"Don’t cry, old girl. I’ll see if I can quiet her." He went into the room. Sheila Pat was crouched up on her bed, moaning: "I want to go home! I want to go home!" She lifted her head, and her heavy eyes leapt to his with a wild gleam of hope. She stretched out her arms; she was shaking all over. "Denis—oh, Denis—I want to go home!" He put his arms round her. "Try to be good, Atom—try to be quiet, and go to sleep." His face worked; he bit his lip. "You’ll go—some day," he said huskily. "Let me go now—-I’ll be so good—I won’t stay a minute—if I can see it—just _feel_ it—and smell it—oh, Denis—Denis—I want to go home!" "You shall go, Atom." There was a sudden breathless lull. She gave a little shiver. "I—I didn’t quite hear—" she whispered hoarsely. He glanced, his blue eyes desperate, across at Nell, then down at the wild, incredulous little face upturned to his. His eyes cleared, grew deeply tender. "I said that you shall go." His voice was clear, firm. "Directly your cold has gone I will take you across for a few days if you still want to go." She dropped suddenly forward against his chest. "Please hold me." Her faint little whisper told of sudden ineffable peace. They wrapped her in blankets, and he took her into his arms and walked up and down the room with her. She pulled her arm out of the coverings and stroked his cheek with a gesture almost of adoration. "I don’t think," a sudden passionate whisper came from her, "God _can_ be quite so nice as you!" Up and down he went. "Try to go to sleep, Atom." "Yes, Denis." Presently she started trembling. "Denis?" "Yes, acushla." "Have—have I been asleep?" "No." "—I didn’t _dream_ that you—you said—" "I said that when your cold is better, I will take you home for a few days." She gave a little wriggle and a snuggle of utter joy. "I was ’fraid I’d dreamt it." "Denis, _would_ you mind keep sayin’ it every now and then?" Nell sat by the fire and watched him tramp the room. Once Molly peeped round the door, but was frowned away. Once he tried to lay her down, but she objected with drowsy terror. "_Hold_, me, Denis! Say it again!" Presently. "Denis, if we took all the poor mad people to Ireland, wouldn’t they get better, and not want to kill theirselves any more?—Please just say it again." "Where’s Nell? I want to say good night to her." Nell came and kissed her softly. "Poor Nell—may she come, too, Denis?—All green—and cool—I—I can most smell it already—I like lying my cheek on the grass—like—this—it’s so—cool—it smells—all—wet—Please—say it—again." Up and down the room he went, while she slept in his arms. Nell signed to him to put her down, but he glanced down at the small white face in the blankets, and shook his head. But at last he put her into her bed, and covered her up. For a minute they stood waiting, but Sheila Pat lay still, her breathing soft and regular.