patient? It isn't mine, I can tell you!"

He spoke lightly, easily; for if life were to be tolerable, the
discovery he had made must be ignored, without and within.

"It is not mine either," she answered, flushing at the unmerited
reproof. "But I am by way of handing over my charge to you. Doesn't
the arrangement suit you?"

"By all means. But Mackay rightly chose you. Besides, I am not so
selfish that I should want to deprive Theo of the pleasure of your
ministrations."

"Deprive him? You are judging him by yourself! It is hardly a question
of deprivation, surely."

Wyndham glanced at her keenly.

"Hullo!" he said, "one doesn't expect that sort of tone from you where
Theo is concerned. What do you mean me to understand by it?"

"Nothing--nothing at all! Only--he happens to prefer _your_
ministrations. He almost told me so. You or he can settle it with Dr
Mackay to-night. But I will take these in to him--if you wish."

"Purely as a favour to me?"

Her face lit up with a gleam of irrepressible humour.

"Purely as a favour to you!"

She took the cup and plate from him, still smiling, and passed on into
the study.

As she bent above the table, Desmond lifted his head in a vain effort
to get a glimpse of her face.

"Thank you--thank you--how good of you!" he said, his constraint
softened by a repressed eagerness, which gave her courage to speak her
thought.

"Why am I suddenly to be discomfited by such elaborate thanks, such
scathing politeness?" she asked in a tone of valiant good-humour.

"I didn't mean it to be scathing."

"Well, it is. Overmuch thanks for small services is a poor compliment
to friendship. I thought you and I agreed on that point."

He answered nothing. He was nerving himself to the effort of decisive
speech, which should set danger at arm's length and end their
distracting situation once for all.

She set the small table closer to his side.

"I will look in again, in case you should want some more," she said
softly, "if you will promise me not to say 'thank you!'"

"I promise," he answered with a half smile; and she turned to go. But
before she had reached the door his voice arrested her.

"Honor,--one minute, please. I have something particular to say."

The note of constraint was so marked that the girl stood speechless,
scarcely breathing, wondering what would come next--whether his words
would break down the barrier that held them apart.

"Well?" she said at length, as