Having despatched this, she worked herself up into such a fury over the whole affair that she took a fit, and for some time was in danger of dying, but her indomitable spirit asserted itself, and with iron determination she arose from her bed of sickness to see her nephew. It was a fight between Cleopatra and Aunt Jelly for possession of Guy, but all this time Guy had no more idea of playing his wife false, than he had of returning Mrs. Veilsturm's openly-displayed passion. CHAPTER XXVI. AUNT JELLY INTERFERES. "What vows you made at the marriage altar, For better and worse, to take your wife; Yet at the moment of need you falter, Quail at rumours of coming strife. Nay, it were wiser to cling and cherish, Altho' things evil be said and done; If in the future you both should perish, Husband and wife should be lost as one." Aunt Jelly was looking very pale and ill on the day she elected to see Guy in order to expostulate with him on the wild way in which he was behaving. She was suffering from a very serious disease connected with the heart, and Dr. Pargowker warned her against any undue excitement, as it might prove fatal. He was seated with her now, a fat, oily man of the Chadband species, and talked about her ill-health in his usual unctuous manner. In her accustomed chair sat Miss Corbin, looking worn with illness, but as grim and defiant as ever, while the doctor standing near her felt her pulse with one hand, and held his watch with the other. Minnie, ever watchful of her patroness's comfort, hovered round like an unquiet spirit, bringing all sorts of unnecessary things, which made Aunt Jelly very irritable and led her to say unpleasant things to Miss Pelch which reduced the poetess to tears. "Well?" said Miss Corbin sharply, when Dr. Pargowker had finished with her pulse, "what do you say? Is this illness serious?" The doctor lifted one fat white hand in gentle protest, and resumed his seat with a comfortable sigh. "No, dearest lady, no," he said in his heavy, soft voice, "do not I beg of you think you are so bad as all that. You remind me, if I may be permitted to make the comparison, of a dear friend of mine who departed----" "Bother your dear friend!" snapped Aunt Jelly in her grimmest manner. "I didn't ask you here to tell me other people's histories. I want to know about my own state of health." Dr. Pargowker folded his chubby hands complacently on his rotund stomach and meekly ventured a protest against this language. "Do not, oh dearest lady," he said unctuously, "do not excite yourself like this. It is bad for you, dearest lady, very bad." "Very bad, dear Miss Corbin," echoed Minnie tearfully. "And might lead to complications," pursued the doctor, shaking his head. "Complications," echoed Miss Pelch, putting her handkerchief to her eyes.