ou. It's----'

'Yes?' she encouraged him. 'Tell me. I can hear.'

'It's about your father. I didn't treat him quite right ... once....
Week after I first met you, May.... No, not quite right. He was holding
Hull and Barnsley shares ... you know, railway ... great gambling stock,
then, Hull and Barn--Barnsley. Holding them on cover; for the rise....
They dropped too much--dropped to 23.... He couldn't hold any longer ...
wired to me to sell and cut the loss. Understand?'

'Yes,' she said, trembling. 'I quite understand.'

'Well ... I wired back, "Sold at 23." ... But some mistake. Shares not
sold. Clerk's mistake.... Clerk didn't sell.... Next day rise began....
I didn't wire him shares not sold. Somehow, I couldn't.... Put it
off.... Rise went on.... I took over shares myself ... you
see--myself.... Made nearly five thousand clear.... I wanted money
then.... I think I would have told him, perhaps, later ... made it
right ... but he died ... sudden ... I wasn't going to let his creditors
have that five thou.... No, he'd meant to sell ... and, look here, May,
if those shares had dropped lower ... 'stead of rising ... I should have
had to stand the racket ... with your father, for my clerk's
mistake.... See?... He'd meant to sell.... Hard lines on him, but he'd
meant to sell.... He'd meant----'

'Don't say any more, dear.'

'Must explain this, May. Why didn't I give the money to you ... when he
was dead?... Because I knew you'd only ... give it ... to creditors....
I knew you.... That's straight.... I've told you now.'

He lost consciousness again, but for an instant May did not notice it.
She was crying, and her tears fell on his face.

Then came a doctor, a little dark man, who explained with calm
politeness that he had been out when the messenger first arrived. He
took off his coat, hung it up, opened his bag, and proceeded to a minute
examination of the patient. His movements were so methodical, and he
gave orders to May in a tone so quiet, casual, and ordinary, that she
almost lost her sense of the reality of the scene.

'Yes, yes,' he said, from time to time, as if to himself; nothing else;
not a single enlightening word to May.

'I'm dying,' moaned Edward, opening his eyes.

The doctor glanced round at May and winked. That wink, deliberate and
humorous, was like an electric shock to her. She could actually feel her
heart leap in her breast. If she had not been afraid of the doctor, she
would have fainte