As she spoke she raised her light blue eyes to his face. She longed for him to kiss her. Unscrupulous as she was, for him she felt a passion which in itself was pure and strong and holy. She would have given up her life for him. If he had in any degree returned her love she would have been faithful to him, no matter whom else she destroyed. Provided he did not provoke her jealousy, she would in her way make him an excellent wife, but with such a woman as Clara Ives jealousy could make her as cruel as the grave. She motioned the doctor now to an easy chair and sat down at a little distance from him. “Will you eat?” she asked. “I have just dined.” “Can I get you anything to drink?” “Nothing, thank you.” “Then I will shut the door. We have much to arrange, have we not?” “Yes, nurse. We can talk over the progress of events and all that is likely to follow, but not to-night, nurse.” Clara Ives held up her hand. “Why do you stop me? What is the matter?” said Tarbot. “From this moment,” she replied, “we drop that word nurse. It signifies servitude, and I’m a servant no longer.” “We’re both servants to the noble cause of science,” said Tarbot with a light laugh. “It’s no disgrace to be a servant, my good creature.” “It is no disgrace,” answered Nurse Ives. She rose to her feet, then suddenly fell on her knees. She was close to Tarbot now, and, stretching out one of her hands, she clasped his. It had been lying in his lap, and he had not time to withdraw it. “I long to be _your_ servant,” she said, and she kissed the hand which she held. He laid the other for a moment on her head. “I did not know you had such good hair,” he said. “It is thick and abundant. It suits you arranged like this.” “It is not really thick, but I puffed it out by artificial means. I am glad you like it. I did the best for my appearance for your sake. I know I am not beautiful.” “All the same, you look well in that dress,” he answered. “Dress can do much for you.” “It shall do much for me, Luke.” He suppressed an involuntary shudder when she called him by his Christian name. “It shall do much for me,” she repeated. “You will never be ashamed of me when you see me at the head of your table.” He did not reply, but started restlessly from his chair and stood with his back to the gas stove. “This room is hot,” he said. “Do you mind opening the other door?” “No, I would rather leave it closed. I like to keep my bedroom cool. The air from the gas stove gets into the room and overheats it.” “As you please. You must not keep me long now. Things have turned out exactly as we planned.” “Yes,” said the woman. “Yes.” “You did what I required admirably—no one better. By the way, have you any of the hyoscine left?” The nurse’s face grew very white. “A little. Why do you ask?” “You had better give it to me—it is safer.”