essa is crying. It's only the natural relaxation from that horrible
tension. I shall sleep with her to-night."

"Is there anything----"

"Oh, no. She will be all right.... Garry, are they--are they--in
_love_?"

"It rather looks that way, doesn't it?" he said, smiling.

She gazed at him questioningly, almost fearfully.

"Do _you_ believe that Thessa is in love with Mr. Westmore?" she
whispered.

"Yes, I do. Don't you?"

"I didn't know.... I thought so. But----"

"But what?"

"I didn't--didn't know--what you would think of it.... I was afraid it
might--might make you--unhappy."

"Why?"

"Don't you _care_ if Thessa loves somebody else?" she asked
breathlessly.

"Did you think I did, Dulcie?"

"Yes."

"Well, I don't."

There was a strained silence; then the girl smiled at him in a
confused manner, drew a swift, sudden breath, and, as he stepped
forward to detain her, turned sharply away, pressing her forearm
across her eyes.

"Dulcie! Did you understand me?" he said in a low, unsteady voice.

She was already trying to open the door, but he dropped his right hand
over her fingers where they were fumbling with the knob, and felt them
trembling. At the same moment, the sound of Thessalie's smothered and
convulsive sobbing came to him; and Dulcie's nervous hand slipped from
his.

"Dulcie!" he pleaded. "Will you come back to me if I wait?"

She had stopped; her back was still toward him, but she nodded
slightly, then moved on toward the bed, where Thessalie lay all
huddled up, her face buried in the tumbled pillows.

Barres noiselessly closed the door.

He had already started along the corridor toward his own room, when
the low sound of voices in the staircase hall just below arrested his
attention--his sister's voice and Westmore's. And he retraced his
steps and went down to where they stood together by the library door.

Lee wore a nurse's dress and apron, such as a kennel-mistress affects,
and her strong, capable hands were full of bottles labelled "Grover's
Specific"--the same being dog medicine of various sorts.

"Mother is over at the kennels, Garry," she said. "She and I are going
to sit up with those desperately sick pups. If we can pull them
through to-night they'll probably get well, eventually, unless
paralysis sets in. I was just telling Jim that a very attractive young
Frenchman was here only a few minutes before you arrived. His name is
Renoux. And he left this letter for you--fish