and Susie gave it an inquisitive glance. She had not seen
Nancy for so long that it surprised her to receive this urgent message.

'What a bore it is!' she said. 'I suppose I must go.'

They meant to have tea on the other side of the river, but the journey to
the station was so long that it would not be worth Susie's while to come
back in the interval; and they arranged therefore to meet at the house to
which they were invited. Susie started a little before two.

Margaret had a class that afternoon and set out two or three minutes
later. As she walked through the courtyard she started nervously, for
Oliver Haddo passed slowly by. He did not seem to see her. Suddenly he
stopped, put his hand to his heart, and fell heavily to the ground. The
_concierge_, the only person at hand, ran forward with a cry. She knelt
down and, looking round with terror, caught sight of Margaret.

'_Oh, mademoiselle, venez vite!_' she cried.

Margaret was obliged to go. Her heart beat horribly. She looked down at
Oliver, and he seemed to be dead. She forgot that she loathed him.
Instinctively she knelt down by his side and loosened his collar. He
opened his eyes. An expression of terrible anguish came into his face.

'For the love of God, take me in for one moment,' he sobbed. 'I shall die
in the street.'

Her heart was moved towards him. He could not go into the poky den,
evil-smelling and airless, of the _concierge_. But with her help Margaret
raised him to his feet, and together they brought him to the studio. He
sank painfully into a chair.

'Shall I fetch you some water?' asked Margaret.

'Can you get a pastille out of my pocket?'

He swallowed a white tabloid, which she took out of a case attached to
his watch-chain.

'I'm very sorry to cause you this trouble,' he gasped. 'I suffer from a
disease of the heart, and sometimes I am very near death.'

'I'm glad that I was able to help you,' she said.

He seemed able to breathe more easily. She left him to himself for a
while, so that he might regain his strength. She took up a book and began
to read. Presently, without moving from his chair, he spoke.

'You must hate me for intruding on you.'

His voice was stronger, and her pity waned as he seemed to recover. She
answered with freezing indifference.

'I couldn't do any less for you than I did. I would have brought a dog
into my room if it seemed hurt.'

'I see that you wish me to go.'

He got up and moved towards the do