'You appear to know why I have come.' She answered rather hurriedly.
'I should not have known but for something that Mrs.Baxendale told me.
Mr.Athel wrote a short time ago to ask for information about them--about the Hoods.' 'He wrote ?' Wilfrid heard it with a little surprise, but without concern.
'Do you know whether Mrs.Hood is alone--with her ?' he went on to ask.
'I believe so.' 'And she is better ?' He added quickly, 'Has she proper attendance?
Have any friends been of aid ?' 'The Baxendales have shown much kindness.

My aunt saw her yesterday.' 'Will it be long before she is able to leave her room, do you know ?' 'I am not able to say.

Mrs.Baxendale hopes you will go upstairs and see her; she can tell you more.

Will you go ?' 'But is she alone?
I can't talk with people.' 'Yes, she is alone, quite.' He rose.

The girl's eyes fixed themselves on him again, and she said: 'You look dreadfully tired.' 'I have not slept, I think, since I left Thun.' 'You left them all well ?' Beatrice asked, with a change in her voice, from anxious interest which would have veiled itself, to the tone of one discharging a formal politeness.
Wilfrid replied with a brief affirmative, and they ascended the stairs together to a large and rather dim drawing-room, with a scent of earth and vegetation arising from the great number of growing plants arranged about it.