s money and is deeply in debt," she
observed.

"Who says?" he demanded--too sharply, for he did not like this woman.

"Oh, I have heard of it," she answered.

"It is not true then. I don't know of his being in debt at all; if he
is, he has friends who will see him through until he gets all right
again."

"Oh, well," she said, apparently much relieved, "it is of no great
consequence, so long as his voice is not touched. With his voice he can
always retrieve himself and keep well ahead. They do tell such stories.
Thank you, Mr. Mangan. Good-bye."

"Good-bye," said he, with unnecessary coldness; why should a disciple of
Marcus Aurelius take umbrage at any manifestation of our common human
nature?

She turned for a moment as he opened the door for her.

"Tell him I called; and that his portrait and mine are to appear in this
week's _Footlights_--in the same number."

"Very well."

"Good-bye!"

When Dr. Ballardyce came that evening to make his usual examination, his
report was of a twofold character: the fever was still ravaging the now
enfeebled constitution--the temperature, in especial, being seriously
high; but the patient seemed much calmer in mind.

"Indeed," said the doctor to Maurice, at the foot of the stairs, as he
was going away, "I should say that for the moment the delirium was quite
gone. But I did not speak much to him. Quiet is the great thing--sleep
above all."

Then Maurice told him what had happened during the day, and asked him
whether, supposing they found Lionel quite sane and sensible, it would
be advisable to tell him that Miss Ross was in the house, or even ask
her to go and see him.

"Well, I should say not--not unless he appears to be troubled again. His
present tranquillity of mind is everything that could be wished; I would
not try any unnecessary experiment. Probably he does not know now that
he has even seen her. Sometimes they have a vague recollection of
something having happened; more frequently the whole thing is forgotten.
Wait till we see how the fever goes; when he is convalescent--perhaps
then."

But Maurice, on his own responsibility, went into the sick-room after
the doctor had left--went in on tip-toe, lest Lionel should be asleep.
He was not asleep. He looked at Mangan.

"Maurice, come here," he said, in a hard-laboring voice.

"You're not to talk, Linn," his friend answered, with a fine affectation
of carelessness. "I merely looked in to see how you were getti