lar nurse: only step in now and then to give him his physic,
or change the wet cloths on his burning head."

Mrs. Jones found her voice. The enormous impudence of the surgeon's
request had caused its temporary extinction.

"I'd see Pike in his coffin before I'd go a-nigh him as a nurse! What on
earth will you be asking next, Mr. Hillary?"

"I didn't ask you, Mrs. Jones: you have your children to attend to; full
employment for one pair of arms. Mrs. Gum has nothing to do with her
time; and is near at hand besides. Gum, you stand in your place by Dr.
Ashton every Sunday, and read out to us of the loving mercy of God: will
you urge your wife to this little work of charity for His sake?"

Jabez Gum evidently did not know what to answer. On the one hand, he
could hardly go against the precepts he had to respond to as clerk; on
the other, there was his scorn and hatred of the disreputable Arab.

"He's such a loose character, sir," he debated at length.

"Possibly: when he is well. But he is ill now, and could not be loose if
he tried. Some one _must_ go in now and then to see after him: it struck
me that perhaps your wife would do it, for humanity's sake; and I thought
I'd ask her before going further."

"She can do as she likes," said Jabez.

Mrs. Gum--as unresisting in her nature as ever was Percival
Elster--yielded to the prayer of the surgeon, and said she would do
what she could. But she had never shown more nervousness over anything
than she was showing as she gave her answer.

"Then I will step indoors and give you a few plain directions," said the
surgeon. "Mrs. Jones has taken her departure, I perceive."

Mrs. Gum was as good as her word, and went in with dire trepidation.
Calne's sentiments, on the whole, resembled Mrs. Jones's, and the woman
was blamed for her yielding nature. But she contrived, with the help of
Mr. Hillary's skill, to bring the man through the fever; and it was very
singular that no other person out of the Rectory took it.

The last one to take it at the Rectory was Mrs. Ashton. Of the three
servants who had it, one had died; the other two recovered. Mrs. Ashton
did not take it until the rest were well, and she had it lightly. Anne
nursed her and would do so; and it was an additional reason for
prolonging the veto against Lord Hartledon.

One morning in December, Val, in passing down the road, saw the Rectory
turned, as he called it, inside out. Every window was thrown open;
curtains