ce what _is_."

"Oh, Theo--you are very brave."

"Needs must, Ladybird. If a man fails in that, he had better not have
been born. And you are going to be brave too,--my wife."

"Yes,--I hope so. But--it's much more horrible than I ever imagined;
and if it's going on for weeks and weeks----"

The prospect so unnerved her that she leaned her head against him,
sobbing bitterly.

"Oh, I can't--I can't----!"

The low cry came straight from her heart; and Desmond understood its
broken protest to the full. The effort to uphold her was to be
useless after all. He compressed his lips and gently released her
hand.

"If it's as bad as that, my dear, and you really feel it will be too
much for you," he said in a changed tone, "I might arrange for Honor
to take you away in a day or two, till I am well enough to follow on.
They all know here that you are not strong. One need not degrade you
by telling--the whole truth."

"But, Theo, I couldn't leave you like that--just now, could I?"

His smile had a hint of scorn.

"Goodness knows! There is nothing to prevent you----"

"Yes--there is!" she spoke hurriedly, with downcast eyes. "Honor would
never take me. She thinks it's dreadful that I should go. I never saw
her so angry before. She--she said--terrible things----"

"Good God! What do--you--mean?"

Desmond spoke slowly. Anger and amazement sounded in his deep voice;
and his wife saw what she had done.

"Theo!--Theo!" she cried, clasping her hands, and wringing them in
distraction at her own foolishness, "I never meant to say that.
I--I----"

"No--but you meant to do it," he said, breathing hard and speaking
with an effort. "You actually thought of--going--before I came? You
would have simply--bolted, and left me to come back to an empty house,
if Honor had not prevented you? Great heavens! I can well believe she
said terrible things."

His wife knelt upright now and caught at his hand. But he withdrew it
hastily.

"Theo--will you listen to me and not be so angry? You are very
unkind!"

"Am I? Don't you think it is the other way about? I confess I'm in no
humour to listen to you just now. I've had about as much as I can
stand to-night; and Mackay told me I must not upset myself about
things." He laughed harshly--a sound that chilled her blood. "But no
mere man could anticipate _this_!"

"Well, I never _meant_ to say it, and I think you're horrid, you don't
understand----"

"No; thank God, I don't understand