He did not turn his head till at the end of five minutes Anne came to his side. She was very pale but quite self-possessed. "Mrs. Errol has gone to her room," she said. "She wished to be alone." "Gone to have a good cry, eh?" said Capper. "Healthiest thing she could do. And what about you?" She smiled with lips that faintly quivered. "I am quite all right, Doctor. And--I have ordered luncheon." He turned fully round and looked her up and down with lightning swiftness. "You're a very remarkable woman, Lady Carfax," he said after a moment. "I hope you may never be disappointed in me," she answered gravely. "I hope so too," he said, "for there is a good deal dependent upon you." "What do you mean?" She raised her clear eyes interrogatively. But he baffled her, as he baffled everyone, with the very keenness of his own scrutiny. He began to crack all his fingers in turn. "I mean," he said, "that even I can't work miracles by myself. I can do the elementary part. I can cut and saw and sew, but I can't heal. I can't give life. That's the woman's part. That's where I count on you. And I don't think you are going to fail me, Lady Carfax." "I promise you I will do my utmost," she said very earnestly. He nodded. "I believe you will. But even so, you can't do too much. It's a serious case, even more serious than I expected. I don't say this to alarm you, but I guess you had better know it. It'll be a tough, uphill fight, and he'll need a deal of pushing behind. It may entail more than you dream of--a big sacrifice perhaps; who knows? But you women don't shy at sacrifices. And, believe me, he's worth a sacrifice." "He deserves the best," she said warmly. "Yes, but you don't take me," said Capper. He paused a moment, then suddenly laid a quiet hand on her shoulder. "I may be a wise man," he said, "and again I may be a meddling fool. You and the gods must decide between you. But I'm old enough to be your father anyway. So p'r'aps you'll bear with me. Lady Carfax, hasn't it struck you that a time will come--probably pretty soon--when he will begin to reach out for something that you--and you alone--can give?" Anne's quick gesture of protest was his answer. She stood motionless, her eyes still raised, waiting for him to continue. But he felt her tremble under his hand. He knew that inwardly she was not so calm as she would have had him think. He went on in his precise, emotionless fashion, as though he perceived nothing. "He won't ask for it--anyway till he feels he can make a fair return. He will never ask a sacrifice of you. He will break his heart sooner. The point is, Are you capable of offering the sacrifice unasked? For that is what it amounts to, now that the gods have cleared the way." "Ah!" Anne said. "And--if--not?" She spoke rather as if to gain time than because she desired an answer.