cut short--"Baby all
right? Terry better?"

"Baby--oh yes, a greater duck than ever. I put her to bed myself,
and she was quite delicious. Eat, I say; go on."

"Not unless you eat that other wing."

"I'll help myself then. You go on. I don't see Herbert, so I
suppose it is all right. Where's your canonry?"

"Alas! poor Herbert is plucked. I had to go round by Strawyers to
tell them."

"Plucked! I never heard of such a thing. I think it is a great
shame such a nice honest fellow should be so ill-used, and when all
his pretty things have been stolen too! Do you know, they've taken
up young Hornblower; but his friends have made off with the things,
and they say they are in the melting-pot by this time, and there's
no chance of recovering them."

"I don't think he cares much now, poor fellow. Did you see Mrs.
Hornblower?"

"No; by the time I could get my hat on she had heard it, poor thing,
and was gone to Backsworth; for he's there, in the county gaol; was
taken at the station, I believe; I don't half understand it."

Her manner was indeed strange and flighty; and though she recurred
to questions about the Ordination and the Bowaters, Julius perceived
that she was forcing her attention to the answers as if trying to
stave off his inquiries, and he came to closer quarters. "How is
Terry? Has Dr. Worth been here?"

"Yes; but not till very late. He says he never was so busy."

"Rosamond, what is it? What did he say of Terry?"

"He said"--she drew a long breath--"he says it is the Water Lane
fever."

"Terry, my dear--"

She held him down with a hand on his shoulder--

"Be quiet. Finish your dinner. Dr. Worth said the great point was
to keep strong, and not be overdone, nor to go into infected air
tired and hungry. I would not have let you come in if there had
been any help for it; and now I'll not have you go near him till
you've made a good meal."

"You must do the same then. There, eat that slice, or I won't;" and
as she allowed him to place it on her plate, "What does he call it--
not typhus?"

"He can't tell yet; he does not know whether it is infectious or
only epidemic; and when he heard how the dear boy had been for days
past at the Exhibition at the town-hall, and drinking lots of iced
water on Saturday, he seemed to think it quite accounted for. He
says there is no reason that in this good air he should not do very
well; but, oh, Julius, I wish I had kept him from that horrid