permitted Miss Vivian's
presence, except when the patient's anxiety made it necessary to
bring her in; and when admitted, there was nothing to be done but to
sit by Camilla, and now and then answer the weary disjointed talk,
and, if it grew a little livelier, the warning that Lady Tyrrell was
getting excited was sure to follow.

Outside there was enough to do, in the disorganized state of the
sick and panic-stricken household, where nobody was effective but
the French valet and one very stupid kitchen-maid. Lena helped the
St. Faith's nurse in her charge of the French maid, but almost all
her time in the morning was spent in domestic cares for the sick and
for her father; and when he was once up, he was half plaintive, half
passionate, if she did not at once respond to his calls. She read
the papers to him, walked up and down the terrace with him while he
smoked, and played bezique with him late into the night, to distract
his thoughts. And where were hers, while each day's bulletin from
Compton Hall was worse than the last? Little Joe Reynolds had been
sent home on being taken ill, and she would fain have gone to see
him, but detentions sprang up around her, and sometimes it would
have been impossible to go so far from the house, so that days had
become weeks, and the month of October was old before she was
walking down the little garden of old Betty's house. The door
opened, and Julius Charnock came out, startling her by the sight of
his worn and haggard looks, as he made a deprecating movement, and
shut the door behind him. Then she saw that the blinds were in the
act of being drawn down.

"Is it so?" she said.

"Yes," said Julius, in a quiet tone, as sad and subdued as his
looks. "He slept himself away peacefully a quarter of an hour ago."

"I suppose I must not go in now. I longed to come before. Poor
boy, he was like a toy flung away."

"You need not grieve over him," said Julius. "Far from it. You
have done a great deal for him."

"I--I only caused him to be put into temptation."

"Nay. Your care woke his spirit up and guarded him. No one could
hear his wanderings without feeling that he owed much to you. There
is a drawing to be given to you that will speak much to you. It is
at the Rectory; it was not safe here. And his mother is here. I
can't but hope her soul has been reached through him. Yes," as
Lenore leant against the gate, her warm tears dropping, "there is no
grief in thinkin