aturally suave "good-morning!" The other looked her in
the eye, and said in a voice of satisfaction:

"Mr. Lashmar has just been here. Didn't you see him?"

"Mr. Lashmar?--No."

Gazing full at the confused face, Constance smiled, and passed on.

CHAPTER XXIII

At the door of the breakfast-room, Miss Bride was approached by Lady
Ogram's maid, who in an undertone informed her that Dr. Baldwin had
been sent for. Lady Ogram had passed a very bad night, but did not wish
it to be made known to her guests, whom she hoped to meet at luncheon.
Of the possibility of this, the maid declared herself very doubtful;
she did not think the doctor would allow her mistress to get up.

"Let me know when the doctor is leaving," said Constance. "I should
like to see him."

Sir William and his wife breakfasted with the two young ladies. Lord
Dymchurch did not appear. When the others had left the room, Constance
asked a servant if his lordship was down yet, and learnt that he had
this morning gone away, leaving a note for Lady Ogram. At the same
moment, word was brought to Miss Bride that Dr. Baldwin waited in the
library. Constance replied that she would see him. Then, turning to the
other attendant, she asked whether Lord Dymchurch's note had been
delivered to Lady Ogram. It lay, she learnt, with the rest of the
morning's letters, which the maid had not yet taken up. Thereupon
Constance sought and found it, and carried it with her as she entered
the library.

"How do you find your patient, doctor?" she inquired, in her usual tone.

"Quite unfit to get up to-day, though I fear she is determined to do
so," replied Dr. Baldwin. "Wonderful, the influence of her mind upon
her physical state. I found her alarmingly weak, but, as usual, she
insisted on hearing the news of the town, and something I was able to
tell her acted with more restorative force than any drug in the
pharmacopaeia."

"What was that?"

"Mr. Robb's will. I hear on good authority that he leaves not a penny
to our hospital. Lady Ogram was delighted. It makes the field clear for
her. She declares that she will buy the site on Burgess Hill
immediately. The will is dated fifteen years ago, they say; no doubt he
meant to make another."

"That, I am sure, was a cordial," exclaimed Constance. "Impossible for
Mr. Robb to have done Lady Ogram a greater kindness."

After a few more inquiries concerning the patient, she let the doctor
take his leave. Then she stood