ould have made! It seemed
almost a pity that she evidently belonged to a class the members of
which are rich enough to undertake the charge of entire epidemics, but
who do not usually give themselves to such work, especially when they
are young and astonishing in the matter of looks.

In addition to the work they did in the ballroom ward, Mount Dunstan
and the vicar found much to do among the villagers. Ignorance and alarm
combined to create dangers, even where they might not have been feared.
Daily instruction and inspection of the cottages and their inmates was
required. The knowledge that they were under control and supervision
was a support to the frightened people and prevented their lapsing
into careless habits. Also, there began to develop among them a secret
dependence upon, and desire to please "his lordship," as the existing
circumstances drew him nearer to them, and unconsciously they were
attracted and dominated by his strength. The strong man carries his
power with him, and, when Mount Dunstan entered a cottage and talked to
its inmates, the anxious wife or surlily depressed husband was conscious
of feeling a certain sense of security. It had been a queer enough
thing, this he had done--bundling the infected hoppers out of their
leaking huts and carrying them up to the Mount itself for shelter
and care. At the most, gentlefolk generally gave soup or blankets or
hospital tickets, and left the rest to luck, but, "gentry-way" or not,
a man who did a thing like that would be likely to do other things, if
they were needed, and gave folk a feeling of being safer than ordinary
soup and blankets and hospital tickets could make them.

But "where did the money come from?" was asked during the first days.
Beds and doctors, nurses and medicine, fine brandy and unlimited fowls
for broth did not come up from London without being paid for. Pounds
and pounds a day must be paid out to get the things that were delivered
"regular" in hampers and boxes. The women talked to one another over
their garden palings, the men argued together over their beer at the
public house. Was he running into more debt? But even the village knew
that Mount Dunstan credit had been exhausted long ago, and there had
been no money at the Mount within the memory of man, so to speak.

One morning the matron with the sharp temper found out the truth,
though the outburst of gratitude to Mount Dunstan which resulted in her
enlightenment, was entirely s