"Perhaps you will come downstairs, and hear the whole particulars from Mr Thurston himself," she said to Captain Chancellor, coldly. He took the hint, and followed her out of the room. Outside, on the landing, she turned upon him. "Do not think I am going to interfere," she said quickly. "I know it would be useless. I don't take upon myself to say that she should go, that she is well enough--though, to my thinking, the distress and disappointment will be worse for her than the journey--but in the thing itself you may be right. But this I do say, that the _way_ you have done it, your manner to her, is simply," she hesitated a moment, "brutal," she added, with contemptuous distinctness. "Bringing in the vulgar question of `appearances' at such a time!" This was her parting shot. She turned and left him, and Beauchamp, without having replied to her by word or glance, stalked away downstairs to Mr Thurston. He was very civil to Gerald, so civil as to make the new-comer feel that he was looked upon as a total stranger; so full of acknowledgments of the great trouble Mr Thurston had given himself, as to suggest that the qualification "unnecessary" was in his thoughts all the time. But Gerald did not care enough for the man to be annoyed or in any way affected by his opinion; he only cared for the errand he had come upon, and his disappointment was great when he found it was to be a fruitless one. He did not attempt to hide it. "I am exceedingly sorry that Mrs Chancellor cannot return with me," he said; "it is very unfortunate." "But, from what you tell me, there is no cause for pressing anxiety," said Captain Chancellor. "Mr Laurence is not in a critical state?" "There is no immediate danger, so at least the doctor assured me," Gerald admitted. "But my own opinion is less favourable. I do not like this sudden feverish eagerness to see his daughter: it is quite unlike Mr Laurence. I confess, it made me very uneasy, and I dread the effects of the disappointment." Beauchamp smiled. There was a slight superiority in his smile. At another time it might have irritated Gerald as it did Roma, who had re-entered the room. "I can't say that I see any grounds for uneasiness in what you mention," Beauchamp said. "Every one knows how fanciful sick people are. And as for the disappointment, there need be none, I hope. I shall see my wife's medical man to-morrow, and, if he approves, I shall bring her over to Wareborough myself in a few days. A very different thing from acting without his approval." And with this, Gerald had to be content. There was reason in what Captain Chancellor said, but his evident consciousness of being the only reasonable one of the party made it all the more irritating to have to abide by his decision.