She hoped to find the old man asleep, but his feeble
voice greeted her at once.

"Is that you, nurse?"

"Yes, Sir Charles. Haven't you had your nap?"

"No--no. I feel uncomfortable. Queer..."

She drew aside the curtains and went to the bed.

"Do you?" she asked soothingly. "How's that, I wonder? Let's have a
look at you."

A dingy crimson flush underlay his dried skin, his head turned
restlessly from side to side. At once she suspected that his
temperature was up again.

"I'm devilish hot; burning up ... fever ... I thought I'd finished
with it."

"So you have; you're getting on famously."

She gave no sign of the sudden fear that darted through her. Why
should his temperature go up like that? She did not like the look in
his eyes.

"Well, let's see what you've been up to," she cajoled him gently and,
having made the bed more comfortable, reached for the thermometer.

As she suspected, the mercury rose high into the danger zone. When she
examined the little tube, her heart stood still in sickening alarm.
What had brought about this change for the worse in such a short space
of time? She racked her brain, but could not account for it. She
glanced searchingly at the old man, who had abandoned interest in his
condition, and lay absolutely still, save for the faint movements of
his bony fingers upon the coverlet.

She was too disturbed even to shrink from the duty of informing
Sartorius; there was no room in her mind now for personal animus. She
found the doctor in his own room, a medical journal on his knee and an
untidy ash-tray beside him, together with a cup of strong Indian tea.

He received her information stolidly, only his small eyes quickened to
attention as, without comment, he rose and followed her.

The ill man submitted almost without noticing to the doctor's
examination. There was not the slightest doubt that he had taken a
serious turn for the worse. Presently, when the doctor had completed
his investigation, he summoned Esther to the other end of the room with
a brusque movement of the head.

"Have you any idea of what may have caused this?" asked in a low voice.

"Not the slightest, doctor: I simply can't imagine!"

"Then I can."

She looked up at him, puzzled. What did he mean?

"You know what I said to you this morning," he continued deliberately,
but looking away from her, "on the subject of your unprofessional
behaviour. Perhaps this will be a proof to you of h