the chance guess
of a wandering mind--but it had hit the truth. Kept in ignorance of
Carmina's illness by the elder members of the family, at what other
conclusion could Ovid arrive, with Zo's letter before him? After a
momentary pause, Mrs. Gallilee went on. "I suppose I may keep the
telegram?" she said.

Prudent Mr. Null offered a copy--and made the copy, then and there.
The original (he explained) was his authority for acting on Mr. Ovid's
behalf, and he must therefore beg leave to keep it. Mrs. Gallilee
permitted him to exchange the two papers. "Is there anything more?" she
asked. "Your time is valuable of course. Don't let me detain you."

"May I feel your pulse before I go?"

She held out her arm to him in silence.

The carriage came to the door while he was counting the beat of the
pulse. She glanced at the window, and said, "Send it away." Mr. Null
remonstrated. "My dear lady, the air will do you good." She answered
obstinately and quietly, "No"--and once more became absorbed in thought.

It had been her intention to combine her first day of carriage exercise
with a visit to Teresa's lodgings, and a personal exertion of her
authority. The news of Ovid's impending return made it a matter of
serious importance to consider this resolution under a new light. She
had now, not only to reckon with Teresa, but with her son. With this
burden on her enfeebled mind--heavily laden by the sense of injury which
her husband's flight had aroused--she had not even reserves enough of
energy to spare for the trifling effort of dressing to go out. She broke
into irritability, for the first time. "I am trying to find out who has
written to my son. How can I do it when you are worrying me about the
carriage? Have you ever held a full glass in your hand, and been afraid
of letting it overflow? That's what I'm afraid of--in my mind--I don't
mean that my mind is a glass--I mean--" Her forehead turned red. _"Will_
you leave me?" she cried.

He left her instantly.

The change in her manner, the difficulty she found in expressing her
thoughts, had even startled stupid Mr. Null. She had herself alluded
to results of the murderous attack made on her by Teresa, which had not
perhaps hitherto sufficiently impressed him. In the shock inflicted
on the patient's body, had there been involved some subtly-working
influence that had disturbed the steady balance of her mind? Pondering
uneasily on that question, he spoke to Joseph in the hall.