She caught his hand.
"Oh! what can I do, what can I do to help you ?" she asked pitifully.

"I did not know you were so ill.

Tell me, what can I do ?" He made a gentle, protesting motion of his free arm--he could not speak yet--while she held and clasped his other hand.
"It's the worst I ever had," he said, after a moment "the very worst!" He sat down, and again he had a fit of coughing, and the sweat started out violently upon his forehead and cheek.

When his head at last lay back against the chair, the paroxysm over, a little spot of blood showed and spread upon his white lips.

With a pained, shuddering little gasp she caught her handkerchief from her bosom, and, running one hand round his shoulder, quickly and gently caught away the spot of blood, and crumpled the handkerchief in her hand to hide it from him.
"Oh! poor fellow, poor fellow!" she said.