“Twodegreeshigherthanitwasyesterday，“saidSt。John。
“Iwonderwherethesenutscomefrom，“heobserved，takinganutoutoftheplate，turningitoverinhisfingers，andlookingatitcuriously。
“London，Ishouldthink，“saidTerence，lookingatthenuttoo。
“Acompetentmanofbusinesscouldmakeafortunehereinnotime，“
St。Johncontinued。“Isupposetheheatdoessomethingfunnytopeople’sbrains。EventheEnglishgoalittlequeer。Anyhowthey’rehopelesspeopletodealwith。Theykeptmethree-quartersofanhourwaitingatthechemist’sthismorning，fornoreasonwhatever。“
Therewasanotherlongpause。ThenRidleyenquired，“Rodriguezseemssatisfied？“
“Quite，“saidTerencewithdecision。“It’sjustgottorunitscourse。“
WhereuponRidleyheavedadeepsigh。Hewasgenuinelysorryforeveryone，butatthesametimehemissedHelenconsiderably，andwasalittleaggrievedbytheconstantpresenceofthetwoyoungmen。
Theymovedbackintothedrawing-room。
“Lookhere，Hirst，“saidTerence，“there’snothingtobedonefortwohours。“Heconsultedthesheetpinnedtothedoor。
“Yougoandliedown。I’llwaithere。ChaileysitswithRachelwhileHelenhasherluncheon。“
ItwasaskingagooddealofHirsttotellhimtogowithoutwaitingforasightofHelen。TheselittleglimpsesofHelenweretheonlyrespitesfromstrainandboredom，andveryoftentheyseemedtomakeupforthediscomfortoftheday，althoughshemightnothaveanythingtotellthem。However，astheywereonanexpeditiontogether，hehadmadeuphismindtoobey。
Helenwasverylateincomingdown。Shelookedlikeapersonwhohasbeensittingforalongtimeinthedark。Shewaspaleandthinner，andtheexpressionofhereyeswasharassedbutdetermined。
Sheateherluncheonquickly，andseemedindifferenttowhatshewasdoing。ShebrushedasideTerence’senquiries，andatlast，asifhehadnotspoken，shelookedathimwithaslightfrownandsaid:
“Wecan’tgoonlikethis，Terence。Eitheryou’vegottofindanotherdoctor，oryoumusttellRodrigueztostopcoming，andI’llmanageformyself。It’snouseforhimtosaythatRachel’sbetter；
she’snotbetter；she’sworse。“
Terencesufferedaterrificshock，likethatwhichhehadsufferedwhenRachelsaid，“Myheadaches。“HestilleditbyreflectingthatHelenwasoverwrought，andhewasupheldinthisopinionbyhisobstinatesensethatshewasopposedtohimintheargument。
“Doyouthinkshe’sindanger？“heasked。
“Noonecangoonbeingasillasthatdayafterday——“Helenreplied。
Shelookedathim，andspokeasifshefeltsomeindignationwithsomebody。
“Verywell，I’lltalktoRodriguezthisafternoon，“hereplied。
Helenwentupstairsatonce。
NothingnowcouldassuageTerence’sanxiety。Hecouldnotread，norcouldhesitstill，andhissenseofsecuritywasshaken，inspiteofthefactthathewasdeterminedthatHelenwasexaggerating，andthatRachelwasnotveryill。Buthewantedathirdpersontoconfirmhiminhisbelief。
DirectlyRodriguezcamedownhedemanded，“Well，howisshe？
Doyouthinkherworse？“
“Thereisnoreasonforanxiety，Itellyou——none，“RodriguezrepliedinhisexecrableFrench，smilinguneasily，andmakinglittlemovementsallthetimeasiftogetaway。
Hewetstoodfirmlybetweenhimandthedoor。Hewasdeterminedtoseeforhimselfwhatkindofmanhewas。Hisconfidenceinthemanvanishedashelookedathimandsawhisinsignificance，hisdirtyappearance，hisshiftiness，andhisunintelligent，hairyface。Itwasstrangethathehadneverseenthisbefore。
“Youwon’tobject，ofcourse，ifweaskyoutoconsultanotherdoctor？“
hecontinued。
Atthisthelittlemanbecameopenlyincensed。
“Ah！“hecried。“Youhavenotconfidenceinme？Youobjecttomytreatment？Youwishmetogiveupthecase？“
“Notatall，“Terencereplied，“butinseriousillnessofthiskind——“
Rodriguezshruggedhisshoulders。
“Itisnotserious，Iassureyou。Youareoveranxious。Theyoungladyisnotseriouslyill，andIamadoctor。Theladyofcourseisfrightened，“hesneered。“Iunderstandthatperfectly。“
“Thenameandaddressofthedoctoris——？“Terencecontinued。
“Thereisnootherdoctor，“Rodriguezrepliedsullenly。“Everyonehasconfidenceinme。Look！Iwillshowyou。“
HetookoutapacketofoldlettersandbeganturningthemoverasifinsearchofonethatwouldconfuteTerence’ssuspicions。
Ashesearched，hebegantotellastoryaboutanEnglishlordwhohadtrustedhim——agreatEnglishlord，whosenamehehad，unfortunately，forgotten。
“Thereisnootherdoctorintheplace，“heconcluded，stillturningovertheletters。
“Nevermind，“saidTerenceshortly。“Iwillmakeenquiriesformyself。“
Rodriguezputthelettersbackinhispocket。
“Verywell，“heremarked。“Ihavenoobjection。“
Heliftedhiseyebrows，shruggedhisshoulders，asiftorepeatthattheytooktheillnessmuchtooseriouslyandthattherewasnootherdoctor，andslippedout，leavingbehindhimanimpressionthathewasconsciousthathewasdistrusted，andthathismalicewasaroused。
AfterthisTerencecouldnolongerstaydownstairs。Hewentup，knockedatRachel’sdoor，andaskedHelenwhetherhemightseeherforafewminutes。Hehadnotseenheryesterday。Shemadenoobjection，andwentandsatatatableinthewindow。
Terencesatdownbythebedside。Rachel’sfacewaschanged。
Shelookedasthoughshewereentirelyconcentratedupontheeffortofkeepingalive。Herlipsweredrawn，andhercheeksweresunkenandflushed，thoughwithoutcolour。Hereyeswerenotentirelyshut，thelowerhalfofthewhitepartshowing，notasifshesaw，butasiftheyremainedopenbecauseshewastoomuchexhaustedtoclosethem。Sheopenedthemcompletelywhenhekissedher。
Butsheonlysawanoldwomanslicingaman’sheadoffwithaknife。
“Thereitfalls！“shemurmured。ShethenturnedtoTerenceandaskedhimanxiouslysomequestionaboutamanwithmules，whichhecouldnotunderstand。“Whydoesn’thecome？Whydoesn’thecome？“
sherepeated。Hewasappalledtothinkofthedirtylittlemandownstairsinconnectionwithillnesslikethis，andturninginstinctivelytoHelen，butshewasdoingsomethingatatableinthewindow，anddidnotseemtorealisehowgreattheshocktohimmustbe。
Herosetogo，forhecouldnotenduretolistenanylonger；
hisheartbeatquicklyandpainfullywithangerandmisery。
AshepassedHelensheaskedhiminthesameweary，unnatural，butdeterminedvoicetofetchhermoreice，andtohavethejugoutsidefilledwithfreshmilk。
WhenhehaddonetheseerrandshewenttofindHirst。Exhaustedandveryhot，St。Johnhadfallenasleeponabed，butTerencewokehimwithoutscruple。
“Helenthinksshe’sworse，“hesaid。“There’snodoubtshe’sfrightfullyill。Rodriguezisuseless。Wemustgetanotherdoctor。“
“Butthereisnootherdoctor，“saidHirstdrowsily，sittingupandrubbinghiseyes。
“Don’tbeadamnedfool！“Terenceexclaimed。“Ofcoursethere’sanotherdoctor，and，ifthereisn’t，you’vegottofindone。Itoughttohavebeendonedaysago。I’mgoingdowntosaddlethehorse。“
Hecouldnotstaystillinoneplace。
InlessthantenminutesSt。Johnwasridingtothetowninthescorchingheatinsearchofadoctor，hisordersbeingtofindoneandbringhimbackifhehadtobefetchedinaspecialtrain。
“Weoughttohavedoneitdaysago，“Hewetrepeatedangrily。
Whenhewentbackintothedrawing-roomhefoundthatMrs。Flushingwasthere，standingveryerectinthemiddleoftheroom，havingarrived，aspeopledidinthesedays，bythekitchenorthroughthegardenunannounced。
“She’sbetter？“Mrs。Flushingenquiredabruptly；theydidnotattempttoshakehands。
“No，“saidTerence。“Ifanything，theythinkshe’sworse。“
Mrs。Flushingseemedtoconsiderforamomentortwo，lookingstraightatTerenceallthetime。
“Letmetellyou，“shesaid，speakinginnervousjerks，“it’salwaysabouttheseventhdayonebeginstogetanxious。Idaresayyou’vebeensittin’hereworryin’byyourself。Youthinkshe’sbad，butanyonecomin’withafresheyewouldseeshewasbetter。
Mr。Elliot’shadfever；he’sallrightnow，“shethrewout。
“Itwasn’tanythin’shecaughtontheexpedition。What’sitmatter——
afewdays’fever？Mybrotherhadfeverfortwenty-sixdaysonce。
Andinaweekortwohewasupandabout。Wegavehimnothin’butmilkandarrowroot——“
HereMrs。Chaileycameinwithamessage。
“I’mwantedupstairs，“saidTerence。
“Yousee——she’llbebetter，“Mrs。Flushingjerkedoutashelefttheroom。HeranxietytopersuadeTerencewasverygreat，andwhenheleftherwithoutsayinganythingshefeltdissatisfiedandrestless；shedidnotliketostay，butshecouldnotbeartogo。
Shewanderedfromroomtoroomlookingforsomeonetotalkto，butalltheroomswereempty。
Terencewentupstairs，stoodinsidethedoortotakeHelen’sdirections，lookedoveratRachel，butdidnotattempttospeaktoher。
Sheappearedvaguelyconsciousofhispresence，butitseemedtodisturbher，andsheturned，sothatshelaywithherbacktohim。
Forsixdaysindeedshehadbeenobliviousoftheworldoutside，becauseitneededallherattentiontofollowthehot，red，quicksightswhichpassedincessantlybeforehereyes。
Sheknewthatitwasofenormousimportancethatsheshouldattendtothesesightsandgrasptheirmeaning，butshewasalwaysbeingjusttoolatetohearorseesomethingwhichwouldexplainitall。
Forthisreason，thefaces，——Helen’sface，thenurse’s，Terence’s，thedoctor’s，——whichoccasionallyforcedthemselvesveryclosetoher，wereworryingbecausetheydistractedherattentionandshemightmisstheclue。However，onthefourthafternoonshewassuddenlyunabletokeepHelen’sfacedistinctfromthesightsthemselves；
herlipswidenedasshebentdownoverthebed，andshebegantogabbleunintelligiblyliketherest。Thesightswereallconcernedinsomeplot，someadventure，someescape。Thenatureofwhattheyweredoingchangedincessantly，althoughtherewasalwaysareasonbehindit，whichshemustendeavourtograsp。Nowtheywereamongtreesandsavages，nowtheywereonthesea，nowtheywereonthetopsofhightowers；nowtheyjumped；nowtheyflew。
Butjustasthecrisiswasabouttohappen，somethinginvariablyslippedinherbrain，sothatthewholeefforthadtobeginoveragain。
Theheatwassuffocating。Atlastthefaceswentfurtheraway；
shefellintoadeeppoolofstickywater，whicheventuallyclosedoverherhead。Shesawnothingandheardnothingbutafaintboomingsound，whichwasthesoundofthesearollingoverherhead。
Whileallhertormentorsthoughtthatshewasdead，shewasnotdead，butcurledupatthebottomofthesea。Thereshelay，sometimesseeingdarkness，sometimeslight，whileeverynowandthensomeoneturnedheroveratthebottomofthesea。
AfterSt。Johnhadspentsomehoursintheheatofthesunwranglingwithevasiveandverygarrulousnatives，heextractedtheinformationthattherewasadoctor，aFrenchdoctor，whowasatpresentawayonaholidayinthehills。Itwasquiteimpossible，sotheysaid，tofindhim。Withhisexperienceofthecountry，St。Johnthoughtitunlikelythatatelegramwouldeitherbesentorreceived；buthavingreducedthedistanceofthehilltown，inwhichhewasstaying，fromahundredmilestothirtymiles，andhavinghiredacarriageandhorses，hestartedatoncetofetchthedoctorhimself。
Hesucceededinfindinghim，andeventuallyforcedtheunwillingmantoleavehisyoungwifeandreturnforthwith。TheyreachedthevillaatmiddayonTuesday。
Terencecameouttoreceivethem，andSt。Johnwasstruckbythefactthathehadgrownperceptiblythinnerintheinterval；hewaswhitetoo；
hiseyeslookedstrange。ButthecurtspeechandthesulkymasterfulmannerofDr。Lesageimpressedthembothfavourably，althoughatthesametimeitwasobviousthathewasverymuchannoyedatthewholeaffair。Comingdownstairshegavehisdirectionsemphatically，butitneveroccurredtohimtogiveanopinioneitherbecauseofthepresenceofRodriguezwhowasnowobsequiousaswellasmalicious，orbecausehetookitforgrantedthattheyknewalreadywhatwastobeknown。
