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 'What is it?' He was alarmed. It was so seldom Sheilah gave up entirely like this.

She had tried not to. But in the middle of the afternoon the dizziness had become actual nausea. And again at six o'clock. Fear had gripped her. But she couldn't tell Felix her fear. She must spare him as long as there was doubt. He knew what a terrible fear it was to her (and had been ever since Esther had died), and now, suddenly, so much more terrible, since Roddie had been sent home from school for cheating—since it had been demonstrated that she was unable to mould perfect vases out of imperfect clay. Oh, she didn't want any more imperfect clay!

She wouldn't tell Felix either that Roddie had cheated. He had become very sensitive about his own early offenses. She had referred to them occasionally as a warning to him to be honest in his business life. But not lately. It hurt him so.

'It's just the heat, I think,' she said.

'After supper, when it's cooler, I'll take you down to City Point, or somewhere.'

'Oh, no. Not to-night. I couldn't, Felix.'

He gazed at her a moment helplessly, then leaned and picked up the hot-water bottle, which lay discarded on the floor. Three minutes later he brought it back to Sheilah filled with ice-water, and laid it beside her. 'It had gotten warm,' he remarked.