vorce case, she had been calm, had shown complete self-control. She
had even surprised people by her fearlessness and quiet determination.

They did not know how she had prayed, and almost agonized in secret. She
had drawn the calm at which they had wondered from prayer. She had asked
God to let Robin get well, and she had felt that her prayer had been
heard, and that God would grant her the life of her child.

Perhaps she had exaggerated to herself the danger he was in. But he was
ill--for a short time he was very ill, and a baby's hold on life is but
frail.

Now she remembered her self-control during Robin's illness, and
resolutely she banished her anxiety. There was no doubt some perfectly
simple explanation which presently would account to her for their not
coming at the tea hour.

"Ma'am!" cried a respectable voice. "Ma-a-am!"

"What is it, Nurse. They haven't come back?"

Nurse was coming down the path gingerly, with a shawl over her cap.

"No, ma'am. Whatever can have happened? _Something's_ a-happened, that's
certain."

"Nonsense, Nurse!"

"But whatever should keep them out till late into the night, ma'am?"

"It's only a little after six. It isn't night at all."

"But the tea, ma'am! And Master Robin's so regular in his habits. He'll
be fair famished, ma'am, that he will. I----Well, ma'am, if I may say
it, I really don't hold with all this shooting, and sport, and what not
for such young children."

"It's only just for once, Nurse. Go in now. You'll catch cold."

"But yourself, ma'am?"

"I'm quite warm. I'd rather stay out."

Nurse stared anxiously for a moment, then turned away and went gingerly
back to the house. Her white shawl faded against the background of
darkness. With its fading Rosamund entered into--not exactly darkness,
but into deep shadows. She supposed that nurse's fear had communicated
itself to her; she had caught the infection of fear from nurse. But when
was nurse not afraid? She was an excellent woman and absolutely devoted
to Robin, but she was not a Spartan. She leaped at sight of a mouse, and
imagined diseases to be for ever floating Robinwards on all the breezes.
Rosamund had strictly forbidden her ever to talk nonsense about illness
to Robin, and she had obeyed. But that was her one fault; she had a
timorous nature.

Rosamund wished nurse had not come out into the garden to infect her
with foolish fear.

Nurse's invitation to her to come into the house had made her s