Paul,
and Mr. Magnus were all trying ... It feels like a fight, but I don't
know who's fighting who."

Her allusion to his father had been unfortunate.

"It's all damned rot if you ask me," he said, turned his face to the
wall and wouldn't say another word.

Next morning they started. Mrs. Brandon's bill was as large as she
could make it and still not very large. Dr. Abrams, to Maggie's immense
surprise, would not take a penny.

"I'm not wantin' money just now," he said. "I'm robbing a rich old man
who lives near here. I'm a sort of highway man, you know, rob the rich
and spend it how I like. Now don't you press me to make up a bill or I
shall change my mind and give you one and it will be so large that you
won't be able to go down to Glebeshire. How would you like that? Oh,
don't think I'm doing it from fine motives. You're both a couple of
babies, that's what you are, and it would be a shame to rob you. How
you're ever going to get through the world don't know. The Babes in the
Wood weren't in it. He thinks he's wicked, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does," said Maggie.

"Wicked! Why, he doesn't know what wickedness is. A couple of children.
Look after his heart or he'll be popping off one fine morning."

Maggie turned pale. "Oh no," she said, her voice trembling.

"He's going to get well."

Abrams sniffed. "If he doesn't drink and leads a healthy life he may.
But leopards don't change their spots. He's worrying over something.
What is it?"

"His father's death," said Maggie. "He loved his father more than any
one and he's got it into his head that he gave him a shock and killed
him."

"Well, you get it out of his head," said Abrams. "He won't be better
until you do."

Next morning they were at Paddington, Martin very feeble but
indifferent to everything. They had a third-class compartment to
themselves until they got to Exeter, and all that while Martin never
spoke a word. During this time Maggie did a lot of quiet thinking. She
was worried, of course, about many things but especially finances. She
knew very little about money. She gathered from Martin that he had not
only spent ail that his and had left him, but had gone considerably
beyond it, that he was badly in debt and saw no way of paying. This did
not seem to worry him but it worried Maggie. Debts seemed to her awful
things, and she could not imagine how any one lived under the burden of
them. Supposing Martin were ill for a long time, how would they