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fairly good form。〃
〃There has been a change for the worse； very sudden and rapid； and
when the Doctor got here he found diphtheritic symptoms。 He ought to
have been called； as I knew； in the morning； and the child oughtn't
to have been brought into the garden。〃
〃My dear lady； he was very happy there；〃 I protested with horror。
〃He would be very happy anywhere。 I've no doubt he's very happy now；
with his poor little temperature！〃 She dropped her voice as her
brother came in； and Mark let us know that as a matter of course Mrs。
Ambient wouldn't appear。 It was true the boy had developed
diphtheritic symptoms； but he was quiet for the present and his
mother earnestly watching him。 She was a perfect nurse； Mark said；
and Mackintosh would come back at ten。 Our dinner wasn't very gay
with my host worried and absent； and his sister annoyed me by her
constant tacit assumption； conveyed in the very way she nibbled her
bread and sipped her wine； of having 〃told me so。〃 I had had no
disposition to deny anything she might have told me； and I couldn't
see that her satisfaction in being justified by the event relieved
her little nephew's condition。 The truth is that； as the sequel was
to prove； Miss Ambient had some of the qualities of the sibyl and had
therefore perhaps a right to the sibylline contortions。 Her brother
was so preoccupied that I felt my presence an indiscretion and was
sorry I had promised to remain over the morrow。 I put it to Mark
that clearly I had best leave them in the morning； to which he
replied that； on the contrary； if he was to pass the next days in the
fidgets my company would distract his attention。 The fidgets had
already begun for him； poor fellow； and as we sat in his study with
our cigars after dinner he wandered to the door whenever he heard the
sound of the Doctor's wheels。 Miss Ambient； who shared this
apartment with us； gave me at such moments significant glances； she
had before rejoining us gone upstairs to ask about the child。 His
mother and his nurse gave a fair report； but Miss Ambient found his
fever high and his symptoms very grave。 The Doctor came at ten
o'clock； and I went to bed after hearing from Mark that he saw no
present cause for alarm。 He had made every provision for the night
and was to return early in the morning。
I quitted my room as eight struck the next day and when I came
downstairs saw； through the open door of the house； Mrs。 Ambient
standing at the front gate of the grounds in colloquy with
Mackintosh。 She wore a white dressing…gown； but her shining hair was
carefully tucked away in its net； and in the morning freshness； after
a night of watching； she looked as much 〃the type of the lady〃 as her
sister…in…law had described her。 Her appearance； I suppose； ought to
have reassured me； but I was still nervous and uneasy； so that I
shrank from meeting her with the necessary challenge。 None the less；
however； was I impatient to learn how the new day found him； and as
Mrs。 Ambient hadn't seen me I passed into the grounds by a roundabout
way and； stopping at a further gate； hailed the Doctor just as he was
driving off。 Mrs。 Ambient had returned to the house before he got
into his cart。
〃Pardon me； but as a friend of the family I should like very much to
hear about the little boy。〃
The stout sharp circumspect man looked at me from head to foot and
then said： 〃I'm sorry to say I haven't seen him。〃
〃Haven't seen him？〃
〃Mrs。 Ambient came down to meet me as I alighted； and told me he was
sleeping so soundly； after a restless night； that she didn't wish him
disturbed。 I assured her I wouldn't disturb him； but she said he was
quite safe now and she could look after him herself。〃
〃Thank you very much。 Are you coming back？〃
〃No； sir； I'll be hanged if I come back！〃 cried the honest
practitioner in high resentment。 And the horse started as he settled
beside his man。
I wandered back into the garden； and five minutes later Miss Ambient
came forth from the house to greet me。 She explained that breakfast
wouldn't be served for some time and that she desired a moment
herself with the Doctor。 I let her know that the good vexed man had
come and departed； and I repeated to her what he had told me about
his dismissal。 This made Miss Ambient very serious； very serious
indeed； and she sank into a bench； with dilated eyes； hugging her
elbows with crossed arms。 She indulged in many strange signs； she
confessed herself immensely distressed； and she finally told me what
her own last news of her nephew had been。 She had sat up very late
after me； after Markand before going to bed had knocked at the door
of the child's room； opened to her by the nurse。 This good woman had
admitted her and she had found him quiet； but flushed and
〃unnatural；〃 with his mother sitting by his bed。 〃She held his hand
in one of hers；〃 said Miss Ambient； 〃and in the otherwhat do you
think？the proof…sheets of Mark's new book！〃 She was reading them
there intently： 〃did you ever hear of anything so extraordinary？
Such a very odd time to be reading an author whom she never could
abide！〃 In her agitation Miss Ambient was guilty of this vulgarism
of speech； and I was so impressed by her narrative that only in
recalling her words later did I notice the lapse。 Mrs。 Ambient had
looked up from her reading with her finger on her lipsI recognised
the gesture she had addressed me in the afternoonand； though the
nurse was about to go to rest； had not encouraged her sister…in…law
to relieve her of any part of her vigil。 But certainly at that time
the boy's state was far from reassuringhis poor little breathing so
painful； and what change could have taken place in him in those few
hours that would justify Beatrice in denying Mackintosh access？ This
was the moral of Miss Ambient's anecdote； the moral for herself at
least。 The moral for me； rather； was that it WAS a very singular
time for Mrs。 Ambient to be going into a novelist she had never
appreciated and who had simply happened to be recommended to her by a
young American she disliked。 I thought of her sitting there in the
sick…chamber in the still hours of the night and after the nurse had
left her； turning and turning those pages of genius and wrestling
with their magical influence。
I must be sparing of the minor facts and the later emotions of this
sojournit lasted but a few hours longerand devote but three words
to my subsequent relations with Ambient。 They lasted five years
till his deathand were full of interest； of satisfaction and； I may
add； of sadness。 The main thing to be said of these years is that I
had a secret from him which I guarded to the end。 I believe he never
suspected it； though of this I'm not absolutely sure。 If he had so
much as an inkling the line he had taken； the line of absolute
negation of the matter to himself； shows an immense effort of the
will。 I may at last lay bare my secret； giving it for what it is
worth； now that the main sufferer has gone； that he has begun to be
alluded to as one of the famous early dead and that his wife has
ceased to survive him； now； too； that Miss Ambient； whom I also saw
at intervals during the time that followed； has； with her
embroideries and her attitudes； her necromantic glances and strange
intuitions； retired to a Sisterhood； where； as I am told； she is
deeply immured and quite lost to the world。
Mark came in to breakfast after this lady and I had for some time
been seated there。 He shook hands with me in silence； kissed my
companion； opened his letters and newspapers and pretended to drink
his coffee。 But I took these movements for mechanical and was little
surprised when he suddenly pushed away everything that was before him
and； with his head in his hands and his elbows on the table； sat
staring strangely at the cloth。
〃What's the matter； caro fratello mio？〃 Miss Ambient quavered；
peeping from behind the urn。
He answered nothing； but got up with a certain violence and strode to
the window。 We rose to our feet； his relative and I； by a common
impulse； exchanging a glance of some alarm； and he continued to stare
into the garden。 〃In heaven's name what has got possession of
Beatrice？〃 he cried at last； turning round on us a ravaged face。 He
looked from one of us to the otherthe appeal was addressed to us
alike。
Miss Ambient gave a shrug。 〃My poor Mark； Beatrice is always
Beatrice！〃
〃She has locked herself up with the boybolted and barred the door。
She refuses to let me come near him！〃 he went on。
〃She refused to let Mackintosh see him an hour ago！〃 Miss Ambient
promptly returned。
〃Refused to let Mackintosh see him？ By heaven I'll smash in the
door！〃 And Mark brought his fist down upon the sideboard； which he
had now approached； so that all the breakfast…service rang。
I begged Miss Ambient to go up and try to have speech of her sister…
in…law； and I drew Mark out into the garden。 〃You're exceedingly
nervous； and Mrs。 Ambient's probably right；〃 I there undertook to
plead。 〃Women know； women should be supreme in such a situation。
Trust a mothera devoted mother； my dear friend！〃 With such words
as these I tried to soo