanted Anne.  And when Hayden wanted anything, he generally got it.  What Anne herself thought, or what she might know, he couldn’t determine.  And Marcia, when he ventured to speak to her about the matter, said cryptically: 

“Why worry?  What is to be, will be.  Kismet, Jason, kismet!”

* * * * *

On a certain afternoon the house-physician telephoned Mr. Vandervelde that the girl Gracie was very low, and that she had asked for him.  Vandervelde finished the letter he was dictating to his secretary, gave a few further instructions to that faithful animal, and had himself driven to the hospital.  He couldn’t explain his feelings where Gracie was concerned.  There was something to blame, somewhere, for these Gracies.  It made him feel a bit remorseful, as if he and his sort had left something undone.

The house-physician said that Gracie’s hold upon life was a mystery and a miracle; by all the laws she should have been gone some months since.  She had certainly taken her time about dying!  Her little, sharp, immature face had lost all earthliness; only the eyes were alive.  They looked at Vandervelde gratefully.  He had been very kind, and Gracie was trying to thank him.

“Good-by,” said Gracie.  “You been white.  Tell him—­I couldn’t never forget him.”  She put out a claw of a hand, and the big man took it.

“Is there—­anything else I can do for you, Gracie?  Isn’t there something you’d like?” The business of seeing Gracie go wasn’t at all pleasant.

Her eyes of a sudden sparkled.  She smiled.

“There’s one thing I been wanting awful bad.  But I ain’t sure I ought to ask.”

“Tell me, my child, tell me.”

“I want to see her,” said Gracie, unexpectedly.

“Her?”

“His wife.  I got no right to ast, but I want somethin’ awful to see his wife.  Just once before I—­I go, I want to see her.”

Vandervelde felt bewildered.  He had never spoken of Gracie to Marcia, or to Anne.  They were so far removed from this poor little derelict that he was not sure they would understand.  He said after a moment’s painful reflection: 

“My poor child, I will see what I can do.  But if I—­that is, if she—­” He paused, not knowing exactly how to put his dilemma into words without wounding her.  But Gracie understood.

“You mean if she won’t come?  That’s what I want to know,” said she, enigmatically.  So weak was she that with the words on her lips she dropped into sudden slumber.  He stood looking down upon her irresolutely.  Then he tiptoed away, meeting at the door the house-physician.