had a mood of impassioned declaration. He had alluded to
his "last moments of happiness at Kew." He said he would rather kiss the
hem of her garment than be the "lord of any other woman's life."

It was all so understandable--looked at in the proper light. It was all
so impossible to explain. And why had she let it happen? Why had she let
it happen?

Sec.9

The young doctor was a little puzzled and rather offended by Sir Isaac's
relapse. He seemed to consider it incorrect and was on the whole
disposed to blame Lady Harman. He might have had such a seizure, the
young doctor said, later, but not now. He would be thrown back for some
weeks, then he would begin to mend again and then whatever he said,
whatever he did, Lady Harman must do nothing to contradict him. For a
whole day Sir Isaac lay inert, in a cold sweat. He consented once to
attempt eating, but sickness overcame him. He seemed so ill that all the
young doctor's reassurances could not convince Lady Harman that he
would recover. Then suddenly towards evening his arrested vitality was
flowing again, the young doctor ceased to be anxious for his own
assertions, the patient could sit up against a pile of pillows and
breathe and attend to affairs. There was only one affair he really
seemed anxious to attend to. His first thought when he realized his
returning strength was of his wife. But the young doctor would not let
him talk that night.

Next morning he seemed still stronger. He was restless and at last
demanded Lady Harman again.

This time the young doctor transmitted the message.

She came to him forthwith and found him, white-faced and
unfamiliar-looking, his hands gripping the quilt and his eyes burning
with hatred.

"You thought I'd forgotten," was his greeting.

"Don't argue," signalled the doctor from the end of Sir Isaac's bed.

"I've been thinking it out," said Sir Isaac. "When you were thinking I
was too ill to think.... I know better now."

He sucked in his lips and then went on. "You've got to send for old
Crappen," he said. "I'm going to alter things. I had a plan. But that
would have been letting you off too easy. See? So--you send for old
Crappen."

"What do you mean to do?"

"Never you mind, my lady, never you mind. You send for old Crappen."

She waited for a moment. "Is that all you want me to do?"

"I'm going to make it all right about those Hostels. Don't you fear. You
and your Hostels! You shan't _touch_ those hostels ever