She put her hands up to her damp forehead as though the effort of speech had brought back the sensation of nausea. "You're going to faint!" exclaimed Trevellyan. "Let me get some water for you." "No, I'm not. _Oh, do go_!" "I can't leave you like this," protested the bewildered John. Grace staggered to her feet, and stood holding on to the edge of the sink. "I'm afraid--I'm only going to be sick," she said with difficulty. Ten minutes later they locked up the Canteen and went up Pollard Street. "You see, it had nothing to do with the raid," Grace told him gently. "It was just that poor man bleeding. I've always been like that; it's the only way I'm delicate, because I'm never ill, and I don't ever have nerves. But it is very tiresome. That's why I couldn't go and work in a hospital. I did clerical work in the hospital at home for a little while, but it wasn't any good." "Bad luck!" "It is, rather. I hate anybody's knowing about it; that's why I said I'd stay behind and lock up. I knew it was going to happen, and I didn't want any one to be there." "I'm sorry. I thought it was the raid that had upset you, and that you might be going to faint." "Nothing so romantic," said Miss Jones regretfully. But her regrets were as nothing to those of the Hostel when they learnt what had happened. It was impossible to conceal it from them, since the window of the ground-floor bedroom had been open, and Mrs. Potter and Miss Marsh, leaning from it, and listening eagerly, had heard every word of Captain Trevellyan's final discourse to Miss Jones, and her repeated assurances of being now completely restored. They flew into the hall to meet her. "Gracie dear, what _has_ happened to you? Tony was in such a state when she found you hadn't come in with her and the others." "Was it that beastly raid upset you?" Grace once more repudiated the raid with as much energy as she could muster. "You look as white as a sheet, dear! Come into the sitting-room." Every one was in the sitting-room, including those first back from the Canteen, and the pseudo-invalids who, having been in bed when the raid began, felt that only tea could enable them to face the night, and had hurried down in search of it. "Oh, Gracie, there you are! I was just going back to see what had become of you," said Tony. "Miss Vivian's cousin brought her home!" giggled Mrs. Potter. "You know, the Staff Officer one. She's been awfully upset, poor Grace! Turned quite faint, didn't you, dear?" "But you were so brave!" cried Tony, aghast. "You were all right all the time the raid was on. You didn't mind a bit!" "Came over you afterwards, I expect, didn't it?" said Miss Delmege kindly. "It's often the case. I'm always perfectly cool myself when anything happens--I was tonight--but I generally suffer for it afterwards. Reaction, I suppose. When I came downstairs after it was all over I was simply shaking, wasn't I, Mrs. Bullivant?"