Upon which ensued another silence.

Rachel flushed with shame, fury, and apprehension.  She hated
Batchgrew, and Louis, and all gross masculine invaders.

The mysterious silence within the room persisted.  And then old Batchgrew violently opened the door and glared at Rachel.  He showed no surprise at seeing her there on the landing.

“Ye’d better keep an eye on missis,” he said gruffly.  “She’s gone to sleep seemingly.”

And with no other word he departed.

Before the car had given its warning hoot Rachel was at Mrs. Maldon’s side.  The old lady lay in all tranquillity on her left arm.  She was indeed asleep, or she was in a stupor, and the peculiar stertorous noise of her breathing had recommenced.

Rachel’s vague dread vanished as she gazed at the worn features, and gave place to a new and definite fright.

“They have killed her!” she muttered.

And she ran into the next room and called Mrs. Tams.

“Who’s below?” asked Mrs. Tarns, as, wide awake, she came out on to the landing.

“Nobody,” said Rachel.  “They’ve gone.”

But the doctor was below.  Mr. Batchgrew had left the front door open.

“What a good thing!” cried Rachel.

In the bedroom Dr. Yardley, speaking with normal loudness, just as though Mrs. Maldon had not been present, said to Rachel—­

“I expected this this morning.  There’s nothing to be done.  If you try to give her food she’ll only get it into the lung.  It’s very improbable that she’ll regain consciousness.”

“But are you sure, doctor?” Rachel asked.

The doctor answered grimly—­

“No, I’m not—­I’m never sure.  She may recover.”

“She’s been rather disturbed this afternoon.”

The doctor lifted his shoulders.

“That’s got nothing to do with it,” said he.  “As I told you, she’s had an embolus in one artery of the brain.  It lessened at first for a bit—­they do sometimes—­and now it’s enlarging, that’s all.  Nothing external could affect it either way.”

“But how long—?” asked Rachel, recoiling.

V

Her chief sensation that evening was that she was alone, for Mrs. Tams was not a companion, but a slave.  She was alone with a grave and strange responsibility, which she could not evade.  Indeed, events had occurred in such a manner as to make her responsibility seem natural and inevitable, to give it the sanction of the most correct convention.  Between 4.30 and 6 in the afternoon four separate calls of inquiry had been made at the house, thus demonstrating Mrs. Maldon’s status in the town.  One lady had left a fine bunch of grapes.  To all these visitors Rachel had said the same things, namely, that Mrs. Maldon had been better on the Saturday, but was worse; that the case was very serious; that the doctor had been twice that day and was coming again, that Councillor Batchgrew was fully informed and had seen the patient; that Mr. Louis Fores, Mrs. Maldon’s only near relative in England, was constantly in and out; that she herself had the assistance of Mrs. Tams, who was thoroughly capable, and that while she was much obliged for offers of help, she could think of no way of utilizing them.