stairs," he said,
hurriedly, in her ear. "Will you go up first?--number ten."

She nodded, and began slowly to mount the stairs, coughing as she went.
The man whom Ashe had taken for a Genevese professor looked after her,
glanced at his neighbor, and shrugged his shoulders. "Phthisique," he
said, with a note of pity. The other nodded. "Et d'un type tres avance!"

They moved towards the door and stood looking into the night, which was
dark with intermittent rain. Ashe studied a map of the commune which
hung on the wall beside him, till at a moment when the passage had
become comparatively clear he turned and went up-stairs.

The door of his improvised <i>salon</i> was ajar. Beyond it his valet was
coming out of his bedroom with wet clothes over his arm. Ashe hesitated.
But the man had been with him through the greater part of his married
life, and was a good heart. He beckoned him back into the room he was
leaving, and the two stepped inside.

"Dell, my good fellow, I want your help. I have just met my wife
here--Lady Kitty. You understand. Neither of us, of course,
had any idea. Lady Kitty is very ill. We wish to have a
conversation--uninterrupted. I trust you to keep guard."

The young man, son of one of the Haggart gardeners, started and flushed,
then gave his master a look of sympathy.

"I'll do my best, sir."

Ashe nodded and went back to the next room. He closed the door behind
him. Kitty, who was sitting by the fire, half rose. Their eyes met. Then
with a stifled cry he flung himself down, kneeling beside her, and she
sank into his arms. His tears fell on her face, anguish and pity
overwhelmed him.

"You may!" she said, brokenly, putting up her hand to his cheek, and
kissing him--"you may! I'm not mad or wicked now--and I'm dying!"

Agonized murmurs of love, pardon, self-abasement passed between them. It
was as though a great stream bore them on its breast; an awful and
majestic power enwrapped them, and made each word, each kiss, wonderful,
sacramental. He drew himself away at last, holding her hair back from
her brow and temples, studying her features, his own face convulsed.

"Where have you been? Why did you hide from me?"

"You forbade me," she said, stroking his hair. "And it was quite right.
The dear Dean told me--and I quite understood. If I'd gone to Haggart
then there'd have been more trouble. I should have tried to get my old
place back. And now it's all over. You can give me all I want, bec