d against his will.
"Well--if you must have it! He has gone."

"Gone!" she repeated. "What--do you mean by that?"

He looked down into her whitening face, and his own grew sterner.
"Just what I say. He cleared out yesterday morning early. No one
knows where he is."

Sylvia's hand unconsciously pressed her heart. It was beating very
violently. She spoke with a great effort. "Perhaps he has gone to
Ritzen--to look for me."

"I think not," said Burke drily.

His tone said more than his words. She made a slight involuntary
movement of shrinking. But in a moment she spoke again with a
pathetic little smile.

"You are very good to me. But I mustn't waste any more of your
time. Please don't worry about me any more! I can quite well
bandage my knee myself."

The grimness passed from his face. "I shall have to see it to
satisfy myself it is going on all right," he said. "But I needn't
bother you now. I'll send Mary Ann in with some tea."

"Thank you," said Sylvia. She was gathering her scattered forces
again after the blow; she spoke with measured firmness. "Now
please don't think about me any more! I am not ill--or going to be.
You may look at my knee this evening--if you are very anxious. But
not before."

"Then you will stay in bed?" said Burke.

"Very well; if I must," she conceded.

He turned to go; then abruptly turned back. "And you won't lie and
worry? You've too much pluck for that."

She smiled again--a quivering, difficult smile. "I am not at all
plucky, really. I am only pretending."

He smiled back at her suddenly. "You're a brick! I've never seen
any woman stand up to hard knocks as you do. They generally want
to be carried over the rough places. But you--you stand on your
feet."

The genuine approbation of his voice brought the colour back to her
face. His smile too, though it reminded her piercingly of Guy,
sent a glow of comfort to her chilled and trembling heart.

"I want to if I can," she said. "But I've had rather a--knock-out
this time. I shall be all right presently, when I've had time to
pull myself together."

He bent abruptly and laid his hand upon hers.

"Look here!" he said. "Don't worry!"

She lifted clear eyes to his. "No--I won't! There is always a way
out of every difficulty, isn't there?"

"There certainly is out of this one," he said.

"I'll show it you presently--if you'll promise not to be offended."

"Offended!" said Sylvia. "That