about in
all weathers the way he's doing. With this fever on him I'm afraid
he'll come to harm. It fair frightens me to see him looking as he does
and taking no care of himself."

The old lady shook her head in despair.

"I know, Chalmers; you are perfectly right--but no matter what I say it
does no good. He is worried for fear something has happened to Miss
Rowe, and he insists on making efforts to trace her. I'm sure I don't
know what to do with him--and he really is ill."

The butler looked at the carpet and cleared his throat slightly, the
action constituting a tactful but unequivocal indication that in his
own opinion the search for the missing person was a complete waste of
energy. Miss Clifford understood the cough, and agreed with its main
contention that her nephew was not in a fit condition to be wandering
about the streets.

"If you'll pardon the suggestion, miss, hoping you'll not think it's an
impertinence, it strikes me the thing to do is first to get Mr. Roger
into bed and then to give him a good strong sleeping draught. If he
still is bent on going out to-morrow, miss, with your permission I'd
take away his clothes."

"It's not a bad idea, Chalmers," replied Miss Clifford, smiling in
spite of herself. "But I hope it won't be necessary. He's half
promised me to give up the search after to-day--it really seems quite
useless--and let us look after him properly. I'm waiting now to hear
what news he has; then I shall try to persuade him to go to bed."

"Here is Mr. Roger, now, miss."

He stood aside to admit the young man, who entered with a dragging
step, then after a single searching glance at the drawn and haggard
face he quietly withdrew. Miss Clifford also scrutinised her nephew
closely through her spectacles. He seemed to her appreciably thinner,
and there was a feverish glitter in his blue eyes that filled her with
alarm.

"Roger, my darling, do please undress and get into bed at once. I will
come and talk to you there."

He shook his head obstinately, and sat down on the chaise-longue beside
her, deeply dispirited, yet with a look of concentrated purpose.

"I'm not ready to give up," he said slowly. "Not just yet, there's too
much to do. However, if it's any satisfaction to you to know, I took
my temperature just now to make sure, and as I thought it was a bit
lower than it was this time yesterday, I am inclined to think I'm over
the worst of this."

"I don't see how you