"Oh, eheu!" thought Hollis distressfully, disgustedly. "You screw yourself up to tell her all these things about him, because you think it will please her; and _this_ is the way she takes 'em!" He looked at her again; she gave no sign. Feeling painfully insignificant and helpless, he turned and left the room. A few minutes later Paul came in. "You have sold your Clay County iron!" said Eve. "I have always intended to sell it." "Not at a sacrifice." "One does as one can--a business transaction." "How much money have you sent to your brother all these years?" "I don't know that it is--I don't know what interest you can have in it," Paul answered. "You mean that it is not my business. Oh, don't be so hard! Say three words just for once." "Why, I'll say as many as you like, Eve. Ferdie was one of the most brilliant fellows in the world; if he had lived, all his investments would have turned out finely, he was sure of a fortune some time." "And, in the meanwhile, you supported him; you have always done it." "You are mistaken. I advanced him money now and then when he happened to be short, but it was always for the time being only; he would have paid me back if he had lived." The door opened, and the judge came in. "I'm glad you're here," said Paul; "now we can decide, we three, upon what is best to be done. The doctor says that while this heat is very bad for Cicely, travel would be still worse; she cannot go anywhere by train, and hardly by steamer--though that is better; there would be no use, then, in trying to take her south." "It's ten times hotter here to-day than I ever saw it at Romney," interposed the judge. "It's a tophet--this town of yours!" "I was thinking also of Miss Abercrombie's illness," Paul went on. "Though her fever is light, her room is still a sick-room, and that would depress Cicely, I feel sure. But, meanwhile, the poor girl is hourly growing weaker, and so this is what I have thought of: we will go into camp in the pines near Jupiter Light. Don't you remember how much good camp-life did her before?" Six days later they were living in the pine woods at Jupiter. This time lodges had been built; the nurse accompanied Cicely; they were a party of eight, without counting the cook and the Indians. At first Cicely remained in much the same state, she recognized no one but Jack.