ring to ask for words of comfort but
with all her nerves astrung to receive them: he had none to offer her.

"I'm afraid you're very ill indeed," he said.

"What d'you think it is?"

When he told her she grew deathly pale, and her lips even turned, yellow.
she began to cry, hopelessly, quietly at first and then with choking sobs.

"I'm awfully sorry," he said at last. "But I had to tell you."

"I may just as well kill myself and have done with it."

He took no notice of the threat.

"Have you got any money?" he asked.

"Six or seven pounds."

"You must give up this life, you know. Don't you think you could find some
work to do? I'm afraid I can't help you much. I only get twelve bob a
week."

"What is there I can do now?" she cried impatiently.

"Damn it all, you MUST try to get something."

He spoke to her very gravely, telling her of her own danger and the danger
to which she exposed others, and she listened sullenly. He tried to
console her. At last he brought her to a sulky acquiescence in which she
promised to do all he advised. He wrote a prescription, which he said he
would leave at the nearest chemist's, and he impressed upon her the
necessity of taking her medicine with the utmost regularity. Getting up to
go, he held out his hand.

"Don't be downhearted, you'll soon get over your throat."

But as he went her face became suddenly distorted, and she caught hold of
his coat.

"Oh, don't leave me," she cried hoarsely. "I'm so afraid, don't leave me
alone yet. Phil, please. There's no one else I can go to, you're the only
friend I've ever had."

He felt the terror of her soul, and it was strangely like that terror he
had seen in his uncle's eyes when he feared that he might die. Philip
looked down. Twice that woman had come into his life and made him
wretched; she had no claim upon him; and yet, he knew not why, deep in his
heart was a strange aching; it was that which, when he received her
letter, had left him no peace till he obeyed her summons.

"I suppose I shall never really quite get over it," he said to himself.

What perplexed him was that he felt a curious physical distaste, which
made it uncomfortable for him to be near her.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Let's go out and dine together. I'll pay."

He hesitated. He felt that she was creeping back again into his life when
he thought she was gone out of it for ever. She watched him with sickening
anxiety.

"Oh, I know