`TrustMrDawson，’hesaid，`forafewdaysmore，ifyouplease。Butifthereisnotsomechangeforthebetterinthattime，sendforadvicefromLondon，whichthismuleofadoctormustacceptinspiteofhimself。
OffendMrDawson，andsaveMissHalcombe。Isaythisseriously，onmywordofhonourandfromthebottomofmyheart。’
Hislordshipspokewithextremefeelingandkindness。ButpoorLadyGlyde’snervesweresocompletelybrokendownthatsheseemedquitefrightenedathim。Shetrembledfromheadtofoot，andallowedhimtotakehisleavewithoututteringawordonherside。Sheturnedtomewhenhehadgone，andsaid，`Oh，MrsMichelson，Iamheart-brokenaboutmysister，andI
havenofriendtoadviseme！DoyouthinkMrDawsoniswrong？Hetoldmehimselfthismorningthattherewasnofear，andnoneedtosendforanotherdoctor。’
`WithallrespecttoMrDawson，Ianswered，`inyourladyship’splaceIshouldremembertheCount’sadvice。’
LadyGlydeturnedawayfrommesuddenly，withanappearanceofdespair，forwhichIwasquiteunabletoaccount。
`Hisadvice！’shesaidtoherself。`Godhelpus——hisadvice！’
TheCountwasawayfromBlackwaterPark，asnearlyasIremember，aweek。
SirPercivalseemedtofeelthelossofhislordshipinvariousways，andappearedalso，Ithought，muchdepressedandalteredbythesicknessandsorrowinthehouse。OccasionallyhewassoveryrestlessthatIcouldnothelpnoticingit，comingandgoing，andwanderinghereandthereandeverywhereinthegrounds。HisinquiriesaboutMissHalcombe，andabouthislady(whosefailinghealthseemedtocausehimsincereanxiety)，weremostattentive。Ithinkhisheartwasmuchsoftened。Ifsomekindclericalfriend——somesuchfriendashemighthavefoundinmylateexcellenthusband——hadbeennearhimatthistime，cheeringmoralprogressmighthavebeenmadewithSirPercival。Iseldomfindmyselfmistakenonapointofthissort，havinghadexperiencetoguidemeinmyhappymarrieddays。
HerladyshiptheCountess，whowasnowtheonlycompanyforSirPercivaldownstairs，ratherneglectedhim，asIconsidered——or，perhaps，itmighthavebeenthatheneglectedher。Astrangermightalmosthavesupposedthattheywerebent，nowtheywerelefttogetheralone，onactuallyavoidingoneanother。This，ofcourse，couldnotbe。Butitdidsohappen，nevertheless，thattheCountessmadeherdinneratluncheon-time，andthatshealwayscameupstairstowardsevening，althoughMrsRubellehadtakenthenursingdutiesentirelyoffherhands。SirPercivaldinedbyhimself，andWilliam(themanoutoflivery)，madetheremark，inmyhearing，thathismasterhadputhimselfonhalfrationsoffoodandonadoubleallowanceofdrink。
Iattachnoimportancetosuchaninsolentobservationasthisonthepartofaservant。Ireprobateditatthetime，andIwishtobeunderstoodasreprobatingitoncemoreonthisoccasion。
InthecourseofthenextfewdaysMissHalcombedidcertainlyseemtoallofustobemendingalittle。OurfaithinMrDawsonrevived。Heappearedtobeveryconfidentaboutthecase，andheassuredLadyGlyde，whenshespoketohimonthesubject，thathewouldhimselfproposetosendforaphysicianthemomenthefeltsomuchastheshadowofadoubtcrossinghisownmind。
TheonlypersonamonguswhodidnotappeartoberelievedbythesewordswastheCountess。Shesaidtomeprivately，thatshecouldnotfeeleasyaboutMissHalcombeonMrDawson’sauthority，andthatsheshouldwaitanxiouslyforherhusband’sopiniononhisreturn。Thatreturn，hislettersinformedher，wouldtakeplaceinthreedays’time。TheCountandCountesscorrespondedregularlyeverymorningduringhislordship’sabsence。
Theywereinthatrespect，asinallothers，apatterntomarriedpeople。
OntheeveningofthethirddayInoticedachangeinMissHalcombe，whichcausedmeseriousapprehension。MrsRubellenoticedittoo。WesaidnothingonthesubjecttoLadyGlyde，whowasthenlyingasleep，completelyoverpoweredbyexhaustion，onthesofainthesitting-room。
MrDawsondidnotPayhiseveningvisittilllaterthanusual。AssoonasheseteyesonhispatientIsawhisfacealter。Hetriedtohideit，buthelookedbothconfusedandalarmed。Amessengerwassenttohisresidenceforhismedicine-chest，disinfectingpreparationswereusedintheroom，andabedwasmadeupforhiminthehousebyhisowndirections。`Hasthefeverturnedtoinfection？’Iwhisperedtohim。`Iamafraidithas，’
heanswered，`weshallknowbettertomorrowmorning。’
ByMrDawson’sowndirectionsLadyGlydewaskeptinignoranceofthischangefortheworse。Hehimselfabsolutelyforbadeher，onaccountofherhealth，tojoinusinthebedroomthatnight。Shetriedtoresist——
therewasasadscene——buthehadhismedicalauthoritytosupporthim，andhecarriedhispoint。
Thenextmorningoneoftheman-servantswassenttoLondonateleveno’clock，withalettertoaphysicianintown，andwithorderstobringthenewdoctorbackwithhimbytheearliestpossibletrain。HalfanhourafterthemessengerhadgonetheCountreturnedtoBlackwaterPark。
TheCountess，onherownresponsibility，immediatelybroughthimintoseethepatient。TherewasnoimproprietythatIcoulddiscoverinhertakingthiscourse。Hislordshipwasamarriedman，hewasoldenoughtobeMissHalcombe’sfather，andhesawherinthepresenceofafemalerelative，LadyGlyde’saunt。MrDawsonneverthelessprotestedagainsthispresenceintheroom，butIcouldplainlyremarkthedoctorwastoomuchalarmedtomakeanyseriousresistanceonthisoccasion。
Thepoorsufferingladywaspastknowinganyoneabouther。Sheseemedtotakeherfriendsforenemies。WhentheCountapproachedherbedsidehereyes，whichhadbeenwanderingincessantlyroundandroundtheroot，：
before，settledonhisfacewithadreadfulstareofterror，whichIshallremembertomydyingday。TheCountsatdownbyher，feltherpulseandhertemples，lookedatherveryattentively，andthenturnedrounduponthedoctorwithsuchanexpressionofindignationandcontemptinhisface，thatthewordsfailedonMrDawson’slips，andhestoodforamoment，palewithangerandalarm——paleandperfectlyspeechless。
Hislordshiplookednextatme。
`Whendidthechangehappen？’heasked。
Itoldhimthetime。
`HasLadyGlydebeenintheroomsince？’
Irepliedthatshehadnot。Thedoctorhadabsolutelyforbiddenhertocomeintotheroomontheeveningbefore，andhadrepeatedtheorderagaininthemorning。
`HaveyouandMrsRubellebeenmadeawareofthefullextentofthemischief？’washisnextquestion。
Wewereaware，Ianswered，thatthemaladywasconsideredinfectious。
HestoppedmebeforeIcouldaddanythingmore。
`Itistyphusfever，’hesaid。
Intheminutethatpassed，whilethesequestionsandanswersweregoingon，MrDawsonrecoveredhimself，andaddressedtheCountwithhiscustomaryfirmness。
`Itisnottyphusfever，’heremarkedsharply。`Iprotestagainstthisintrusion，sir。Noonehasarighttoputquestionsherebutme。Ihavedonemydutytothebestofmyability——’
TheCountinterruptedhim——notbywords，butonlybypointingtothebed。MrDawsonseemedtofeelthatsilentcontradictiontohisassertionofhisownability，andtogrowonlythemoreangryunderit。
`IsayIhavedonemyduty，’hereiterated。`AphysicianhasbeensentforfromLondon。Iwillconsultonthenatureofthefeverwithhim，andwithnooneelse。Iinsistonyourleavingtheroom。’
`Ienteredthisroom，sir，inthesacredinterestsofhumanity，’saidtheCount。`Andinthesameinterests，ifthecomingofthephysicianisdelayed，Iwillenteritagain。Iwarnyouoncemorethatthefeverhasturnedtotyphus，andthatyourtreatmentisresponsibleforthislamentablechange。Ifthatunhappyladydies，Iwillgivemytestimonyinacourtofjusticethatyourignoranceandobstinacyhavebeenthecauseofherdeath。’
BeforeMrDawsoncouldanswer，beforetheCountcouldleaveus，thedoorwasopenedfromthesitting-room，andwesawLadyGlydeonthethreshold。
`Imustandwillcomein，’shesaid，withextraordinaryfirmness。
insteadofstoppingher，theCountmovedintothesitting-room，andmadewayforhertogoin。Onallotheroccasionshewasthelastmanintheworldtoforgetany-thing，butinthesurpriseofthemomentheapparentlyforgotthedangerofinfectionfromtyphus，andtheurgentnecessityofforcingLadyGlydetotakepropercareofherself。
TomyastonishmentMrDawsonshowedmorepresenceofmind。Hestoppedherladyshipatthefirststepshetooktowardsthebedside。`Iamsincerelysorry，Iamsincerelygrieved，’hesaid。`Thefevermay，Ifear，beinfectious。
untilIamcertainthatitisnot，Ientreatyoutokeepoutoftheroom。’
Shestruggledforamoment，thensuddenlydroppedherarmsandsankforward。Shehadfainted。TheCountessandItookherfromthedoctorandcarriedherintoherownroom。TheCountprecededus，andwaitedinthepassagetillIcameoutandtoldhimthatwehadrecoveredherfromtheswoon。
Iwentbacktothedoctortotellhim，byLadyGlyde’sdesire，thatsheinsistedonspeakingtohimimmediatelyHewithdrewatoncetoquietherladyship’sagitation，andtoassureherofthephysician’sarrivalinthecourseofafewhours。Thosehourspassedveryslowly。SirPercivalandtheCountweretogetherdownstairs，andsentupfromtimetotimetomaketheirinquiries。Atlast，betweenfiveandsixo’clock，toourgreatrelief，thephysiciancame。
HewasayoungermanthanMrDawson，veryseriousandverydecided。
WhathethoughtoftheprevioustreatmentIcannotsay，butitstruckmeascuriousthatheputmanymorequestionstomyselfandtoMrsRubellethanheputtothedoctor，andthathedidnotappeartolistenwithmuchinteresttowhatMrDawsonsaid，whilehewasexaminingMrDawson’spatient。
