“Polly，areyouafraidofdiphtheria？”
　　“OfnothingintheworldexceptsmallpoxDiphtheriakills，butitdoesn’tdisfigureWhydoyouask？”
　　“Becauseth~Bentbabyhasgotit，andthewholehotelisupsidedowninconsequenceTheWaddyhas’setherfiveyoungontherail’andfledTheDancingMasterfearsforhispreciousthroat，andthatmiserablelittlewoman，hiswife，hasnonotionofwhatoughttobedoneShewantedtoputitintoamustardbath-forcroup！”
　　“Wheredidyoulearnallthis？”
　　“Justnow，ontheMallDrHowlentoldmeTheManagerofthehotelisabusingtheBents，andtheBentsareabusingthemanagerTheyareafecklesscouple。”
　　“WellWhat’sonyourmind？”
　　“This；andIknowit’sagravethingtoaskWouldyouseriouslyobjecttomybringingthechildoverhere，withitsmother？”
　　“OnthemoststrictunderstandingthatweseenothingofTheDancingMaster。”
　　“HewillbeonlytoogladtostayawayPolly，you’reanangelThewomanreallyisatherwits’
　　end。”
　　“Andyouknownothingabouthercareless，andwouldholdheruptopublicscornifitgaveyouaminute’samusementThereforeyouriskyourlifeforthesakeofherbratNo，LooI’mnottheangelIshallkeeptomyroomsandavoidherButdoasyoupleas~onlytellmewhyyoudoit。”
　　MrsHauksbee’seyessoftened；shelookedoutofthewindowandbackintoMrsMallowe’sface。
　　“Idon’tknow。”saidMrsHauksbee，simply。
　　“Youdear！”
　　“Polly！-andforaughtyouknewyoumighthavetakenmyfringeoffNeverdothatagainwithoutwarningNowwe’llgettheroomsreadyIdon’tsupposeIshallbeallowedtocirculateinsocietyforamonth。”
　　“AndIalsoThankgoodnessIshallatlastgetallthesleepIwant。”
　　MuchtoMrsBent’ssurprisesheandthebabywerebroughtovertothehousealmostbeforesheknewwhereshewasBentwasdevoutlyandundisguisedlythankful，forhewasafraidoftheinfection，andalsohopedthatafewweeksinthehotelalonewithMrsDelvillemightleadtoexplanationsMrsBenthadthrownherjealousytothewindsinherfearforherchild’slife。
　　“Wecangiveyougoodmilk。”sai~MrsHauksbeetoher，“andourhouseismuchnearertotheDoctor’sthanth，’hotel，andyouwon’tfeelasthoughyouwerelivinginahostilecampWhereisthedearMrsWaddy？Sh~
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　　seemedtobeaparticularfriendofyours。”
　　“They’veallleftme。”saidMrsBent，bitterly“MrsWaddywentfirstShesaidIoughttobeashamedofmyselfforintroducingdiseasesthere，andIamsureitwasn’tmyfaultthatlittleDora“-“Hownice！”cooedMrsHauksbee。
　　“TheWaddyisaninfectiousdiseaseherself-’morequicklycaughtthantheplagueandthetakerrunspresentlymad。’IlivednextdoortoherattheElysium，threeyearsagoNowsee，youwon’tgiveustheleasttrouble，andI’veornamentedallthehousewithsheetssoakedincarbolicItsmellscomforting，doesn’tit？RememberI’malwaysmcall，andmyayah’satyourservicewhenyoursgoestohermealsand-and-ifyoucryI’llneverforgiveyou。”
　　DoraBentoccupiedhermother’sunprofitableattentionthroughthedayandthenightTheDoctorcalledthriceinthetwenty-fourhours，andthehousereekedwiththesmelloftheCondy’sFluid，chlorine-water，andcarbolicacidwashesMrsMallowekepttoherownrooms-sheconsideredthatshehadmadesufficientconcessionsinthecauseofhumanity-andMrs。
　　HauksbeewasmoreesteemedbytheDoctorasahelpinthesick-roomthanthehalf-distraughtmother。
　　“Iknownothingofillness。”saidMrsHauksbeetotheDoctor。
　　“Onlytellmewhattodo，andI’lldoit。”
　　“Keepthatcrazywomanfromkissingthechild，andletherhaveaslittletodowiththenursingasyoupossiblycan。”saidtheDoctor；“I’dturnheroutofthesick-room，butthatIhonestlybelieveshe’ddieofanxietySheislessthannogood，andIdependonyouandtheayahs，remember。”
　　MrsHauksbeeacceptedtheresponsibility，thoughitpaintedolivehollowsunderhereyesandforcedhertoheroldestdressesMrsBentclungtoherwithmorethanchildlikefaith。
　　“Iknowyou’ll，makeDorawell，won’tyou？”shesaidatleasttwentytimesaday；andtwentytimesadayMrsHauksbeeansweredvaliantly，“OfcourseIwill。”
　　ButDoradidnotimprove，andtheDoctorseemedtobealwaysinth~house。
　　“There’ssomedangerofthethingtakingabadturn。”hesaid；“I’llcomcoverbetweenthreeandfourinthamorningto-morrow。”
　　“Goodgracious！”saidMrsHauksbee“Henevertoldmewhattheturnwouldbe！Myeducationhasbeenhorriblyneglected；andIhaveonlythisfoolishmother-womantofallbackupon。”
　　Thenightworethroughslowly，andMrsHauksbeedozedinachairbythefireTherewasadanceattheViceregalLodge，andshedreamedofittillshewasawareofMrsBent’sanxiouseyesstaringintoherown。
　　“Wakeup！Wakeup！Dosomething！”criedMrsBent，piteously“Dora’schokingtodeath！
　　Doyoumeantoletherdie？”
　　MrsHauksbeejumpedtoherfeetandbentoverthebedThechildwasfightingforbreath，whilethemotherwrungherhandsdespairing。
　　“Gh，whatcanIdo？Whatcanyoudo？Shewon’tstaystill！Ican’thokIherWhydidn’ttheDoctorsaythis230
　　WORKSOFRUDYARDKIPLING
　　wascoming？”screamedMrsBent“Won’tyouhelpme？She’sdying！”
　　’~I-I’veneverseenachilddiebefore！”stammeredMrsHauksbee，feebly，andthen-letnoneblameherweak-nessafterthestrainoflongwatching-shebrokedown，andcoveredherfacewithherhandsTheayahsonthethresholdsnoredpeacefully。
　　Therewasarattleof’rickshawwheelsbelow，theclashofanopenirigdoor，aheavysteponthestairs，andMrsDelvilleenteredtofindMrsBentscreamingfortheDoctorassheranroundtheroomMrsHauksbee，herhandstoherears，andherfaceburiedinthechintzofachair，wasquiveringwithpainateachcryfromthebed，andmurmuring，“ThankGod，Ineverboreachild！
　　Oh！thankGod，Ineverboreachild！”
　　MrsDelvillelookedatthebedforaninstant，tookMrsBentbytheshoulders，andsaid，quietly，“GetmesomecausticBequick。”
　　ThemotherobeyedmechanicallyMrsDelvillehadthrownherselfdownbythesideofthechildandwasopeningitsmouth。
　　“Oh，you’rekillingher！”criedMrsBent“Wh。re’stheDoctor！
　　Leaveheralone！”
　　MrsDelvillemadenoreplyforaminute，butbusiedherselfwiththechild。
　　“Nowthecaustic，andholdalampbehindmy。’，houlderWillyoudoasyouaretold？Theacid-bottle，ifyoudon’tknowwhatImean。”shesaid。
　　AsecondtimeMrsDelvillebentoverthechildMrsHaukshee，herfacestillhidden，sobbedand-hiveredOneoftheayahsstaggeredsleepilyintotheroom，yawning：“DoctorSahibcome。”
　　MrsDelvilleturnedherhead。
　　“You’reonlyjustintime。”shesaid“Itwaschokin’herwhenI
　　camein，an’I’veburnedit。”
　　“Therewasnosignofthemembranegettingtotheair-passagesafterthelaststeamingItwasthegeneralweakness，Ifeared。”saidtheDoctorhalftohimself，andhewhisperedashelooked。
　　“You’vedonewhatIshouldhavebee’，afraidtodowithoutconsultation。”
　　“Shewasdyin’。”saidMrsDelvilie，underherbreath“Canyoudoany-thin’？WhatamercyitwasIwenttothedance！”
　　MrsHauksbeeraisedherhead。
　　“Isitallover？”shegasped“I’museless-I’mworsethanuseless！
　　Whatareyoudoinghere？”
　　ShestaredatMrsDelville，andMrsBent，realizingforthefirsttimewhowastheGoddessfromtheMachinestaredalso。
　　ThenMrsDelvillemadeexplanation，puttingonadirtylonggloveandsmoothingacrumpledandill-fittingball-dress。
　　“Iwasatthedance，an’theDoctorwastellin’meaboutyourbabybein’soill。
　　SoIcameawayearly，an’yourdoorwasopen，an’I-I~lostmyboythiswaysixmonthsago，an’
　　I’vebeentryin’toforgetiteversince，an’I~I-amverysorryforintrudin’an’anythin’thathashappened。”
　　MrsBentwasputtingouttheDoctor’seyewithalampashestoopedoverDora。
　　“Takeitaway。”saidtheDoctor“Ithinkthechildwilldo，thankstoyou，MrsDelvilleIshouldhavecometa~
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　　late，but，Iassureyou“-hewasaddressinghimselftoMrs。
　　Delville-“IbadnotthefaintestreasontoexpectthisThemembranemusthavegrownlikeamushroom。
　　Willoneofyouhelpme，please？”
　　HehadreasonforthelastsenfenceMrsHauksbeehadthrownherselfintoMrsDelville’sarms，whereshewasweepingbitterly，andMrsBentwasunpicturesquelymixcdupwithboth，~hilefromthetanglecamethesoundofmanysobsandmuchpromiscuouskissing。
　　“Goodgracious！I’vespoiltallyourbeautifulroses！”saidMrs。
　　Hauksbee，liftingherheadfromthelumpofcrushedgumandcalicoatrocitiesonMrsDelville’sshoulderandhurryingtotheDoctor。
　　MrsDelvillepickeduphershawl，andslouchedoutoftheroom，moppinghereyeswiththeglovethatshehadnotputon。
　　“Ialwayssaidshewasmorethanawoman。”sobbedMrs。
　　Hauksbee，hysterically，“andthatprovesit！”
　　Sixweekslater，MrsBentandDorahadreturnedtothehotel。
　　MrsHauksbeehadcomeoutoftheValleyofHumiliati~，hadceasedtoreproachherselfforhercollapseinanhourofneed，andwasevenbeginningtodirecttheaffairsoftheworldasbefore。
　　“Sonobodydied，andeverythingwent~ffasitshould，andIkissedTheDowd，PollyIfeelsooldDoesitshowinmyface？”
　　“Kissesdon’tasarule，dothey？Of~ourseyouknowwhattheresultofTheDowd’sprovidentialarrivalhasbeen。”
　　“Theyoughttobuildherastatu~onlynosculptordarecopythoseskirts。”
　　“Ah！”saidMrsMallowe，quietly“Shehasfoundanotherreward。
　　TheDancingMasterhasbeensmirkingthroughSimlagivingeveryonetounderstandthatshecamebecau渆ofherundyingloveforhim-forhim-tosavehischild，andallSimlanaturallybelievesthis。”
　　“ButMrsBent“-“MrsBentbelievesitmorethananyoneelseShewon’tspeaktoTheDowdnowIsn’tTheDancingMasteranangel？”
　　MrsHauksbeelifteduphervoiceandragedtillbedtimeThedoorsofthetworoomsstoodopen。
　　“Polly。”saidavoicefromthedarkness，“whatdidthatAmerican-heiress-globe-trottergirlsaylastseasonwhenshewastippedoutofher’rickshawturningacorner？Someabsurdadjectivethatmadethemanwhopickedherupexplode。”
　　“’Paltry，’“saidMrsMallowe“Throughhernos~likethis-’Ha-owpahltry！’“
　　“Exactly。”saidthevoice“Ha-owpahltryitallis！”
　　“Which？”
　　“EverythingBabies，Diphtheria，MrsBentandTheDancingMaster，Iwhoopinginachair，andTheDowddroppinginfromthecloudsIwonderwhatthemotivewas~llthemotives。”
　　“Whatdoyouthink？”
　　“Don’taskmeGotosleep。”
　　O~lyaS~attern——NotonlytoenforcebycommandbuttoencouragebyexampletheenergeticdischargeofdutyandthesteadyenduranceofthedifficultiesandprivationsinseparablefromMilitaryService。~BengalArmyRegulations。
　　THEYmadeBobbyWickpassanexaminationatSandhurstHewasagentlemanbeforehewasgazetted，so，whentheEmpressannouncedthat“Gentleman-CadetRobertHannaWick“waspostedasSecondLieutenanttotheTynesideTailTwistersatKramBokhar，hebecameanofficerandagentleman，whichisanenviablething；andtherewasjoyinthehouseofWickwhereMammaWickandallthelittle~TicksfellupontheirkneesandofferedincensetoBobbybyvirtueofhisachievements。