When she had packed her trunk, she went into the kitchen automatically, to see about the preparations for dinner. She spoke to the cook about the special things for Charles and said that she herself was dining out. The sight of one of the small pans that had been used to cook Chuck's food caught her attention for a moment--but she stared at it unmoved. She looked into the ice-box and saw it was clean and fresh inside. Then she went into Charles's room. He was sitting up in bed, and the nurse was reading to him. His hair was almost white now, silvery white, and underneath it his eyes were huge and dark in his thin young face. "The baby is sick?" he asked in his own natural voice. She nodded. He hesitated, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he asked: "The baby is dead?" "Yes." For a long time he didn't speak. The nurse came over and put her hand on his forehead. Two large, strange tears welled from his eyes. "I knew the baby was dead." After another long wait, the nurse spoke: "The doctor said he could be taken out for a drive to-day while there was still sunshine. He needs a little change." "Yes." "I thought"--the nurse hesitated--"I thought perhaps it would do you both good, Mrs. Hemple, if you took him instead of me." Luella shook her head hastily. "Oh, no," she said. "I don't feel able to, to-day." The nurse looked at her oddly. With a sudden feeling of pity for Charles, Luella bent down gently and kissed his cheek. Then, without a word, she went to her own room, put on her hat and coat, and with her suitcase started for the front door. Immediately she saw that there was a shadow in the hall. If she could get past that shadow, she was free. If she could go to the right or left of it, or order it out of her way! But, stubbornly, it refused to move, and with a little cry she sank down into a hall chair. "I thought you'd gone," she wailed. "I told you to go away." "I'm going soon," said Doctor Moon, "but I don't want you to make an old mistake." "I'm not making a mistake--I'm leaving my mistakes behind." "You're trying to leave yourself behind, but you can't. The more you try to run away from yourself, the more you'll have yourself with you." "But I've got to go away," she insisted wildly. "Out of this house of death and failure!" "You haven't failed yet. You've only begun." She stood up. "Let me pass." "No." Abruptly she gave way, as she always did when he talked to her. She covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. "Go back into that room and tell the nurse you'll take your husband for a drive," he suggested. "I can't." "Oh, yes." Once more Luella looked at him, and knew that she would obey. With the conviction that her spirit was broken at last, she took up her suitcase and walked back through the hall. V