“I think you are better to-day,” said she, as his man wheeled his sofa to the bedroom window.  “We shall get you downstairs to-morrow.”

“If you were to get away from this abominable place, I could go down to-day; but I believe I’m to be kept prisoner here for ever.  I shall never get well here, I’m sure.”

He sank back on his sofa in impatient despair.  The surgeon was announced, and eagerly questioned by Mrs. Bellingham as to the possibility of her son’s removal; and he, having heard the same anxiety for the same end expressed by Mrs. Morgan in the regions below, threw no great obstacles in the way.  After the doctor had taken his departure, Mrs. Bellingham cleared her throat several times.  Mr. Bellingham knew the prelude of old, and winced with nervous annoyance.

“Henry, there is something I must speak to you about; an unpleasant subject, certainly, but one which has been forced upon me by the very girl herself; you must be aware to what I refer without giving me the pain of explaining myself.”  Mr. Bellingham turned himself sharply round to the wall, and prepared himself for a lecture by concealing his face from her notice; but she herself was in too nervous a state to be capable of observation.

“Of course,” she continued, “it was my wish to be as blind to the whole affair as possible, though you can’t imagine how Mrs. Mason has blazoned it abroad; all Fordham rings with it but of course it could not be pleasant, or, indeed, I may say correct, for me to be aware that a person of such improper character was under the same—­I beg your pardon, dear Henry, what do you say?”

“Ruth is no improper character, mother; you do her injustice!”

“My dear boy, you don’t mean to uphold her as a paragon of virtue!”

“No, mother, but I led her wrong; I——­”

“We will let all discussions into the cause or duration of her present character drop, if you please,” said Mrs. Bellingham, with the sort of dignified authority which retained a certain power over her son—­a power which originated in childhood, and which he only defied when he was roused into passion.  He was too weak in body to oppose himself to her, and fight the ground inch by inch.  “As I have implied, I do not wish to ascertain your share of blame; from what I saw of her one morning, I am convinced of her forward, intrusive manners, utterly without shame, or even common modesty.”

“What are you referring to?” asked Mr. Bellingham sharply.

“Why, when you were at the worst, and I had been watching you all night, and had just gone out in the morning for a breath of fresh air, this girl pushed herself before me, and insisted upon speaking to me.  I really had to send Mrs. Morgan to her before I could return to your room.  A more impudent, hardened manner, I never saw.”

“Ruth was neither impudent nor hardened; she was ignorant enough, and might offend from knowing no better.”