He seemed to realize Miss Rand's efficiency. This was no ordinary country-house visitor. He went to the hall door and opened it. "I'm waiting for the things from Lewes. I just came on with what I'd got. Yes, the spine ... afraid will never be able to get about again--such a strong fellow too." "There's nothing I can do?" "Nothing anyone can do for the moment. Lady Seddon's taking it wonderfully, but she'll want you later. I advise you to get some quiet in the next hour--it's afterwards that they'll need your help----" Lizzie went up to her room and lay down on her bed. She did not light the candles, but lay there in the darkness striving to compel some order out of the turmoil that rioted in her brain--her first thought was of Roddy. Roddy had always been to her the supreme type of animal spirits and vigour--_that_ had been, above everything else, what he stood for. That _he_ should have been struck down like this! The cruelty, the irony of it! Much better that he should die than be compelled to lie on his back for the rest of his life--anything better for him than that-- If he died Rachel would be free. Lizzie faced that thought quite calmly! her quarrel with Rachel seemed to be now very, very long ago, something distant and remote, something whose very conditions had been torn asunder and flung aside-- As she lay there tenderness for Rachel came sweeping about her--"She must want someone now--she's so young and so ignorant--never had any crisis like this to deal with--hard for this to happen to him just after she'd thought those things ... that must be terrible for her.... Oh! she'll need someone now." Something reminded Lizzie of other things, of Francis Breton, of Rachel's words, of Lizzie's anger, then-- "Ah, but that's all so long ago. It doesn't seem to count. There are things more important than all of that. What will she do now? Perhaps she still hates me--won't let me come near her--it's my own fault after all; I kept away for so long, wouldn't let _her_ come near _me_. Oh! but she must have someone to help her!" After a while Lizzie thought--"She won't be practical--she won't know the things that ought to be done--I'll wait a little and then I'll go." Then she slept. She awoke with a clear active brain; she felt as though she could be awake now for weeks--a tremendous energy filled her.... She left her room and at the turn of the passage met a thick-set clean-shaven man whom she knew for Cramp--one of the most famous of the London doctors, a man whom she had sometimes seen with Christopher at the Portland Place house. She stopped him--"I'm Miss Rand, Doctor--Lady Adela's secretary--we've met in London--I want you to tell me how I can help." He shook hands with her, eyeing her with approval--