I have to be always with him." "Of course," said Arthur, gently.

"I know how hard it is to keep up heart at all; still it is worth trying: we often do better than we expect." His sweet voice and sympathetic face made the poor woman almost break down; she pushed hastily on, and, saying something incoherently about leading the way, ushered us through a kitchen and up a short flight of stairs.

I would have given a great deal to have been allowed to stay behind.

But Arthur walked simply on behind the woman.
"I won't tell him you're here," she said; "he'd say he wasn't fit to see you.

But it won't harm him; maybe it'll even cheer him up a bit." She pushed the door open just above; I could distinguish the sound of hard breathing, with every now and then a kind of catch in the breath, and a moan; then we found ourselves inside the room.
The sick man was lying propped up on pillows, with a curious wistful and troubled look on his face, which altered very quickly as we came in.