n hour, then a stoppage told
him that the house was reached. On his way he had heard a clock strike
eleven.

The door opened almost as soon as he had rung the bell. He mentioned
his name, and the maid-servant conducted him to a drawing-room on the
ground-floor. The house was quite a small one, but seemed to be well
furnished. One lamp burned on the table, and the fire had sunk to a red
glow. Saying that she would inform Mrs Reardon at once, the servant left
him alone.

He placed his bag on the floor, took off his muffler, threw back his
overcoat, and sat waiting. The overcoat was new, but the garments
beneath it were his poorest, those he wore when sitting in his garret,
for he had neither had time to change them, nor thought of doing so.

He heard no approaching footstep but Amy came into the room in a way
which showed that she had hastened downstairs. She looked at him, then
drew near with both hands extended, and laid them on his shoulders, and
kissed him. Reardon shook so violently that it was all he could do to
remain standing; he seized one of her hands, and pressed it against his
lips.

'How hot your breath is!' she said. 'And how you tremble! Are you ill?'

'A bad cold, that's all,' he answered thickly, and coughed. 'How is
Willie?'

'In great danger. The doctor is coming again to-night; we thought that
was his ring.'

'You didn't expect me to-night?'

'I couldn't feel sure whether you would come.'

'Why did you send for me, Amy? Because Willie was in danger, and you
felt I ought to know about it?'

'Yes--and because I--'

She burst into tears. The display of emotion came very suddenly; her
words had been spoken in a firm voice, and only the pained knitting of
her brows had told what she was suffering.

'If Willie dies, what shall I do? Oh, what shall I do?' broke forth
between her sobs.

Reardon took her in his arms, and laid his hand upon her head in the old
loving way.

'Do you wish me to go up and see him, Amy?'

'Of course. But first, let me tell you why we are here. Edith--Mrs
Carter--was coming to spend a week with her mother, and she pressed
me to join her. I didn't really wish to; I was unhappy, and felt how
impossible it was to go on always living away from you. Oh, that I had
never come! Then Willie would have been as well as ever.'

'Tell me when and how it began.'

She explained briefly, then went on to tell of other circumstances.

'I have a nurse with me in the room. It's