eep you a moment,' she answered hurriedly; 'I will sit
here. The truth is, Arthur,' she began again almost solemnly, 'apart
from all sentiment and--and good intentions, my presence here only
harasses you and keeps you back. I am not so bound up in myself that I
cannot realise THAT. The consequence is that after calmly--and I
hope considerately--thinking the whole thing over, I have come to the
conclusion that it would arouse very little comment, the least possible
perhaps in the circumstances, if I just went away for a few days. You
are not in any sense ill. In fact, I have never known you so--so robust,
so energetic. You will be alone: Mr Bethany, perhaps.... You could go
out and come in just as you pleased. Possibly,' Sheila smiled frankly
beneath her veil, 'even this Dr Ferguson you have invented will be a
help. It's only the servants that remain to be considered.'

'I should prefer to be quite alone.'

'Then do not worry about THEM. I can easily explain. And if you would
not mind letting her in, Mrs Gull can come in every other day or so just
to keep things in order. She's entirely trustworthy and discreet. Or
perhaps, if you would prefer--'

'Mrs Gull will do nicely, Sheila. It's very good of you to have given me
so much thought.' A long and rather arduous pause followed.

'Oh, one other thing, Arthur. You sent out to Mr Critchett--do you
remember?--the night you first came home. I think, too, after the first
awful shock, when we were sitting in our bedroom, you actually referred
to--to violent measures. You will promise me, I may perhaps at least ask
that, you will promise me on your word of honour, for Alice's sake, if
not for mine, to do nothing rash.'

'Yes, yes,' said Lawford, sinking lower even than he had supposed
possible into the thin and lightless chill of ennui--'nothing rash.'

Sheila rose with a sigh only in part suppressed. 'I have not seen Mr
Bethany again. I think, however, it would be better to let Harry know; I
mean, dear, of your derangement. After all, he is one of the family--at
least, of mine. He will not interfere. He would, perhaps quite
naturally, be hurt if we did not take him into our confidence. Otherwise
there is no pressing cause for haste, at least for another week or so.
After that, I suppose, something will have to be done. Then there's Mr
Wedderburn; wouldn't it be as well to let him know that at least for the
present you are quite unable to think of returning to town? That,