Margaret sat on the seat under the wistaria. She had torn off the lilacs ruthlessly and had her hot face buried in their cool depths. On the way hither she had seen a horseman cantering up the avenue. She would stay here until he had left Philip's room and gone downstairs. She did not wish to see him. She would be glad if she could never see him again. There had been a truce between them--yes, of course there _had_ to be while Philip was so ill--but that was over now. He was her enemy after all--must always be--no matter which way the thing was settled. It was best that she should see as little of him as possible. Of course she would have to remain here as long as Philip needed her--her heart stood still at the thought of what would happen when he did not need her--but she would manage it so as to be away when he was in Philip's room. That would be better--far better. Then looking up she saw the man she was planning to avoid coming down the walk toward her. "I am looking for you," he said, baring his head, sprinkled with gray, to the soft spring air. "Philip said you were among the lilacs." She pointed to the fragrant mass in her lap, glad of their confirmation. "How has he been?" "Better--I think. Yes--I am sure he is better." He sat down beside her. "That sounds as if you were keeping something back. What is it?" His voice was so kind that foolish tears got into her voice. "I feel as if something were being kept back from me," she said passionately. "That is just what the trouble is. It--it seems silly in me to go to you with every little thing--but--I have no one here--" "I don't want you to feel that anything which concerns Philip is too little or too great to come to me with," he said, gravely. "Remember always that my interest in him is second only to your own. Now--what is it?" "Well, if Philip is getting along so well--and he certainly seems to be--why should Dr. Anderson bring other doctors out here to see him?" "Other doctors?" he repeated, with a startled look. "What do you mean?" "I told you about the one who was here a few days ago. "Yes. I think you said Dr. Anderson told you there were some features about the case that made it an unusual one, and that he brought the doctor out to see him for that reason." "He did. But to-day he brought out another one--somebody from Johns Hopkins, I think they said--and when I had made up my mind to stay in the room this time, Dr. Anderson sent me off on some fool's errand--to get something that I know he didn't want--and when I got back whatever they wanted to do was done. But just as I got into the room I heard this man say, 'So long as it affects only the outer circumference of'--something, I could not catch that--'there is little to fear, but if--' and then he saw me and stopped." He did not make light of her fears. He met them with sober sense.