I + 

тАЬSebastian!тАЭ + 

Joe started up in bed then fell back weakly. She stared unbelievingly. Sebastian, big, fur-coated, calm and omniscient, smiled placidly down at her. + 

There was no sign in his face of the sudden pang her appearance had given him. JoeтБатАФpoor little Joe! + 

Her hair had grownтБатАФit was arranged in two short plaits, one over each shoulder. Her face was horribly thin, with a high hectic flush on each cheekbone. The bones of her shoulders showed through her thin nightdress. + 

She looked like a feverish child. There was something childlike in her surprise, in her pleasure, in her eager questioning. The nurse had left them. + 

Sebastian sat down by the bed and took JoeтАЩs thin hand in his. + 

тАЬVernon wired me. I didnтАЩt wait for him. I caught the first boat.тАЭ + 

тАЬTo come to me?тАЭ + 

тАЬOf course.тАЭ + 

тАЬDear Sebastian!тАЭ + 

Tears came into her eyes. Sebastian was alarmed and went on hastily: + 

тАЬNot that I shanтАЩt do a bit of business while I am over. I often come over on business, and as a matter of fact I can do one or two good deals just now.тАЭ + 

тАЬDonтАЩt spoil it.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut itтАЩs true,тАЭ said Sebastian, surprised. + 

Joe began to laugh, but coughed instead. Sebastian watched anxiously, ready to call the nurse. He had been warned. But the fit passed. + 

Joe lay there contentedly, her hand creeping into SebastianтАЩs again. + 

тАЬMother died this way,тАЭ she whispered. тАЬPoor Mother! I thought I was going to be so much wiser than she was, and IтАЩve made such a mess of things. Oh! such a mess of things.тАЭ + 

тАЬPoor old Joe!тАЭ + 

тАЬYou donтАЩt know what a mess IтАЩve made of things, Sebastian.тАЭ + 

тАЬI can imagine it,тАЭ said Sebastian. тАЬI always thought you would.тАЭ + 

Joe was silent a minute, then she said: + 

тАЬYou donтАЩt know what a comfort it is to see you, Sebastian. I have seen and known so many rotters. I didnтАЩt like your being strong and successful and cocksureтБатАФit annoyed me. But nowтБатАФoh, itтАЩs wonderful!тАЭ + 

He squeezed her hand. + 

тАЬThereтАЩs no one else in the world who would have comeтБатАФas youтАЩve comeтБатАФmilesтБатАФat once. Vernon, of course, but then heтАЩs a relationтБатАФa kind of brother. But youтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm just as much a brotherтБатАФmore than a brother. Ever since Abbots Puissants IтАЩve beenтБатАФwell, ready to stand by if you wanted me.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! Sebastian.тАЭ Her eyes opened wideтБатАФhappily. тАЬI never dreamt that youтАЩd feel like that still.тАЭ + 

He started ever so slightly. He hadnтАЩt meant that exactly. He had meant something that he couldnтАЩt explainтБатАФnot at any rate to Joe. It was a feeling peculiarly and exclusively Jewish. The undying gratitude of the Jew who never forgets a benefit conferred. As a child he had been an outcast and Joe had stood by himтБатАФshe had been willing to defy her world. The child Sebastian had never forgottenтБатАФwould never forget. He would, as he had said, have gone to the ends of the earth if she had wanted him. + 

She went on. + 

тАЬThey moved me into this placeтБатАФfrom that horrible ward. Was that you?тАЭ + 

He nodded. + 

тАЬI cabled.тАЭ + 

Joe sighed. + 

тАЬYouтАЩre so terribly efficient, Sebastian.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm afraid so.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut thereтАЩs nobody like youтБатАФnobody. IтАЩve thought of you so often lately.тАЭ + 

тАЬHave you?тАЭ + 

He thought of the lonely yearsтБатАФthe aching longingтБатАФthe baffled desire. Why did things always come to you at the wrong time? + 

She went on. + 

тАЬI never dreamt youтАЩd still think about me. I always fancied that some day you and JaneтБатАФтАЭ + 

A queer pang shot through him. JaneтБатАКтБатАж + 

He and JaneтБатАКтБатАж + 

He said gruffly: тАЬJane, to my mind, is one of the finest things God ever made. But she belongs body and soul to Vernon and always will.тАЭ + 

тАЬI suppose so. But itтАЩs a pity. You and she are the strong ones. You belong together.тАЭ + 

They did, in a curious way. He knew what she meant. + 

Joe said with a flickering smile: тАЬThis reminds me of the books one reads as a child. Edifying deathbed scenes. Friends and relations gathering round. Wan smiles of heroine.тАЭ + 

Sebastian had made up his mind. Why had he felt this wasnтАЩt love? It was. This passion of pure disinterested pity and tendernessтБатАФthis deep affection lasting through the years. A thousand times better worthwhile than those stormy or tepid affairs that occurred with monotonous regularityтБатАФthat punctuated his life without ever touching any real depths. + 

His heart went out to the childish figure. Somehow, heтАЩd bring it off. + 

He said gently: тАЬThere arenтАЩt going to be any deathbed scenes, Joe. YouтАЩre going to get well and marry me.тАЭ + 

тАЬDarling Sebastian! Tie you to a consumptive wife? Of course not.тАЭ + 

тАЬNonsense! YouтАЩll do one of two thingsтБатАФeither get well or die. If you die you die, and thereтАЩs an end of it. If you get cured you marry me. And no expense will be spared to cure you.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm pretty bad, Sebastian dear.тАЭ + 

тАЬPossibly. But nothing is more uncertain than tubercleтБатАФany doctor will tell you so. YouтАЩve been just letting yourself go. I think myself youтАЩll get well. A long weary business, but it can be done.тАЭ + 

She looked at him. He saw the colour rising and falling in her thin cheeks. He knew then that she loved himтБатАФand a queer little stir of warmth woke round his heart. His mother had died two years ago. Since then no one had really cared. + 

Joe said in a low voice: тАЬSebastian, do you really need me? IтБатАФIтАЩve made such a mess of things.тАЭ + 

He said with sincerity: тАЬNeed you? IтАЩm the loneliest man on earth.тАЭ + 

And suddenly he broke down. It was a thing he had never done in his lifeтБатАФnever thought he would do. He knelt by JoeтАЩs bed, his face buried, his shoulders heaving. + 

Her hand stroked his head. He knew she was happyтБатАФher proud spirit appeased. Dear JoeтБатАФso impulsive, so warmhearted, so wrongheaded. She was dearer to him than anyone on earth. They could help one another. + 

The nurse came inтБатАФthe visitor had been there long enough. She withdrew again for Sebastian to say goodbye. + 

тАЬBy the way,тАЭ he said. тАЬThat French fellowтБатАФwhatтАЩs his name?тАЭ + 

тАЬFran├зois? HeтАЩs dead.тАЭ + 

тАЬThatтАЩs all right. You could have got a divorce, of course. But being a widow makes it easier.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou do think I shall get well?тАЭ + 

Pathetic, the way she said that! + 

тАЬOf course.тАЭ + 

The nurse reappeared and he took his departure. He called on the doctorтБатАФhad a long talk. The doctor was not hopeful. But he agreed that there was a chance. They decided on Florida. + 

Sebastian left the home. He walked along the street deep in thought. He saw a placard with тАЬTerrible Disaster to ResplendentтАЭ on it, but it conveyed nothing to his mind. + 

He was too busy with his own thoughts. What was really best for Joe? To live or to die? He wondered. + 

SheтАЩd had such a rotten life. He wanted the best for her. + 

He went to bed and slept heavily. + 