Kate fixed her with deep eyes. " What in the
world is the matter with you? " It had inevitably
a sound of impatience, as if it had been a challenge
really to produce something; so that Milly felt her
for the moment only as a much older person, stand
ing above her a little, doubting the imagined ail
ments, suspecting the easy complaints, of ignorant
youth. It somewhat checked her, further, that the
matter with her was what exactly as yet she wanted
knowledge about; and she immediately declared, for
conciliation, that if she were merely fanciful Kate
would see her put to shame. Kate vividly uttered,
in return, the hope that, since she could come out and
be so charming, could so universally dazzle and in
terest, she wasn't all the while in distress or in anx
iety didn't believe herself, in short, to be in any
degree seriously menaced. " Well, I want to make
out to make out!" was all that this consistently
produced. To which Kate made clear answer:
"Ah then, let us by all means!"

"I thought," Milly said, " you would like to help
me. But I must ask you, please, for the promise
of absolute silence."

"And how, if you are ill, can your friends remain
in ignorance?"

"Well, if I am, it must of course finally come out.
But I can go for a long time." Milly spoke with her
eyes again on her painted sister's almost as if under
their suggestion. She still sat there before Kate, yet
not without a light in her face. " That will be one

[[249]]

p248 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p249w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p250

v?