He is better now.

I have heard about it from a Mrs.Jerry, a lady whom I knew in London, and who has nursed him in the kindest way." (But this same Mrs.Jerry had opened Corp's letters and destroyed them as of no importance.) "He would never have mentioned it himself.

How like him, Grizel! You remember, I made him promise before he went back to London that if he was ill he would let me know at once so that I could go to him, but he is so considerate he would not give me pain.

He wrote those letters, Grizel, when he was gasping for breath." "But she seemed quite unmoved," Elspeth said sadly to her husband afterwards.
Unmoved! Yes; Grizel remained apparently unmoved until Elspeth had gone, but then--the torture she endured! "Oh, cruel, cruel!" she cried, and she could neither stand nor sit; she flung herself down before the fire and rocked this way and that, in a paroxysm of woe.
"Oh, cruel, cruel!" It was Tommy who was cruel.

To be ill, near to dying, apparently, and not to send her word! She could never, never have let him go had he not made that promise to Elspeth; and he kept it thus.