y good-bye
Nurse Andrews had sat beside his bed the whole time, holding his wrist
and pretending to look at her watch. It couldn't have been necessary.
It was so tactless, too. Supposing father had wanted to say
something--something private to them. Not that he had. Oh, far from it!
He lay there, purple, a dark, angry purple in the face, and never even
looked at them when they came in. Then, as they were standing there,
wondering what to do, he had suddenly opened one eye. Oh, what a
difference it would have made, what a difference to their memory of him,
how much easier to tell people about it, if he had only opened both! But
no--one eye only. It glared at them a moment and then... went out.

Chapter 3.IV.

It had made it very awkward for them when Mr. Farolles, of St. John's,
called the same afternoon.

"The end was quite peaceful, I trust?" were the first words he said as
he glided towards them through the dark drawing-room.

"Quite," said Josephine faintly. They both hung their heads. Both of
them felt certain that eye wasn't at all a peaceful eye.

"Won't you sit down?" said Josephine.

"Thank you, Miss Pinner," said Mr. Farolles gratefully. He folded his
coat-tails and began to lower himself into father's arm-chair, but
just as he touched it he almost sprang up and slid into the next chair
instead.

He coughed. Josephine clasped her hands; Constantia looked vague.

"I want you to feel, Miss Pinner," said Mr. Farolles, "and you, Miss
Constantia, that I'm trying to be helpful. I want to be helpful to you
both, if you will let me. These are the times," said Mr Farolles, very
simply and earnestly, "when God means us to be helpful to one another."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Farolles," said Josephine and Constantia.

"Not at all," said Mr. Farolles gently. He drew his kid gloves through
his fingers and leaned forward. "And if either of you would like a
little Communion, either or both of you, here and now, you have only
to tell me. A little Communion is often very help--a great comfort," he
added tenderly.

But the idea of a little Communion terrified them. What! In the
drawing-room by themselves--with no--no altar or anything! The piano
would be much too high, thought Constantia, and Mr. Farolles could not
possibly lean over it with the chalice. And Kate would be sure to come
bursting in and interrupt them, thought Josephine. And supposing the
bell rang in the middle? It might be somebody important--abou