must
see her; it's important."

The girl hesitated. "I don't believe she will--and I hate to ask
her--she looks awful, Mr. Buzzby. It scares me just to see her goin'
round without saying a word from morning to night, and then walking half
the night up in her room. I don't believe she's slept two hours a night
since--you know when."

"I guess she'll see me, Ellen; you go and ask her, anyway. I'll stay in
the lower hall."

He heard her rap at the bedroom door and deliver the message. There
followed the sharp click of a lock, the opening of the door and the
sound of Aurora's voice:

"Tell him to come up."

Octavius started upstairs. He had seen her but once in the past three
weeks; that was when he went to her on the receipt of the news of
Champney's flight; he vowed then he would not go again unless sent for;
the sight of the mother's despair, that showed itself in speechless
apathy, was too much for him. He could only grasp her hand at that time,
press it in both his, and say: "Aurora, if you need me, call me; you
know me. We'll help all we can--both of you--"

But there was no response. He tiptoed out of the room as if leaving the
presence of the dead.

Now, as he mounted the stairs, he had time to wonder what her attitude
would be after these three weeks of suspense. A moment more and he stood
in her presence, mute, shocked, heartsick at the change that this month
of agony had wrought in her. Her face was ghastly in its pallor; deep
yellowish-purple half-circles lay beneath her sunken eyes; every
feature, every line of the face was sharpened, and on each cheek bone
burned a fever spot of vivid scarlet; her dry eyes also burned with
unnatural and fevered brightness, the heavy eyelids keeping up a
continuous quivering, painful to see. The hand she held out to him
throbbed quick and hard in his grasp.

"Any news, Tave?" Her voice was dull from despair.

He shook his head; the slow tears coursed down his cheeks; he could not
help it.

"Sit down, Tave; you said it was important."

He controlled his emotion as best he could. "Aurora, I've been thinking
what can be done when he's found--"

"If he ever is! Oh, Tave, Tave--if I could only know something--where he
is--if living; I can't sleep thinking--" She wrung her clasped hands and
began to walk nervously back and forth in the room.

"Aurora, I feel sure he's living, but when he's found--then's the time
to help."

"How?" She turned upon him almost savage