d such deep distress of mind. Frequently, indeed, he seemed to
know nothing of what had occurred; he would talk of Nina as being in
Naples or as having gone down to the theatre; but all the same he was
more tranquil. As for Nina, she said she would do just as they wished.
She had arrived in London that morning, and had gone to Mrs. Grey's, in
Sloane Street, and engaged a room. She could go down there now, and wait
until she was sent for, if they thought it would please Lionel to know
that one of his former companions had come to see him. She put it very
prettily and modestly; it was only as an old ally and comrade of
Lionel's that she was here; perhaps he might be glad to know of her
presence. Or, if they thought that might disturb him, she would not come
back at all; she would be content to hear, from time to time, how the
fever was going on, if she might be permitted to call and ask the people
below.

It was Maurice who answered her.

"If you don't mind, Miss Ross," said he, "I should like you to be here
just as much as ever you found convenient. I keep telling Lionel you are
in the next room; and that, at any moment he wants, you will play some
of those Neapolitan airs for him; and he seems satisfied. It has been
the worst part of his delirium that he fancied you were away in some
distant place and were being cruelly ill-used, and he has excited
himself dreadfully about it. Well, we don't want that to come back; and
if at any moment I can say, 'But look!--here is Nina'--I beg your
pardon!" said Mangan, blushing furiously, and looking as sheepish as a
caught school-boy. "I mean if I could say to him, 'Look! here is Miss
Ross, perfectly safe and well,' that would pacify him."

"And if you are fatigued after your journey," said Dr. Moore, who was a
firm believer in the fine, old-fashioned fortifying theory, "we shall be
having our midday meal by and by, in a room up-stairs, and I'm sure
we'll make you heartily welcome."

"And I think, my dear," said the mother, rising from her chair and
taking the girl kindly by the hand, "that if you and I and Francie were
to go up there now we should be more out of the way; and there would be
no chance of our talking being heard."

It was at this plain but substantial midday meal, served in an up-stairs
room, that Nina incidentally told them something of her adventures and
experiences during the past six months, though, of course, nothing was
said about her reasons for leaving Lo