"

"With her hands? Is she burnt, too, then?"

"Yes--I believe so." Chloe's tone expressed no pity. "She tied up her
hand--the left one--herself, and says it is nothing much."

"I see." Privately Anstice determined to investigate the woman's hurt
before he left the house. "Well--and what then?"

"When we got the flames under we found that Cherry had fainted, and we
telephoned at once for you." She stopped short, taken aback by the
strange expression on his face.

"Yes--and I wish to God I'd heard your call!" Anstice bit his lip
savagely; and Chloe, uncomprehending but compassionate, hastened on with
her story.

"You couldn't help being ill! Iris told me how your maids were all in
the Park watching the fireworks--and then when my brother and Iris came
down you were too ill to come. Are you better now?"

"So they went for Willows and brought him back with them?" He
disregarded her question--possibly did not hear it.

"Yes, and as I have told you he was most kind. But of course Cherry did
not know him, and she kept on crying for you----"

Chloe, who had intended the last words kindly, thinking to please him by
this proof of the child's affection for him, was aghast at the result of
her speech.

"Mrs. Carstairs, for God's sake don't tell me that!" Anstice's voice
almost frightened her, so bitter, so full of remorse was it. "It only
wanted _that_ to make the horror complete--the knowledge that I failed a
little child in her need!"

"The horror?" She stared at him. "I don't understand."

"No, and there's no reason why you should." With a great effort he
resumed his ordinary tone. "Mrs. Carstairs, forgive me. I ... as you
know--I was--ill--last night, and I'm not quite myself this morning.
But"--he turned the subject resolutely--"what I want to say is this.
Cherry will need very careful nursing for some days, and I think it will
be well for me to send you a nurse."

Chloe received the suggestion rather dubiously.

"Do you think it is really necessary?" she said at length. "I'm as
strong as a horse, and as for Tochatti, I'm afraid she wouldn't like to
feel herself superseded. She is devoted to Cherry, you know, and she is
a very jealous woman."

"Yes," he said, "but even although you and Tochatti are ready to give
yourselves up to the child, in a case of this sort skill is wanted as
well as affection." He smiled to soften the harshness of his words, and
Chloe inconsequently thought that he looked very weary t