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Rh of you all the time, you will be well then?" Now she put a hand on his knee. "Your little fairy hand!" he exclaimed, capturing it.

"I want you to listen," she began. She did not know or believe herself that she was seriously ill, but remembered what Dr. Lansdowne had said and shivered over it a little.

"Suppose I am really ill, that it is heart disease with me as the German doctors and Lansdowne told me? Not only heart weakness as the others say, would you be afraid? Do you think I ought not to… to marry?"

"My darling, it is impossible, your beautiful vitality makes it impossible. But if it were true, incredibly true, then all the more reason that we should be married as quickly as possible. I must snatch you up, carry you away." There was an interlude. "You want petting …" He was a little awkward at it nevertheless, inexperienced.

"Isn't there some great man you could see, and who would reassure you, some specialist?"

"The Roopes?" She laughed, and her short fit of seriousness was over.

"I will find out who is the best man, the head of the profession. No one but the best is good enough for my Margaret. You will let me take you to him?"

"Perhaps. When I come back to London; if I am not well by then."