to rush to her
heart. Its throbs felt thick and heavy. On the threshold her husband
stood, looking full at her. In his arms was a little child.

"Dr. Wade!" smiled the matron. "You do spoil your patients, sir. There!
Let me take her! Please come in! Your tea is just ready. I was just
talking about you to Mrs. Wingarde, who came to see the boy who was
knocked down by a hansom last week. Madam, this is Dr. Wade."

She went forward to lift the child out of Wingarde's arms. There
followed a silence, a brief, hard-strung silence. Nina stood quite
still. Her hands were unconsciously clasped together. She was white to
the lips. But she kept her eyes raised to Wingarde's face. He seemed to
be looking through her, and in his eyes was that look with which he had
regarded her when he had saved her life and Archie's two days before.

He spoke almost before the matron had begun to notice anything unusual
in the atmosphere.

"Ah!" he said, with a slight bow. "You know me under different
circumstances--you and Mr. Neville. You did not expect to meet me here?"

Archie glanced at Nina and saw her agitation. He came coolly forward and
placed himself in the breach.

"We certainly didn't," he said. "It's good sometimes to know that people
are not all they seem. I congratulate you, er--Dr. Wade."

Wingarde turned his attention to his wife's companion. His face was very
dark.

"Take the child to her mother, please, Mrs. Ritchie!" he said curtly,
over his shoulder.

The matron departed discreetly, but at the door the child in her arms
began to cry.

Wingarde turned swiftly, took the little one's face between his hands,
spoke a soft word, and kissed it.

Then, as the matron moved away, he walked back into the room, closing
the door behind him. All the tenderness with which he had comforted the
wailing baby had vanished from his face.

"Mr. Neville," he said shortly, "my wife will return in the car with me.
I will relieve you of your attendance upon her."

Archie turned crimson, but he managed to control himself--more for the
sake of the girl who stood in total silence by his side than from any
idea of expediency.

"Certainly," he said, "if Mrs. Wingarde also prefers that arrangement."

Nina glanced at him. He saw that her lip was quivering painfully. She
did not attempt to speak.

Archie turned to go. But almost instantly Wingarde's voice arrested him.

"I can give you a seat in the car if you wish," he said. He spoke wit