He would have closed with a lion, I firmly believe, if a lion had made himself obnoxious to Jack Smith.
Hawkesbury turned suddenly to receive the assault; an angry flush overspread his face, his hands clenched, and next moment Billy reeled back bleeding and almost senseless into the middle of the room, and the visitor had gone.
This was the event which put a check on my recovery.
To lie helpless and see Jack Smith insulted before my face would have been bad enough, but to hear him taunted with the very secret I had so miserably and treacherously let out was more than I could endure.
I don't know what I did that evening, I was so weak and so excited.

I have vague recollections of breaking out into passionate self-reproaches and wild entreaties for forgiveness; and of Jack Smith with pale and troubled face bending over me trying to soothe me, imploring me to be still, telling me twenty times there was nothing left to forgive.

And then in the middle of the scene the doctor arrived, with serious face and hushed voice.

He felt my pulse more carefully than ever, and took my temperature not once only, but several times.

There was a hurried consultation in the corner of the room, of which all I heard were the words "most unfortunate" and "fever." My usual supper of bread-and- butter and an _egg_ gave place to a cup of beef-tea, which I could scarcely taste, and after that some medicine.