Part 2 (1/2)

IV

Nellie led the way to the chaest of the Machins ont to sleep in charge of the nurse who, under the supervision of the mother of all three, had dominion over Robert, Ralph and their little sister

The first thing that Edward Henry noticed was the screen which shut off one of the beds The unfurling of the four-fold screen was always a sure sign that Nellie was taking an infantile illness seriously It was an indication to Edward Henry of the i-bite in Nellie's esteem

When all the chicks of the brood happened to be simultaneously sound the screen reposed, inconspicuous, at an angle against a wall behind the door; but when pestilence was abroad, the screen travelled fro wide, took part in the battle of life and death

In an angle of the screen, on the side of it away from the bed and near the fire (in times of stress Nellie would not rely on radiators) sat old Mrs Machin, knitting She was a thin, bony woman of sixty-nine years, and as hard and imperishable as teak So far as her son knew she had only had two illnesses in her life The first was an attack of influenza, and the second was an attack of acute rheumatism, which had incapacitated her for several weeks

Edward Henry and Nellie had taken advantage of her helplessness, then, to force her to give up her barbaric cottage in Brougham Street and share permanently the splendid comfort of their home She existed in their home like a philosophic prisoner-of-war at the court of conquerors, behaving faultlessly, behaving randeur of her fall, but never renouncing her soul's secret independence, nor perround

When Edward Henry looked at those yellow and seasoned fingers, which by harddays of his hu sixty years had not been idle for etic for his wealth

They reminded him of the day when his total resources were five pounds--won in a wager, and of the day when he drove proudly about behind adays when he burst in on her frons in a hat-box--product of his first great picturesque coup--ilish Jay Gould

She had not blenched, even then She had not blenched since And she never would blench In spite of his gorgeous position and his unique reputation, in spite of her well-concealed but notorious pride in hieless woman, whose undaunted eye always told him that he was still the lad Denry, and her inferior in moral force The curve of her thin lips see him that with her pretensions were quite useless, and that she saw through hirottoes of his poor huuiltily

”Behold the Alderrimness

That was all But the three words took thirty years off his back, snatched the half-crown cigar out of his hand and reduced hiha upstairs very h voice of Robert from the back of the screen

He had to admit to his son that it was he

The infant lay on his back in Maisie's bed, while his e of nurse's bed near by

”Well, you're a nice chap!” said Edward Henry, avoiding Nellie's glance, but trying to face his son as one innocentHe never could feel like a real father, somehow

”My temperature's above norret, ”but not much!”

There was the clinical thermometer--instru an inciter of illnesses--in a glass of water on the table between the two beds

”Father!” Robert began again

”Well, Robert?” said Edward Henry, cheerfully He was glad that the child was in one of his rare loquacioushad done no serious dae--it also eased the silent strain between himself and Nellie

”Why did you play the Funeral March, father?” asked Robert, and the question fell into the tranquillity of the room rather like a bomb that had not quite decided whether or not to burst

For the second ti Edward Henry was dashed