He stopped at the foot of the bed; and Holly, as if conscious of his eyes fixed on her, stirred, sighed, and curled up closer in defence.  He tiptoed on and passed out into the dark passage; reached his room, undressed at once, and stood before a mirror in his night-shirt.  What a scarecrow—­with temples fallen in, and thin legs!  His eyes resisted his own image, and a look of pride came on his face.  All was in league to pull him down, even his reflection in the glass, but he was not down—­yet!  He got into bed, and lay a long time without sleeping, trying to reach resignation, only too well aware that fretting and disappointment were very bad for him.

He woke in the morning so unrefreshed and strengthless that he sent for the doctor.  After sounding him, the fellow pulled a face as long as your arm, and ordered him to stay in bed and give up smoking.  That was no hardship; there was nothing to get up for, and when he felt ill, tobacco always lost its savour.  He spent the morning languidly with the sun-blinds down, turning and re-turning The Times, not reading much, the dog Balthasar lying beside his bed.  With his lunch they brought him a telegram, running thus: 

’Your letter received coming down this afternoon will be with you at four-thirty.  Irene.’

Coming down!  After all!  Then she did exist—­and he was not deserted.  Coming down!  A glow ran through his limbs; his cheeks and forehead felt hot.  He drank his soup, and pushed the tray-table away, lying very quiet until they had removed lunch and left him alone; but every now and then his eyes twinkled.  Coming down!  His heart beat fast, and then did not seem to beat at all.  At three o’clock he got up and dressed deliberately, noiselessly.  Holly and Mam’zelle would be in the schoolroom, and the servants asleep after their dinner, he shouldn’t wonder.  He opened his door cautiously, and went downstairs.  In the hall the dog Balthasar lay solitary, and, followed by him, old Jolyon passed into his study and out into the burning afternoon.  He meant to go down and meet her in the coppice, but felt at once he could not manage that in this heat.  He sat down instead under the oak tree by the swing, and the dog Balthasar, who also felt the heat, lay down beside him.  He sat there smiling.  What a revel of bright minutes!  What a hum of insects, and cooing of pigeons!  It was the quintessence of a summer day.  Lovely!  And he was happy—­happy as a sand-boy, whatever that might be.  She was coming; she had not given him up!  He had everything in life he wanted—­except a little more breath, and less weight—­just here!  He would see her when she emerged from the fernery, come swaying just a little, a violet-grey figure passing over the daisies and dandelions and ‘soldiers’ on the lawn—­the soldiers with their flowery crowns.  He would not move, but she would come up to him and say:  ’Dear Uncle Jolyon, I am sorry!’ and sit in the swing and let him look at her and tell her that he had not been very well but was all right now; and that dog would lick her hand.  That dog knew his master was fond of her; that dog was a good dog.