thirteen，fourteen，andsoonuntiltheyreachthetwenties，andthenthethirties，andthentheforties。Sherealisedthatthereisnothingtopreventnightsfromdoingthisiftheychoose。
Atagreatdistanceanelderlywomansatwithherheadbentdown；
Rachelraisedherselfslightlyandsawwithdismaythatshewasplayingcardsbythelightofacandlewhichstoodinthehollowofanewspaper。
Thesighthadsomethinginexplicablysinisteraboutit，andshewasterrifiedandcriedout，uponwhichthewomanlaiddownhercardsandcameacrosstheroom，shadingthecandlewithherhands。
Comingnearerandneareracrossthegreatspaceoftheroom，shestoodatlastaboveRachel’sheadandsaid，“Notasleep？
Letmemakeyoucomfortable。“
Sheputdownthecandleandbegantoarrangethebedclothes。
ItstruckRachelthatawomanwhosatplayingcardsinacavernallnightlongwouldhaveverycoldhands，andsheshrunkfromthetouchofthem。
“Why，there’satoeallthewaydownthere！“thewomansaid，proceedingtotuckinthebedclothes。Racheldidnotrealisethatthetoewashers。
“Youmusttryandliestill，“sheproceeded，“becauseifyouliestillyouwillbelesshot，andifyoutossaboutyouwillmakeyourselfmorehot，andwedon’twantyoutobeanyhotterthanyouare。“
ShestoodlookingdownuponRachelforanenormouslengthoftime。
“Andthequieteryouliethesooneryouwillbewell，“sherepeated。
Rachelkepthereyesfixeduponthepeakedshadowontheceiling，andallherenergywasconcentrateduponthedesirethatthisshadowshouldmove。Buttheshadowandthewomanseemedtobeeternallyfixedaboveher。Sheshuthereyes。Whensheopenedthemagainseveralmorehourshadpassed，butthenightstilllastedinterminably。
Thewomanwasstillplayingcards，onlyshesatnowinatunnelunderariver，andthelightstoodinalittlearchwayinthewallaboveher。Shecried“Terence！“andthepeakedshadowagainmovedacrosstheceiling，asthewomanwithanenormousslowmovementrose，andtheybothstoodstillaboveher。
“It’sjustasdifficulttokeepyouinbedasitwastokeepMr。Forrestinbed，“thewomansaid，“andhewassuchatallgentleman。“
InordertogetridofthisterriblestationarysightRachelagainshuthereyes，andfoundherselfwalkingthroughatunnelundertheThames，wheretherewerelittledeformedwomensittinginarchwaysplayingcards，whilethebricksofwhichthewallwasmadeoozedwithdamp，whichcollectedintodropsandsliddownthewall。
ButthelittleoldwomenbecameHelenandNurseMcInnisafteratime，standinginthewindowtogetherwhispering，whisperingincessantly。
Meanwhileoutsideherroomthesounds，themovements，andthelivesoftheotherpeopleinthehousewentonintheordinarylightofthesun，throughouttheusualsuccessionofhours。When，onthefirstdayofherillness，itbecameclearthatshewouldnotbeabsolutelywell，forhertemperaturewasveryhigh，untilFriday，thatdaybeingTuesday，Terencewasfilledwithresentment，notagainsther，butagainsttheforceoutsidethemwhichwasseparatingthem。
Hecountedupthenumberofdaysthatwouldalmostcertainlybespoiltforthem。Herealised，withanoddmixtureofpleasureandannoyance，that，forthefirsttimeinhislife，hewassodependentuponanotherpersonthathishappinesswasinherkeeping。
Thedayswerecompletelywastedupontrifling，immaterialthings，forafterthreeweeksofsuchintimacyandintensityalltheusualoccupationswereunbearablyflatandbesidethepoint。TheleastintolerableoccupationwastotalktoSt。JohnaboutRachel’sillness，andtodiscusseverysymptomanditsmeaning，and，whenthissubjectwasexhausted，todiscussillnessofallkinds，andwhatcausedthem，andwhatcuredthem。
TwiceeverydayhewentintositwithRachel，andtwiceeverydaythesamethinghappened。Ongoingintoherroom，whichwasnotverydark，wherethemusicwaslyingaboutasusual，andherbooksandletters，hisspiritsroseinstantly。Whenhesawherhefeltcompletelyreassured。Shedidnotlookveryill。
Sittingbyhersidehewouldtellherwhathehadbeendoing，usinghisnaturalvoicetospeaktoher，onlyafewtoneslowerdownthanusual；butbythetimehehadsatthereforfiveminuteshewasplungedintothedeepestgloom。Shewasnotthesame；
hecouldnotbringthembacktotheiroldrelationship；butalthoughheknewthatitwasfoolishhecouldnotpreventhimselffromendeavouringtobringherback，tomakeherremember，andwhenthisfailedhewasindespair。Healwaysconcludedasheleftherroomthatitwasworsetoseeherthannottoseeher，butbydegrees，asthedayworeon，thedesiretoseeherreturnedandbecamealmosttoogreattobeborne。
OnThursdaymorningwhenTerencewentintoherroomhefelttheusualincreaseofconfidence。Sheturnedroundandmadeanefforttoremembercertainfactsfromtheworldthatwassomanymillionsofmilesaway。
“Youhavecomeupfromthehotel？“sheasked。
“No；I’mstayinghereforthepresent，“hesaid。“We’vejusthadluncheon，“hecontinued，“andthemailhascomein。
There’sabundleoflettersforyou——lettersfromEngland。“
Insteadofsaying，ashemeanthertosay，thatshewishedtoseethem，shesaidnothingforsometime。
“Yousee，theretheygo，rollingofftheedgeofthehill，“
shesaidsuddenly。
“Rolling，Rachel？Whatdoyouseerolling？There’snothingrolling。“
“Theoldwomanwiththeknife，“shereplied，notspeakingtoTerenceinparticular，andlookingpasthim。Assheappearedtobelookingatavaseontheshelfopposite，heroseandtookitdown。
“Nowtheycan’trollanymore，“hesaidcheerfully。Neverthelessshelaygazingatthesamespot，andpaidhimnofurtherattentionalthoughhespoketoher。Hebecamesoprofoundlywretchedthathecouldnotenduretositwithher，butwanderedaboutuntilhefoundSt。John，whowasreading_The__Times_intheverandah。
Helaiditasidepatiently，andheardallthatTerencehadtosayaboutdelirium。HewasverypatientwithTerence。Hetreatedhimlikeachild。
ByFridayitcouldnotbedeniedthattheillnesswasnolongeranattackthatwouldpassoffinadayortwo；itwasarealillnessthatrequiredagooddealoforganisation，andengrossedtheattentionofatleastfivepeople，buttherewasnoreasontobeanxious。
Insteadoflastingfivedaysitwasgoingtolasttendays。
Rodriguezwasunderstoodtosaythattherewerewell-knownvarietiesofthisillness。Rodriguezappearedtothinkthattheyweretreatingtheillnesswithundueanxiety。Hisvisitswerealwaysmarkedbythesameshowofconfidence，andinhisinterviewswithTerencehealwayswavedasidehisanxiousandminutequestionswithakindofflourishwhichseemedtoindicatethattheywerealltakingitmuchtooseriously。Heseemedcuriouslyunwillingtositdown。
“Ahightemperature，“hesaid，lookingfurtivelyabouttheroom，andappearingtobemoreinterestedinthefurnitureandinHelen’sembroiderythaninanythingelse。“Inthisclimateyoumustexpectahightemperature。Youneednotbealarmedbythat。
Itisthepulsewegoby“hetappedhisownhairywrist，“andthepulsecontinuesexcellent。“
Thereuponhebowedandslippedout。TheinterviewwasconductedlaboriouslyuponbothsidesinFrench，andthis，togetherwiththefactthathewasoptimistic，andthatTerencerespectedthemedicalprofessionfromhearsay，madehimlesscriticalthanhewouldhavebeenhadheencounteredthedoctorinanyothercapacity。
UnconsciouslyhetookRodriguez’sideagainstHelen，whoseemedtohavetakenanunreasonableprejudiceagainsthim。
WhenSaturdaycameitwasevidentthatthehoursofthedaymustbemorestrictlyorganisedthantheyhadbeen。St。Johnofferedhisservices；hesaidthathehadnothingtodo，andthathemightaswellspendthedayatthevillaifhecouldbeofuse。Asiftheywerestartingonadifficultexpeditiontogether，theyparcelledouttheirdutiesbetweenthem，writingoutanelaborateschemeofhoursuponalargesheetofpaperwhichwaspinnedtothedrawing-roomdoor。
Theirdistancefromthetown，andthedifficultyofprocuringrarethingswithunknownnamesfromthemostunexpectedplaces，madeitnecessarytothinkverycarefully，andtheyfounditunexpectedlydifficulttodothesimplebutpracticalthingsthatwererequiredofthem，asifthey，beingverytall，wereaskedtostoopdownandarrangeminutegrainsofsandinapatternontheground。
ItwasSt。John’sdutytofetchwhatwasneededfromthetown，sothatTerencewouldsitallthroughthelonghothoursaloneinthedrawing-room，neartheopendoor，listeningforanymovementupstairs，orcallfromHelen。Healwaysforgottopulldowntheblinds，sothathesatinbrightsunshine，whichworriedhimwithouthisknowingwhatwasthecauseofit。Theroomwasterriblystiffanduncomfortable。Therewerehatsinthechairs，andmedicinebottlesamongthebooks。Hetriedtoread，butgoodbooksweretoogood，andbadbooksweretoobad，andtheonlythinghecouldtoleratewasthenewspaper，whichwithitsnewsofLondon，andthemovementsofrealpeoplewhoweregivingdinner-partiesandmakingspeeches，seemedtogivealittlebackgroundofrealitytowhatwasotherwisemerenightmare。Then，justashisattentionwasfixedontheprint，asoftcallwouldcomefromHelen，orMrs。Chaileywouldbringinsomethingwhichwaswantedupstairs，andhewouldrunupveryquietlyinhissocks，andputthejugonthelittletablewhichstoodcrowdedwithjugsandcupsoutsidethebedroomdoor；
orifhecouldcatchHelenforamomenthewouldask，“Howisshe？“
“Ratherrestless……Onthewhole，quieter，Ithink。“
Theanswerwouldbeoneortheother。
Asusualsheseemedtoreservesomethingwhichshedidnotsay，andTerencewasconsciousthattheydisagreed，and，withoutsayingitaloud，werearguingagainsteachother。Butshewastoohurriedandpre-occupiedtotalk。
Thestrainoflisteningandtheeffortofmakingpracticalarrangementsandseeingthatthingsworkedsmoothly，absorbedallTerence’spower。
Involvedinthislongdrearynightmare，hedidnotattempttothinkwhatitamountedto。Rachelwasill；thatwasall；hemustseethattherewasmedicineandmilk，andthatthingswerereadywhentheywerewanted。Thoughthadceased；lifeitselfhadcometoastandstill。
SundaywasratherworsethanSaturdayhadbeen，simplybecausethestrainwasalittlegreatereveryday，althoughnothingelsehadchanged。Theseparatefeelingsofpleasure，interest，andpain，whichcombinetomakeuptheordinaryday，weremergedinonelong-drawnsensationofsordidmiseryandprofoundboredom。Hehadneverbeensoboredsincehewasshutupinthenurseryaloneasachild。
ThevisionofRachelasshewasnow，confusedandheedless，hadalmostobliteratedthevisionofherasshehadbeenoncelongago；hecouldhardlybelievethattheyhadeverbeenhappy，orengagedtobemarried，forwhatwerefeelings，whatwastheretobefelt？Confusioncoveredeverysightandperson，andheseemedtoseeSt。John，Ridley，andthestraypeoplewhocameupnowandthenfromthehoteltoenquire，throughamist；theonlypeoplewhowerenothiddeninthismistwereHelenandRodriguez，becausetheycouldtellhimsomethingdefiniteaboutRachel。
Neverthelessthedayfollowedtheusualforms。Atcertainhourstheywentintothedining-room，andwhentheysatroundthetabletheytalkedaboutindifferentthings。St。Johnusuallymadeithisbusinesstostartthetalkandtokeepitfromdyingout。
“I’vediscoveredthewaytogetSanchopastthewhitehouse，“
saidSt。JohnonSundayatluncheon。“Youcrackleapieceofpaperinhisear，thenheboltsforaboutahundredyards，buthegoesonquitewellafterthat。“
“Yes，buthewantscorn。Youshouldseethathehascorn。“
“Idon’tthinkmuchofthestufftheygivehim；andAngeloseemsadirtylittlerascal。“
Therewasthenalongsilence。Ridleymurmuredafewlinesofpoetryunderhisbreath，andremarked，asiftoconcealthefactthathehaddoneso，“Veryhotto-day。“