e floor."

"What's it matter," he said gruffly, "where or how I sleep?" And
then suddenly he took her by the shoulders and held her before him.
"Just look at me a moment!" he said.

It was a definite command. She lifted her eyes, but the instant
they met his that overwhelming confusion came upon her again. His
gaze was so intent, so searching. All her defences seemed to go
down before it.

Her lip suddenly quivered, and she turned her face aside.
"Be--kind to me, Burke!" she said, under her breath.

He let her go; but he stood motionless for some seconds after as if
debating some point with himself. She went to the window and
nervously straightened the curtain. After a considerable pause his
voice came to her there.

"I want you to rest this afternoon, and ride over with me to the
Merstons after tea. Will you do that?"

She turned sharply. "And leave Guy? Oh, no!"

Across the room she met his look, and she saw that he meant to have
his way. "I wish it," he said.

She came slowly back to him. "Burke,--please! I can't do that.
It wouldn't be right. We can't leave Guy to the Kaffirs."

"Guy can look after himself," he reiterated. "You have done
enough--too much--in that line already. He doesn't need you with
him all daylong."

She shook her head. "I think he needs--someone. It wouldn't be
right--I know it wouldn't be right to leave him quite alone.
Besides, the Merstons won't want me. Why should I go?"

"Because I wish it," he said again. And, after a moment, as she
stood silent, "Doesn't that count with you?"

She looked up at him quickly, caught by something in his tone, "Of
course your wishes count with me!" she said. "You know they do.
But all the same--" She paused, searching for words.

"Guy comes first," he suggested, in the casual voice of one stating
an acknowledged fact.

She felt the hot colour rise to her temples. "Oh, it isn't fair of
you to say that!" she said.

"Isn't it true?" said Burke.

She collected herself to answer him. "It is only because his need
has been so great. If we had not put him first--before everything
else--we should never have saved him."

"And now that he is saved," Burke said, a faint ring of irony in
his voice, "isn't it almost time to begin to consider--other needs?
Do you know you are looking very ill?"

He asked the question abruptly, so abruptly that she started. Her
nerves were on edge that day.

"Am I? No, I didn't know. It isn