Grace rose impulsively, and drawing her chair after her, approached the nurse.

"Is there some romance in your life ?" she asked.

"Why have you sacrificed yourself to the terrible duties which I find you performing here?
You interest me indescribably.

Give me your hand." Mercy shrank back, and refused the offered hand.
"Are we not friends ?" Grace asked, in astonishment.
"We can never be friends." "Why not ?" The nurse was dumb.

Grace called to mind the hesitation that she had shown when she had mentioned her name, and drew a new conclusion from it.