It was at this moment, Jennie, that the suspicion entered my soul, that I had been wrong in letting her enjoy so much of the society of this young man, who is certainly a fine, attractive fellow when in his right mind.  Isn’t it wonderful how young people become attracted by one another, and their heads and hearts get filled while we old people can only worry, for whether they choose well or ill it always ends in our being left alone.

I noticed that Frenchy and Sammy were not among the people who crowded about us to say good-by.  I looked for them in vain, and was a bit hurt that they should be absent, for we have become very fond of them.  Helen was also searching the friendly faces, and I knew that she missed them.

Her head was held high up, and but for the little curling up of her lip, in which her teeth bit hard, she would have looked a picture of serene indifference.  We were nearing Frenchy’s shack, in front of which the path leads to the cove, and finally we were opposite the ramshackle place.  It must be very dreadful to a girl, who has learned to admire a man, perhaps even to love him, to discover that her idol has feet of clay.  She had allowed the best of her nature, I could see it now, to be drawn in admiration and regard towards a man she deemed unworthy.  That odor of the fish-houses had always been bad enough before, but now it seemed to rise in her nostrils and sicken her.  And now, Jennie, I can only repeat Puck’s words, “What fools we mortals be!”

That man Frenchy rushed out of the door as we were going by.  His face looked as if he had been suffering tortures.

“Please, please!” he cried.  “Come, vite, heem Docteur hawful seek.  Me no can stan’ it no more!  You so good in de las’ night, mademoiselle, now please come in, for de lofe of le bon Dieu!”

And then the strain that had been on the heart of my poor girl seemed to give way, suddenly.  The tension was released, like a powerful spring, and the hardness went out of her face.  She dropped my arm and dashed past the man who sought her help, and entered the place, where I followed as fast as my leg would let me.

First she looked towards the child, which I suppose she expected to see under a sheet that would have just revealed the stark little form, but the little thing was smiling at her, weakly.

“Je vous aime bien” he said.

Then her eyes filled with tears, and she turned towards the man who, with a gesture of his hand, had swept her from his path.  He had arisen on her entrance, and leaned hard on the back of the chair.  To my surprise he spoke quite composedly, and I realized I had made an awful mistake.

“This is all wrong, Miss Jelliffe,” he said.  “I tried to prevent Yves from calling you.  The child has diphtheria and you must leave at once.”

The man’s voice was frightfully hoarse, and he unconsciously put his hand up to his throat.  She looked at him without answering.  Then she went up to the little table and picked up a small vial she had noticed.