lliamson was telling me
the other day about when her little Walter was born--it made me _sick_!"

The matron looked at her and shivered a little, but made no response.

"The nurse says Lydia is mostly unconscious now. Perhaps the worst is
over for her! Poor Lyd! What do you suppose made her act so?" went on
Madeleine, moving about restlessly, her voice uncertain. She went to the
window, and drew aside the shade to look out into the blackness. "Oh, I
wish the men would come! What time is it, do you suppose? Yes, I see;
half-past three. Oh, it _must_ be over soon! I wish they'd come! You
telegraphed George, didn't you? Heavens! how it rains!"

"He was to come on the midnight train. Is your husband--"

"Oh, he was horrid about it--wanted me to do it all myself. He's in the
midst of some big deal or other. But I told him he'd _have_ to come and
help out, or I'd--I'd _kill_ him! He'll bring the lawyer."

"Where do you suppose?" began Marietta, looking over her shoulder.

"Out in his shanty in the Black Rock woods," said Madeleine harshly,
"with no idea of what's going on. Just before you came, the doctor sent
out for a messenger to take him word, and you'd better believe I got
hold of that messenger!"

"Of course that'll make things easier," said Marietta.

"Oh, it won't be hard at all," Madeleine assured her; "the lawyer'll be
right at hand; it'll be over in a minute."

Marietta's face altered. She drew back from the other woman. "Oh,
Madeleine! you act as though--you were counting on Lydia's--"

"No; I'm not. I used to think a lot of Lydia before she disgraced poor
Paul's memory in this way! But you see it'll be easy to do, one way or
the other. If she--if she doesn't--why, Marietta, you know Lydia! She
never can hold out against you and George, the nearest she has in the
world. I should think you'd feel awfully about what people are
saying--her letting Ariadne be adopted in that scandalous way when she
had brothers and sisters. I should think you'd feel like asserting
yourselves. _I_ do, certainly! I'm just as near to Ariadne as you are!
And I know George is perfectly furious about the whole business!"

"But maybe the doctor won't let us go in, right in to her--"

A long-cherished grudge rose to the surface in Mrs. Lowder's energetic
reply: "Well, I guess this is one time when the high-and-mighty Dr.
Melton'll have to be shoved on one side, and if necessary I'll do the
shoving!"

"You feel justified?"

"Ju