hey do sometimes--and now it's enlarging, that's all. Nothing
external could affect it either way."

"But how long--?" asked Rachel, recoiling.

V

Her chief sensation that evening was that she was alone, for Mrs.
Tams was not a companion, but a slave. She was alone with a grave and
strange responsibility, which she could not evade. Indeed, events had
occurred in such a manner as to make her responsibility seem
natural and inevitable, to give it the sanction of the most correct
convention. Between 4.30 and 6 in the afternoon four separate calls of
inquiry had been made at the house, thus demonstrating Mrs. Maldon's
status in the town. One lady had left a fine bunch of grapes. To all
these visitors Rachel had said the same things, namely, that Mrs.
Maldon had been better on the Saturday, but was worse; that the case
was very serious; that the doctor had been twice that day and was
coming again, that Councillor Batchgrew was fully informed and had
seen the patient; that Mr. Louis Fores, Mrs. Maldon's only near
relative in England, was constantly in and out; that she herself had
the assistance of Mrs. Tams, who was thoroughly capable, and that
while she was much obliged for offers of help, she could think of no
way of utilizing them.

So that when the door closed on the last of the callers, Rachel, who
a month earlier had never even seen Mrs. Maldon, was left in sole
rightful charge of the dying-bed. And there was no escape for her.
She could not telegraph--the day being Sunday. Moreover, except Thomas
Batchgrew, there was nobody to whom she might telegraph. And she did
not want Mr. Batchgrew. Though Mr. Batchgrew certainly had not guessed
the relapse, she felt no desire whatever to let him have news.
She hated his blundering intrusions; and in spite of the doctor's
statements she would insist to herself that he and Louis between them
had somehow brought about the change in Mrs. Maldon. Of course she
might fetch Louis. She did not know his exact address, but he could
be discovered. At any rate, Mrs. Tams might be sent for him. But she
could not bring herself to make any advance towards Louis.

At a little after six o'clock, when the rare chapel-goers had ceased
to pass, and the still rarer church-goers were beginning to respond
to distant bells, Mrs. Tams informed her that tea was ready for her in
the parlour, and she descended and took tea, utterly alone. Mrs. Tams
had lighted the fire, and had moved the table c