with her," as little Anne had feared? Her limbs seemed to
turn to water at the mere thought of that possible struggle.

But he said quietly the next moment:

"Sophy, the little Harding says that she'll come back here, when her
mother is well enough. That being so, I want to ask you a favour."

"Yes--do!" she said eagerly.

"I want to ask you to take me in hand yourself. You have all the--the
stuff." The lie choked him somehow. He hastened to correct its
literalness though not its import. "I mean nurse said that she was going
to turn it over to you."

"Yes--I have it," said Sophy. Why should her heart beat so? He was only
asking her to do what Anne had asked her.

"Well, then, there _is_ something you can do for me--you can spare me
the humiliation of having some strange wench pottering about, and
bulldozing me with her dirty little professional airs and graces. If
you'll take me in hand yourself, and spare me that, you'll find me
amenable. Will you? Wait a moment," he added, before she could answer.
"It's only fair to give you warning that I will _not_ submit in any case
to having another of these hussies round me. The Harding was bad enough,
but I've got used to her--I rather like her--tough little specimen! She
amuses me. But another--I'll wring her neck before I'll submit to it!
That's my last word on the subject."

* * * * *

Bellamy was much perturbed at this fiat of Chesney. Yet, when he had
thought over it a while, realising the stubborn fixedness of the man's
will and fearing to irritate him unnecessarily, he came to the
conclusion that it was not so dangerous a situation as he had at first
thought. He could trust Sophy, he felt sure, not to be moved by any
pleading on the part of her husband. All the morphia was now in her
possession. There was no other possible means by which Chesney could
obtain the drug. All parcels were opened by Mrs. Chesney or his mother.
Besides, Chesney wrote no letters. He seemed perfectly indifferent about
the post. Such letters as did come for him only bored him. They were all
answered by his wife and Gaynor. Then, too, it was a great concession on
Chesney's part to be willing for Anne Harding's return.

When after two days she wrote that her mother had passed the crisis and
was rapidly improving, that she (Anne) hoped to be able to return to
Dynehurst within three weeks, he felt quite reconciled to the present
arrangement. Sophy reported tha