“Dear sir, Let nothing prevent your coming to me to-morrow,” he dictated; “I want to make my will.  It is important that affairs be not left in confusion.  Yours truly.  Give me the pen,” he went on, in the same breath.  “I can sign as well as ever.  Now go you yourself and put this in the post.  I do not trust that woman—­they all stop and gossip, and I want this to go by the next despatch.”

Katherine, always thankful to be in the air, went readily enough.  She was distressed to find how the nervous uneasiness of yesterday was growing on her.  The perpetual companionship of the grim old skeleton, her uncle, was making her morbid, she thought; she must ask leave to go and spend a day at home to see how her mother was getting on, to refresh herself by a game of romps with the children.  Why, she felt absolutely growing old!

When she re-entered the house she found, much to her satisfaction, that the doctor was with Mr. Liddell; and after laying aside her out-door dress, she went to the parlor.

“I have been advising Mr. Liddell to try the effect of a few glasses of champagne,” said the former, who was looking rather grave, Katherine thought.  “But as there is none in his cellar, he objects.  Now you must help me to persuade him.  I am going on to a patient in Regent’s Park, and shall pass a very respectable wine-merchant’s on my way; so I shall just take the law into my own hands and order a couple of bottles for you.  Consider it medicine.  It is wonderful how much more generally champagne is used than when you and I were young, my dear sir!” etc., etc., he went on, with professional cheerfulness.  But Mr. Liddell did not heed him much.

“He is very weak.  The action of the heart is extremely feeble,” said the doctor, when Katherine followed him to the door.  “Try and make him take the champagne.”

Another day dragged through; then Katherine, rather worn with the constant involuntary sense of watching which had strained her nerves all day, slept soundly and dreamlessly.  She woke early next morning, and was soon dressed.  Mrs. Knapp reported Mr. Liddell to be still slumbering.

“But law, miss, he have had a bad night—­the worst yet, I think.  He was dreaming and tossing from side to side, and then he would scream out words I couldn’t understand.  I made him take some wine between two and three, but I do not think he knew me a bit.  I have had a dreadful night of it.”

Katherine expressed her sympathy, and did what she could to lighten the good woman’s labors.

Mr. Liddell, however, though he looked ghastly, seemed rather stronger than usual.  He insisted on getting up, and came into the sitting-room about eleven.

It was a cold morning, with a thick, drizzling rain.  Katherine made up the fire to a cheerful glow, and by her uncle’s directions placed pen, ink and paper on the small table he always had beside him.  Then he uttered the accustomed commanding “Read,” and Katherine read.