‘Can I see her foot?’

‘Certainly.  Olive, dear, will you allow Dr. Reed to see your ankle?’

‘Oh, take care, mamma; you are hurting me!’ shrieked the girl, as Mrs. Barton removed the bedclothes.  At this moment a knock was heard at the door.

‘Who on earth is this?’ cried Mrs. Barton.  ’Alice, will you go and see?  Say that I am engaged, and can attend to nothing now.’

When Alice returned to the bedside she drew her mother imperatively towards the window.  ’Captain Hibbert is waiting in the drawing-room.  He says he must see you.’

At the mention of Captain Hibbert’s name Mrs. Barton’s admirably governed temper showed signs of yielding:  her face contracted and she bit her lips.

’You must go down and see him.  Tell him that Olive is very ill and that the doctor is with her.  And mind you, you must not answer any questions.  Say that I cannot see him, but that I am greatly surprised at his forcing his way into my house after what has passed between us; that I hope he will never intrude himself upon us again; that I cannot have my daughter’s life endangered, and that, if he insists on persecuting us, I shall have to write to his Colonel.’

’Do you not think that father would be the person to make such explanations?’

’You know your father could not be trusted to talk sensibly for five minutes—­at least,’ she said, correcting herself, ’on anything that did not concern painting or singing. . . .  But,’ she continued, following her daughter to the door, ’on second thoughts I do not think it would be advisible to bring matters to a crisis. . . .  I do not know how this affair will affect Olive’s chances, and if he is anxious to marry her I do not see why he should not; . . . she may not be able to get any better.  So you had better, I think, put him off—­pretend that we are very angry, and get him to promise not to try to see or to write to Olive until, let us say, the end of the year.  It will only make him more keen on her.’

When Alice opened the drawing-room door Captain Hibbert rushed forward; his soft eyes were bright with excitement, and his tall figure was thrown into a beautiful pose when he stopped.

‘Oh, I beg your pardon.  Miss Barton.  I had expected your sister.’

‘My sister is very ill in bed, and the doctor is with her.’

‘Ill in bed!’

’Yes, she sprained her ankle last night in attempting to cross the stile in the wood at the end of our lawn.’

’Oh, that was the reason . . . then . . .  Can I see your sister for a few minutes?’

’It is quite impossible; and my mother desires me to say that she is very much surprised that you should come here. . . .  We know all about your attempt to induce Olive to leave her home.’

’Then she has told you?  But if you knew how I love her, you would not blame me.  What else could I do?  Your mother would not let me see her, and she was very unhappy at home; you did not know this, but I did, and if luck hadn’t been against me—­Ah! but what’s the use in talking of luck; luck was against me, or she would have been my wife now.  And what a little thing suffices to blight a man’s happiness in life; what a little, oh, what a little!’ he said, speaking in a voice full of bitterness; and he buried his face in his hands.