it, flame to pure flame, the
nameless, innermost essence of Rodney and of Bella. She had known in the
beginning that it was by love that she held them; but now, though she
loved Rodney and had almost lost her pity for Harding in her fear of
him, it was Harding rather than Rodney that she held.

In the morning she woke with a sense, which was almost a memory, of
Harding having been in the room with her all night. She was tired, as if
she had had some long and unrestrained communion with him.

She put away at once the fatigue that pressed on her (the gift still
"worked" in a flash for the effacing of bodily sensation). She told
herself that, after all, her fear had done no harm. Seldom in her
experience of the Power had she had so tremendous a sense of having got
through to it, of having "worked" it, of having held Harding under it
and healed him. For, when all was said and done, whether she had been
afraid of him or not, she had held him, she had never once let go. The
proof was that he still went sane, visibly, indubitably cured.

All the same she felt that she could not go through another day like
yesterday. She could not see him. She wrote a letter to Milly. Since it
concerned Milly so profoundly it was well that Milly should be made to
understand. She hoped that Milly would forgive her if they didn't see
her for the next day or two. If she was to go on (she underlined it) she
must be left absolutely alone. It seemed unkind when they were going so
soon, but--Milly knew--it was impossible to exaggerate the importance of
what she had to do.

Milly wrote back that of course she understood. It should be as Agatha
wished. Only (so Milly "sustained" her) Agatha must not allow herself to
doubt the Power. How could she when she saw what it had done for
Harding. If _she_ doubted, what could she expect of Harding? But of
course she must take care of her own dear self. If she failed--if she
gave way--what on earth would the poor darling do, now that he had
become dependent on her?

She wrote as if it was Agatha's fault that he had become dependent; as
if Agatha had nothing, had nobody in the world to think of but Harding;
as if nobody, as if nothing in the world beside Harding mattered. And
Agatha found herself resenting Milly's view. As if to her anything in
the world mattered beside Rodney Lanyon.

For three days she did not see the Powells.

CHAPTER TEN

The three nights passed as before, but with an increasi