"You need not, I assure you, she understands, and is full of sympathy." Ragna smiled faintly--it was good to hear that, after all, she would not be friendless. "Do you know when Fru Bjork intends to return to Christiania?" "She will be going soon now--she has always said she would go home in July, and we are at the end of June." Ferrati pursed up his lips. "June--next Wednesday is the first of July--if she keeps to her plan we may win through--but if she postpones her departure--In any case, I shall tell her that your health will not permit of your taking a long journey now. I shall tell her that I am afraid of a growth of some kind, a tumour, and that I wish to keep you under my observation until I can be sure. She has confidence in me, and if she can be persuaded to leave you in my care--" "But she will never leave me like that. She is very fond of me, and nothing would induce her to leave me alone and ill in a strange country." "We must think of a way to get her to do it, something may turn up--and in any case, if the worst comes to the worst, you can quarrel with her on some pretext or other, and leave her." "Oh, I should hate to do that, she has been so good to me!" "My dear child, we can't afford to consider your likes and dislikes in the matter, since you feel that you can't confide in her, you must take whatever means offers of leaving her before she finds out. However, there is no reason to precipitate matters, we can wait a few days, in case of something happening. In the meantime, you must be very careful not to arouse her suspicions in any way,--this migraine will tide you over two or three days anyway. We must arrange for you to travel back to Florence with my wife and me, next week; I shall take rooms for you near our apartment, for you can't stop on in a pension now,--and you must have a woman to do the work and look after you." As an inspiration the thought of Carolina flashed through Ragna's mind. "Doctor," she said, "there is that girl I promised to help, she is coming here to see me to-morrow,--she might do for a servant for me--at any rate, I should have no need to feel ashamed before her, she knows what it is to be unhappy, and it would be a way of redeeming my promise." "You might do worse--we can certainly consider the question. Send the girl to me, I will speak to her, and make some inquiries about her. If she proves to be a suitable person, we can take her back to Florence with us." "How kind you are to me, dear Dr. Ferrati! I don't know what I should do without you, nor how I shall ever thank you!" "I wish there was more I could do, my poor child! If you want to please me, be brave and gather up all your strength. We all have our hard times to live through, and we must do it as best we can. You are very young, remember, and life lies before you,--you will have many bright and happy days yet--" Ragna smiled bitterly, and made no answer.