She made an effort to recover herself, and partly succeeded. She lifted her face and spoke quite gently and deprecatingly. "No," she said. "I don't think it is; so you will be all the readier to overlook it, and allow it to me as a luxury. The fact is, Richard, I am not growing any stronger, and"-- "Do you know," he interrupted, "I don't understand that. You used to be strong enough." "One has to be very strong to be strong _enough_," she replied, "and I seem to have fallen a little short of the mark." "But it has been going on rather a long time, hasn't it?" he inquired. "Didn't it begin last winter?" "Yes," she answered, in a low voice, "it _began_ then." "Well, you see, that is rather long for a thing of that sort to go on without any special reason." "It has seemed so to me," she responded, without any change of tone. "Haven't you a pretty good appetite?" he inquired. She raised her eyes suddenly, and then dropped them again. He had not observed what a dozen other people had seen. "No," she answered. "Don't you sleep well?" "No." "Are you thinner? Well, yes," giving her a glance of inspection. "You are thinner. Oh! come, now, this won't do at all!" "I am willing to offer any form of apology you like," she said. "You must get well," he answered; "that is all." And he rose from his seat, went to the mantel for a cigarette, and returned to her side, patting her shoulder encouragingly. "You would not be tired of Planefield if you were well. You would like him well enough." The change which settled on her face was one which had crossed it many a time without his taking note of it. Possibly the edge of susceptibilities so fine and keen as his is more easily dulled than that of sensitiveness less exquisite. She arose herself. "That offers me an inducement to recover," she said. "I will begin immediately--to-day--this moment. Let me light your cigarette for you." After it was done they sauntered into the library together and stood for a moment looking out of the window. "Do you know," she said at length, laying her hand on his sleeve, "I think even you are not quite yourself. Are you an invalid, too?" "I," he said. "Why do you think so?" "For a very good reason," she answered. "For the best of reasons. Two or three times lately you have been a trifle out of humor. Are you aware of it? Such, you see, is the disadvantage of being habitually amiable. The slightest variation of your usually angelic demeanor lays you open to the suspicion of bodily ailment. Just now, for instance, at table, when I spoke to you about going away, you were a little--not to put too fine a point upon it--cross." "Was I?" Her touch upon his sleeve was very soft and kind, and her face had a gentle, playful appeal on it.