body
moving from its intense stillness.

"Mr Bellingham?" asked he, astonished at the name.

"Mr Donne, I mean," said she, hurriedly. "His name was Bellingham."

"Oh! I remember hearing he had changed his name for some property.
But you must not think of any more such work just now. You are not
fit for it. You are looking as white as ashes."

"I must go," she repeated.

"Nonsense! Here's a man who can pay for the care of the first
hospital nurses in London--and I doubt if his life is worth the risk
of one of theirs even, much more of yours."

"We have no right to weigh human lives against each other."

"No! I know we have not. But it's a way we doctors are apt to get
into; and, at any rate, it's ridiculous of you to think of such a
thing. Just listen to reason."

"I can't! I can't!" cried she, with sharp pain in her voice. "You
must let me go, dear Mr Davis!" said she, now speaking with soft
entreaty.

"No!" said he, shaking his head authoritatively. "I'll do no such
thing."

"Listen," said she, dropping her voice, and going all over the
deepest scarlet; "he is Leonard's father! Now! you will let me go!"

Mr Davis was indeed staggered by what she said, and for a moment he
did not speak. So she went on:

"You will not tell! You must not tell! No one knows, not even Mr
Benson, who it was. And now--it might do him so much harm to have it
known. You will not tell!"

"No! I will not tell," replied he. "But, Mrs Denbigh, you must answer
me this one question, which I ask you in all true respect, but which
I must ask, in order to guide both myself and you aright--of course
I knew Leonard was illegitimate--in fact, I will give you secret for
secret: it was being so myself that first made me sympathise with
him, and desire to adopt him. I knew that much of your history; but
tell me, do you now care for this man? Answer me truly--do you love
him?"

For a moment or two she did not speak; her head was bent down; then
she raised it up, and looked with clear and honest eyes into his
face.

"I have been thinking--but I do not know--I cannot tell--I don't
think I should love him, if he were well and happy--but you said he
was ill--and alone--how can I help caring for him?--how can I help
caring for him?" repeated she, covering her face with her hands, and
the quick hot tears stealing through her fingers. "He is Leonard's
father," continued she, looking up at Mr Davis suddenly. "He need not
know--he shall not--that