thirteen，fourteen，andsoonuntiltheyreachthetwenties，andthenthethirties，andthentheforties。Sherealisedthatthereisnothingtopreventnightsfromdoingthisiftheychoose。
　　Atagreatdistanceanelderlywomansatwithherheadbentdown；
　　Rachelraisedherselfslightlyandsawwithdismaythatshewasplayingcardsbythelightofacandlewhichstoodinthehollowofanewspaper。
　　Thesighthadsomethinginexplicablysinisteraboutit，andshewasterrifiedandcriedout，uponwhichthewomanlaiddownhercardsandcameacrosstheroom，shadingthecandlewithherhands。
　　Comingnearerandneareracrossthegreatspaceoftheroom，shestoodatlastaboveRachel’sheadandsaid，“Notasleep？
　　Letmemakeyoucomfortable。“
　　Sheputdownthecandleandbegantoarrangethebedclothes。
　　ItstruckRachelthatawomanwhosatplayingcardsinacavernallnightlongwouldhaveverycoldhands，andsheshrunkfromthetouchofthem。
　　“Why，there’satoeallthewaydownthere！“thewomansaid，proceedingtotuckinthebedclothes。Racheldidnotrealisethatthetoewashers。
　　“Youmusttryandliestill，“sheproceeded，“becauseifyouliestillyouwillbelesshot，andifyoutossaboutyouwillmakeyourselfmorehot，andwedon’twantyoutobeanyhotterthanyouare。“
　　ShestoodlookingdownuponRachelforanenormouslengthoftime。
　　“Andthequieteryouliethesooneryouwillbewell，“sherepeated。
　　Rachelkepthereyesfixeduponthepeakedshadowontheceiling，andallherenergywasconcentrateduponthedesirethatthisshadowshouldmove。Buttheshadowandthewomanseemedtobeeternallyfixedaboveher。Sheshuthereyes。Whensheopenedthemagainseveralmorehourshadpassed，butthenightstilllastedinterminably。
　　Thewomanwasstillplayingcards，onlyshesatnowinatunnelunderariver，andthelightstoodinalittlearchwayinthewallaboveher。Shecried“Terence！“andthepeakedshadowagainmovedacrosstheceiling，asthewomanwithanenormousslowmovementrose，andtheybothstoodstillaboveher。
　　“It’sjustasdifficulttokeepyouinbedasitwastokeepMr。Forrestinbed，“thewomansaid，“andhewassuchatallgentleman。“
　　InordertogetridofthisterriblestationarysightRachelagainshuthereyes，andfoundherselfwalkingthroughatunnelundertheThames，wheretherewerelittledeformedwomensittinginarchwaysplayingcards，whilethebricksofwhichthewallwasmadeoozedwithdamp，whichcollectedintodropsandsliddownthewall。
　　ButthelittleoldwomenbecameHelenandNurseMcInnisafteratime，standinginthewindowtogetherwhispering，whisperingincessantly。
　　Meanwhileoutsideherroomthesounds，themovements，andthelivesoftheotherpeopleinthehousewentonintheordinarylightofthesun，throughouttheusualsuccessionofhours。When，onthefirstdayofherillness，itbecameclearthatshewouldnotbeabsolutelywell，forhertemperaturewasveryhigh，untilFriday，thatdaybeingTuesday，Terencewasfilledwithresentment，notagainsther，butagainsttheforceoutsidethemwhichwasseparatingthem。
　　Hecountedupthenumberofdaysthatwouldalmostcertainlybespoiltforthem。Herealised，withanoddmixtureofpleasureandannoyance，that，forthefirsttimeinhislife，hewassodependentuponanotherpersonthathishappinesswasinherkeeping。
　　Thedayswerecompletelywastedupontrifling，immaterialthings，forafterthreeweeksofsuchintimacyandintensityalltheusualoccupationswereunbearablyflatandbesidethepoint。TheleastintolerableoccupationwastotalktoSt。JohnaboutRachel’sillness，andtodiscusseverysymptomanditsmeaning，and，whenthissubjectwasexhausted，todiscussillnessofallkinds，andwhatcausedthem，andwhatcuredthem。
　　TwiceeverydayhewentintositwithRachel，andtwiceeverydaythesamethinghappened。Ongoingintoherroom，whichwasnotverydark，wherethemusicwaslyingaboutasusual，andherbooksandletters，hisspiritsroseinstantly。Whenhesawherhefeltcompletelyreassured。Shedidnotlookveryill。
　　Sittingbyhersidehewouldtellherwhathehadbeendoing，usinghisnaturalvoicetospeaktoher，onlyafewtoneslowerdownthanusual；butbythetimehehadsatthereforfiveminuteshewasplungedintothedeepestgloom。Shewasnotthesame；
　　hecouldnotbringthembacktotheiroldrelationship；butalthoughheknewthatitwasfoolishhecouldnotpreventhimselffromendeavouringtobringherback，tomakeherremember，andwhenthisfailedhewasindespair。Healwaysconcludedasheleftherroomthatitwasworsetoseeherthannottoseeher，butbydegrees，asthedayworeon，thedesiretoseeherreturnedandbecamealmosttoogreattobeborne。
　　OnThursdaymorningwhenTerencewentintoherroomhefelttheusualincreaseofconfidence。Sheturnedroundandmadeanefforttoremembercertainfactsfromtheworldthatwassomanymillionsofmilesaway。
　　“Youhavecomeupfromthehotel？“sheasked。
　　“No；I’mstayinghereforthepresent，“hesaid。“We’vejusthadluncheon，“hecontinued，“andthemailhascomein。
　　There’sabundleoflettersforyou——lettersfromEngland。“
　　Insteadofsaying，ashemeanthertosay，thatshewishedtoseethem，shesaidnothingforsometime。
　　“Yousee，theretheygo，rollingofftheedgeofthehill，“
　　shesaidsuddenly。
　　“Rolling，Rachel？Whatdoyouseerolling？There’snothingrolling。“
　　“Theoldwomanwiththeknife，“shereplied，notspeakingtoTerenceinparticular，andlookingpasthim。Assheappearedtobelookingatavaseontheshelfopposite，heroseandtookitdown。
　　“Nowtheycan’trollanymore，“hesaidcheerfully。Neverthelessshelaygazingatthesamespot，andpaidhimnofurtherattentionalthoughhespoketoher。Hebecamesoprofoundlywretchedthathecouldnotenduretositwithher，butwanderedaboutuntilhefoundSt。John，whowasreading_The__Times_intheverandah。
　　Helaiditasidepatiently，andheardallthatTerencehadtosayaboutdelirium。HewasverypatientwithTerence。Hetreatedhimlikeachild。
　　ByFridayitcouldnotbedeniedthattheillnesswasnolongeranattackthatwouldpassoffinadayortwo；itwasarealillnessthatrequiredagooddealoforganisation，andengrossedtheattentionofatleastfivepeople，buttherewasnoreasontobeanxious。
　　Insteadoflastingfivedaysitwasgoingtolasttendays。
　　Rodriguezwasunderstoodtosaythattherewerewell-knownvarietiesofthisillness。Rodriguezappearedtothinkthattheyweretreatingtheillnesswithundueanxiety。Hisvisitswerealwaysmarkedbythesameshowofconfidence，andinhisinterviewswithTerencehealwayswavedasidehisanxiousandminutequestionswithakindofflourishwhichseemedtoindicatethattheywerealltakingitmuchtooseriously。Heseemedcuriouslyunwillingtositdown。
　　“Ahightemperature，“hesaid，lookingfurtivelyabouttheroom，andappearingtobemoreinterestedinthefurnitureandinHelen’sembroiderythaninanythingelse。“Inthisclimateyoumustexpectahightemperature。Youneednotbealarmedbythat。
　　Itisthepulsewegoby“hetappedhisownhairywrist，“andthepulsecontinuesexcellent。“
　　Thereuponhebowedandslippedout。TheinterviewwasconductedlaboriouslyuponbothsidesinFrench，andthis，togetherwiththefactthathewasoptimistic，andthatTerencerespectedthemedicalprofessionfromhearsay，madehimlesscriticalthanhewouldhavebeenhadheencounteredthedoctorinanyothercapacity。
　　UnconsciouslyhetookRodriguez’sideagainstHelen，whoseemedtohavetakenanunreasonableprejudiceagainsthim。
　　WhenSaturdaycameitwasevidentthatthehoursofthedaymustbemorestrictlyorganisedthantheyhadbeen。St。Johnofferedhisservices；hesaidthathehadnothingtodo，andthathemightaswellspendthedayatthevillaifhecouldbeofuse。Asiftheywerestartingonadifficultexpeditiontogether，theyparcelledouttheirdutiesbetweenthem，writingoutanelaborateschemeofhoursuponalargesheetofpaperwhichwaspinnedtothedrawing-roomdoor。
　　Theirdistancefromthetown，andthedifficultyofprocuringrarethingswithunknownnamesfromthemostunexpectedplaces，madeitnecessarytothinkverycarefully，andtheyfounditunexpectedlydifficulttodothesimplebutpracticalthingsthatwererequiredofthem，asifthey，beingverytall，wereaskedtostoopdownandarrangeminutegrainsofsandinapatternontheground。
　　ItwasSt。John’sdutytofetchwhatwasneededfromthetown，sothatTerencewouldsitallthroughthelonghothoursaloneinthedrawing-room，neartheopendoor，listeningforanymovementupstairs，orcallfromHelen。Healwaysforgottopulldowntheblinds，sothathesatinbrightsunshine，whichworriedhimwithouthisknowingwhatwasthecauseofit。Theroomwasterriblystiffanduncomfortable。Therewerehatsinthechairs，andmedicinebottlesamongthebooks。Hetriedtoread，butgoodbooksweretoogood，andbadbooksweretoobad，andtheonlythinghecouldtoleratewasthenewspaper，whichwithitsnewsofLondon，andthemovementsofrealpeoplewhoweregivingdinner-partiesandmakingspeeches，seemedtogivealittlebackgroundofrealitytowhatwasotherwisemerenightmare。Then，justashisattentionwasfixedontheprint，asoftcallwouldcomefromHelen，orMrs。Chaileywouldbringinsomethingwhichwaswantedupstairs，andhewouldrunupveryquietlyinhissocks，andputthejugonthelittletablewhichstoodcrowdedwithjugsandcupsoutsidethebedroomdoor；
　　orifhecouldcatchHelenforamomenthewouldask，“Howisshe？“
　　“Ratherrestless……Onthewhole，quieter，Ithink。“
　　Theanswerwouldbeoneortheother。
　　Asusualsheseemedtoreservesomethingwhichshedidnotsay，andTerencewasconsciousthattheydisagreed，and，withoutsayingitaloud，werearguingagainsteachother。Butshewastoohurriedandpre-occupiedtotalk。
　　Thestrainoflisteningandtheeffortofmakingpracticalarrangementsandseeingthatthingsworkedsmoothly，absorbedallTerence’spower。
　　Involvedinthislongdrearynightmare，hedidnotattempttothinkwhatitamountedto。Rachelwasill；thatwasall；hemustseethattherewasmedicineandmilk，andthatthingswerereadywhentheywerewanted。Thoughthadceased；lifeitselfhadcometoastandstill。
　　SundaywasratherworsethanSaturdayhadbeen，simplybecausethestrainwasalittlegreatereveryday，althoughnothingelsehadchanged。Theseparatefeelingsofpleasure，interest，andpain，whichcombinetomakeuptheordinaryday，weremergedinonelong-drawnsensationofsordidmiseryandprofoundboredom。Hehadneverbeensoboredsincehewasshutupinthenurseryaloneasachild。
　　ThevisionofRachelasshewasnow，confusedandheedless，hadalmostobliteratedthevisionofherasshehadbeenoncelongago；hecouldhardlybelievethattheyhadeverbeenhappy，orengagedtobemarried，forwhatwerefeelings，whatwastheretobefelt？Confusioncoveredeverysightandperson，andheseemedtoseeSt。John，Ridley，andthestraypeoplewhocameupnowandthenfromthehoteltoenquire，throughamist；theonlypeoplewhowerenothiddeninthismistwereHelenandRodriguez，becausetheycouldtellhimsomethingdefiniteaboutRachel。
　　Neverthelessthedayfollowedtheusualforms。Atcertainhourstheywentintothedining-room，andwhentheysatroundthetabletheytalkedaboutindifferentthings。St。Johnusuallymadeithisbusinesstostartthetalkandtokeepitfromdyingout。
　　“I’vediscoveredthewaytogetSanchopastthewhitehouse，“
　　saidSt。JohnonSundayatluncheon。“Youcrackleapieceofpaperinhisear，thenheboltsforaboutahundredyards，buthegoesonquitewellafterthat。“
　　“Yes，buthewantscorn。Youshouldseethathehascorn。“
　　“Idon’tthinkmuchofthestufftheygivehim；andAngeloseemsadirtylittlerascal。“
　　Therewasthenalongsilence。Ridleymurmuredafewlinesofpoetryunderhisbreath，andremarked，asiftoconcealthefactthathehaddoneso，“Veryhotto-day。“