"Practical little person," he said; "you would have made a splendid man, Caroline." "I mean to be a working woman," the girl answered, "and that can be just as good as being a man." Haverford did not answer her. He stood looking into the fire for a long time in silence. "I wish I could feel that all would work out as you say," he said, rousing himself at last; "but----" Then he said, "I know she is ill; she seems to me to be on the eve of a nervous breakdown, but any remedy I suggest seems to have no healing power for her. You cannot think how I brood over her! She is so dear to me. The first living creature that has belonged to me since I was a boy. Mrs. Brenton gave me very much the same advice as yours," he said next. "The last time I was here, she urged me strongly to take Camilla abroad at once. I have pleaded with her a dozen times to do this: in vain!" From a long, pregnant silence he roused himself. "Sometimes I ask myself if she would not be happier without me." "No!" said Caroline, sharply. "What ... what an absurd idea!" Then she turned on him again. "Oh! I wish I were in your place! I would not talk, or think, or sit down and worry. I would simply say I am going to have such and such a thing done, and I would see that it _was_ done!" She was trembling so much she had to get up and move away from him, and was thankful that the lights had not been lit in the hall, and that it was too dark for him to see her face distinctly. A moment later she said-- "You would like dinner as soon as we can have it, I suppose?" This roused him. "Oh, thank you very much, but I want to get back! I will have some supper in town. I have a morning full of engagements to-morrow." He went to slip on his big motoring coat again. "Don't let Mrs. Brenton imagine all sorts of things because I ran down in this hurried way." "Of course not," said Caroline. He held her hand, and pressed it warmly. "Thank you so much," he said, "you have cheered me up a great deal. A man is always a clumsy creature in these sort of things, and I am quite sure that everything that is happening is my own fault. Good-bye." "We shall meet soon," said Caroline, as steadily as she could. "I shall telegraph to Mrs. Lancing in the morning, and tell her I find it necessary to take the children to town. I shall invent a great many things for her to do. I dare say she will find me very tiresome; but I must risk that." He laughed and released her hand, and then he moved back again and looked at her in his characteristically keen way. "I have not asked you how you are yourself?" he said. "It is such an unnecessary question," retorted Caroline, "when you see that I am in robust health." "Are you? I thought you were looking anything but robust as you came downstairs." "Now please," said Caroline, "don't begin to go through the usual catechism!" "I won't," he answered, "except I want to know--have you got the maid you were going to have?"