, "take care of her--"

He went back into the house after a minute, and paced the floor back and
forth, back and forth, stopping at each turn to listen at the foot of the
stairs; then took up his stride again, his lips set, his eyes dark with
anxiety. Over and over he went to the open door to look up at the stars,
as if somehow he could bear his ordeal best outdoors.

When half the night had gone Mrs. Dingley came downstairs. Anthony met her
at the foot. She smiled reassuringly into his face.

"This is hard for you, dear boy," she said. "But they think by
morning----"

"Morning!" he cried.

"Everything is going well----"

"It's only two o'clock. Morning!"

"She says tell you she's going to be very happy soon."

But at that Anthony turned away, where his face could not be seen, and
stood by the open door. Mrs. Dingley laid an affectionate hand on his
arm.

"Don't worry, Tony," she said gently.

"I can't help it."

"This is new to you. Juliet is young and strong--and full of courage."

"Bless her!"

"In the morning you'll both be very happy."

"I hope so."

"Why, Anthony, dear," said the kindly little woman, "I never knew you to
be so faint of heart."

Anthony faced around again. "If my strength could do her any good I'd be a
lion for her," he said. "But when all I can do is to wait--and think what
I'd do if----"

He was gone suddenly into the night. With a tender smile on her lips Mrs.
Dingley went on upon the errand which had brought her downstairs. "It's
worth something to a woman to be able to make a man's heart ache like
that," she said to herself with a little sigh. Anthony would not have
understood, but even in this hour the older woman, in her wisdom, was
envying Juliet.

Morning came at last, as mornings do. With the first streaks of the gray
dawn Anthony heard a little, high-keyed, strange cry--new to his ears. He
leaped up the stairs, four at a time, and paused, breathless, by the
closed door of the blue-and-white room. After what seemed to him an
interminable time Mrs. Dingley came out. At sight of Anthony her face
broke into smiles, and at the same moment tears filled her eyes.

"It's a splendid boy, Tony," she said. "I meant to come to you the first
minute, but I waited to be perfectly sure. He didn't breathe well at
first."

But Anthony pushed this news aside impatiently. "Juliet?" he questioned
eagerly.

"She's all right, you poor man," Mrs. Dingley assured him. "You shall see