“It is typhoid,” said Miss Fortescue. Jeannie dropped her eyes for a moment, and then looked up. “Is it infectious?” she asked; “I mean, can I carry it?” “I don’t know,” said Miss Fortescue. “Jeannie, what is the matter with you?” Jeannie had sat down on a chair in the landing, and was looking in front of her with wide, unseeing eyes. “I may have given it to the baby,” she said. “Jeannie, don’t be foolish,” said Miss Fortescue. “Oh, my dear, be sensible. I have already written to Dr. Maitland saying that you had been with probable typhoid cases, and asking what precautions one ought to take. I thought it probable that you would be uneasy about the baby, so I also asked whether it was possible that you had carried infection. That was about half an hour ago; I expect the answer every moment.” “Oh, Aunt Em,” said Jeannie, coming close to her, “you think it is all right, don’t you? You don’t think I have been stupid or incautious?” “I think you are being very stupid now,” said Aunt Em. “Ah, here is Pool.” The butler came upstairs and handed Miss Fortescue a note; she glanced at it quickly. “Such a risk of carrying typhoid as the one you mention is inconceivable,” she read, “and a baby of a few months old having it at all is unknown to the medical profession.” She passed the note to Jeannie, who glanced at it. “Oh, thank God, thank God!” she cried. “Aunt Em, I am going to see Dr. Maitland at once.” “The Avesham nerves,” sighed Miss Fortescue. “Surely the note is clear enough.” “Yes, it is not that,” said Jeannie; “but if this increases they will be short of hands. I heard that all the nurses in the hospital were working double time. I am going to say that I wish to help in any way that he will allow me.” Miss Fortescue looked at her a moment, and neither surprise nor criticism was in her eye. “We will go together,” she said; “let us go at once.” “Why should you come?” asked Jeannie. “Because I wish to. I know something about nursing, though I have never nursed typhoid, which is more than you do, Jeannie.” Jeannie looked surprised. “I didn’t know--” she began. “You know very little about me, dear,” said Miss Fortescue, “and that’s a fact. Go and get on your hat. I suppose I ought to forbid you to visit or help in any way, even forbid you suggesting it. But there are certain risks on certain occasions which every one is bound to run. Whether the risk in your case is too great to be allowed I do not know. That is what we are going to Dr. Maitland to find out. I remember only that people who are fortunate enough to be as old as I are practically immune. I hear there are fifty fresh cases this morning.” They found that Dr. Maitland was out and up at the hospital, where they followed him. After they had waited for a few minutes in a bare, dismal room, of which the principal furniture was a weighing-machine, a stethoscope, and a bottle labelled “poison,” he came in, looking grave, florid, and anxious.