He started up with blinking eyes. The room was dark—the fire out. Had he fallen asleep in trying to soothe his wife to rest? He became dimly conscious of someone's having come in; someone who groped about, struck a match, and held a candle in his face. "For God's sake, Vance! Why are you here in the dark? What's happened to my child?" Mrs. Tracy cried; and Vance, stumbling to his feet, brushed back his hair and stared at her.

But she had no time to deal with him. In a trice she had lit the lamp, revived the fire, thrust a thermometer between Laura Lou's lips, and piled more blankets on her. "What is she taking? What does the doctor say?" she whispered over her shoulder.

"She hasn't seen the doctor."

"Not seen him? You mean he hasn't been?"

"No."

"How long's she been like this?"

"Since last night."

"Last night? And she's seen no doctor? When did you go for him?" She drew closer, deserting her daughter to approach her fierce whisper to his ear.

"I didn't go. She wouldn't let me leave her… ."

The withering twitch of Mrs. Tracy's lips simulated a laugh. "I guess it'd be luckier for her if you'd leave her and never come back. And now," she added scornfully, "go and get the doctor as quick as you can; and don't show yourself here without him. It's pneumonia… ."

Five anxious days passed before Vance could think of his writing or of the office. Mrs. Tracy had given him to understand that he'd better go back to work, for all the use he was to her or Laura Lou: cluttering up the house, and no more help to anybody than a wooden Indian… . But it seemed part of his expiation to sit there and let her say such things. He suspected that, though she railed at him for being in the way, it was a relief to have him there, to be scolded and found fault with; besides, now and then there was something for him to do: coals to carry up, provisions or medicines to fetch, tasks not requiring much quickness of wit or hand… . He knew that Mrs. Tracy was justified in blaming him for Laura Lou's illness. The doctor said he had been crazy to drag her up the mountain through the snow, and expose her to the night air when her strength was lowered by fatigue. She hadn't much stamina anyway; and the long climb had affected her heart. The doctor took Vance aside to tell him that this sort of thing mustn't happen again; and Vance saw Mrs. Tracy gloating over the admonishment. Well, let her … he deserved it.