“Polly，areyouafraidofdiphtheria？”
“OfnothingintheworldexceptsmallpoxDiphtheriakills，butitdoesn’tdisfigureWhydoyouask？”
“Becauseth~Bentbabyhasgotit，andthewholehotelisupsidedowninconsequenceTheWaddyhas’setherfiveyoungontherail’andfledTheDancingMasterfearsforhispreciousthroat，andthatmiserablelittlewoman，hiswife，hasnonotionofwhatoughttobedoneShewantedtoputitintoamustardbath-forcroup！”
“Wheredidyoulearnallthis？”
“Justnow，ontheMallDrHowlentoldmeTheManagerofthehotelisabusingtheBents，andtheBentsareabusingthemanagerTheyareafecklesscouple。”
“WellWhat’sonyourmind？”
“This；andIknowit’sagravethingtoaskWouldyouseriouslyobjecttomybringingthechildoverhere，withitsmother？”
“OnthemoststrictunderstandingthatweseenothingofTheDancingMaster。”
“HewillbeonlytoogladtostayawayPolly，you’reanangelThewomanreallyisatherwits’
end。”
“Andyouknownothingabouthercareless，andwouldholdheruptopublicscornifitgaveyouaminute’samusementThereforeyouriskyourlifeforthesakeofherbratNo，LooI’mnottheangelIshallkeeptomyroomsandavoidherButdoasyoupleas~onlytellmewhyyoudoit。”
MrsHauksbee’seyessoftened；shelookedoutofthewindowandbackintoMrsMallowe’sface。
“Idon’tknow。”saidMrsHauksbee，simply。
“Youdear！”
“Polly！-andforaughtyouknewyoumighthavetakenmyfringeoffNeverdothatagainwithoutwarningNowwe’llgettheroomsreadyIdon’tsupposeIshallbeallowedtocirculateinsocietyforamonth。”
“AndIalsoThankgoodnessIshallatlastgetallthesleepIwant。”
MuchtoMrsBent’ssurprisesheandthebabywerebroughtovertothehousealmostbeforesheknewwhereshewasBentwasdevoutlyandundisguisedlythankful，forhewasafraidoftheinfection，andalsohopedthatafewweeksinthehotelalonewithMrsDelvillemightleadtoexplanationsMrsBenthadthrownherjealousytothewindsinherfearforherchild’slife。
“Wecangiveyougoodmilk。”sai~MrsHauksbeetoher，“andourhouseismuchnearertotheDoctor’sthanth，’hotel，andyouwon’tfeelasthoughyouwerelivinginahostilecampWhereisthedearMrsWaddy？Sh~
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seemedtobeaparticularfriendofyours。”
“They’veallleftme。”saidMrsBent，bitterly“MrsWaddywentfirstShesaidIoughttobeashamedofmyselfforintroducingdiseasesthere，andIamsureitwasn’tmyfaultthatlittleDora“-“Hownice！”cooedMrsHauksbee。
“TheWaddyisaninfectiousdiseaseherself-’morequicklycaughtthantheplagueandthetakerrunspresentlymad。’IlivednextdoortoherattheElysium，threeyearsagoNowsee，youwon’tgiveustheleasttrouble，andI’veornamentedallthehousewithsheetssoakedincarbolicItsmellscomforting，doesn’tit？RememberI’malwaysmcall，andmyayah’satyourservicewhenyoursgoestohermealsand-and-ifyoucryI’llneverforgiveyou。”
DoraBentoccupiedhermother’sunprofitableattentionthroughthedayandthenightTheDoctorcalledthriceinthetwenty-fourhours，andthehousereekedwiththesmelloftheCondy’sFluid，chlorine-water，andcarbolicacidwashesMrsMallowekepttoherownrooms-sheconsideredthatshehadmadesufficientconcessionsinthecauseofhumanity-andMrs。
HauksbeewasmoreesteemedbytheDoctorasahelpinthesick-roomthanthehalf-distraughtmother。
“Iknownothingofillness。”saidMrsHauksbeetotheDoctor。
“Onlytellmewhattodo，andI’lldoit。”
“Keepthatcrazywomanfromkissingthechild，andletherhaveaslittletodowiththenursingasyoupossiblycan。”saidtheDoctor；“I’dturnheroutofthesick-room，butthatIhonestlybelieveshe’ddieofanxietySheislessthannogood，andIdependonyouandtheayahs，remember。”
MrsHauksbeeacceptedtheresponsibility，thoughitpaintedolivehollowsunderhereyesandforcedhertoheroldestdressesMrsBentclungtoherwithmorethanchildlikefaith。
“Iknowyou’ll，makeDorawell，won’tyou？”shesaidatleasttwentytimesaday；andtwentytimesadayMrsHauksbeeansweredvaliantly，“OfcourseIwill。”
ButDoradidnotimprove，andtheDoctorseemedtobealwaysinth~house。
“There’ssomedangerofthethingtakingabadturn。”hesaid；“I’llcomcoverbetweenthreeandfourinthamorningto-morrow。”
“Goodgracious！”saidMrsHauksbee“Henevertoldmewhattheturnwouldbe！Myeducationhasbeenhorriblyneglected；andIhaveonlythisfoolishmother-womantofallbackupon。”
Thenightworethroughslowly，andMrsHauksbeedozedinachairbythefireTherewasadanceattheViceregalLodge，andshedreamedofittillshewasawareofMrsBent’sanxiouseyesstaringintoherown。
“Wakeup！Wakeup！Dosomething！”criedMrsBent，piteously“Dora’schokingtodeath！
Doyoumeantoletherdie？”
MrsHauksbeejumpedtoherfeetandbentoverthebedThechildwasfightingforbreath，whilethemotherwrungherhandsdespairing。
“Gh，whatcanIdo？Whatcanyoudo？Shewon’tstaystill！Ican’thokIherWhydidn’ttheDoctorsaythis230
WORKSOFRUDYARDKIPLING
wascoming？”screamedMrsBent“Won’tyouhelpme？She’sdying！”
’~I-I’veneverseenachilddiebefore！”stammeredMrsHauksbee，feebly，andthen-letnoneblameherweak-nessafterthestrainoflongwatching-shebrokedown，andcoveredherfacewithherhandsTheayahsonthethresholdsnoredpeacefully。
Therewasarattleof’rickshawwheelsbelow，theclashofanopenirigdoor，aheavysteponthestairs，andMrsDelvilleenteredtofindMrsBentscreamingfortheDoctorassheranroundtheroomMrsHauksbee，herhandstoherears，andherfaceburiedinthechintzofachair，wasquiveringwithpainateachcryfromthebed，andmurmuring，“ThankGod，Ineverboreachild！
Oh！thankGod，Ineverboreachild！”
MrsDelvillelookedatthebedforaninstant，tookMrsBentbytheshoulders，andsaid，quietly，“GetmesomecausticBequick。”
ThemotherobeyedmechanicallyMrsDelvillehadthrownherselfdownbythesideofthechildandwasopeningitsmouth。
“Oh，you’rekillingher！”criedMrsBent“Wh。re’stheDoctor！
Leaveheralone！”
MrsDelvillemadenoreplyforaminute，butbusiedherselfwiththechild。
“Nowthecaustic，andholdalampbehindmy。’，houlderWillyoudoasyouaretold？Theacid-bottle，ifyoudon’tknowwhatImean。”shesaid。
AsecondtimeMrsDelvillebentoverthechildMrsHaukshee，herfacestillhidden，sobbedand-hiveredOneoftheayahsstaggeredsleepilyintotheroom，yawning：“DoctorSahibcome。”
MrsDelvilleturnedherhead。
“You’reonlyjustintime。”shesaid“Itwaschokin’herwhenI
camein，an’I’veburnedit。”
“Therewasnosignofthemembranegettingtotheair-passagesafterthelaststeamingItwasthegeneralweakness，Ifeared。”saidtheDoctorhalftohimself，andhewhisperedashelooked。
“You’vedonewhatIshouldhavebee’，afraidtodowithoutconsultation。”
“Shewasdyin’。”saidMrsDelvilie，underherbreath“Canyoudoany-thin’？WhatamercyitwasIwenttothedance！”
MrsHauksbeeraisedherhead。
“Isitallover？”shegasped“I’museless-I’mworsethanuseless！
Whatareyoudoinghere？”
ShestaredatMrsDelville，andMrsBent，realizingforthefirsttimewhowastheGoddessfromtheMachinestaredalso。
ThenMrsDelvillemadeexplanation，puttingonadirtylonggloveandsmoothingacrumpledandill-fittingball-dress。
“Iwasatthedance，an’theDoctorwastellin’meaboutyourbabybein’soill。
SoIcameawayearly，an’yourdoorwasopen，an’I-I~lostmyboythiswaysixmonthsago，an’
I’vebeentryin’toforgetiteversince，an’I~I-amverysorryforintrudin’an’anythin’thathashappened。”
MrsBentwasputtingouttheDoctor’seyewithalampashestoopedoverDora。
“Takeitaway。”saidtheDoctor“Ithinkthechildwilldo，thankstoyou，MrsDelvilleIshouldhavecometa~
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late，but，Iassureyou“-hewasaddressinghimselftoMrs。
Delville-“IbadnotthefaintestreasontoexpectthisThemembranemusthavegrownlikeamushroom。
Willoneofyouhelpme，please？”
HehadreasonforthelastsenfenceMrsHauksbeehadthrownherselfintoMrsDelville’sarms，whereshewasweepingbitterly，andMrsBentwasunpicturesquelymixcdupwithboth，~hilefromthetanglecamethesoundofmanysobsandmuchpromiscuouskissing。
“Goodgracious！I’vespoiltallyourbeautifulroses！”saidMrs。
Hauksbee，liftingherheadfromthelumpofcrushedgumandcalicoatrocitiesonMrsDelville’sshoulderandhurryingtotheDoctor。
MrsDelvillepickeduphershawl，andslouchedoutoftheroom，moppinghereyeswiththeglovethatshehadnotputon。
“Ialwayssaidshewasmorethanawoman。”sobbedMrs。
Hauksbee，hysterically，“andthatprovesit！”
Sixweekslater，MrsBentandDorahadreturnedtothehotel。
MrsHauksbeehadcomeoutoftheValleyofHumiliati~，hadceasedtoreproachherselfforhercollapseinanhourofneed，andwasevenbeginningtodirecttheaffairsoftheworldasbefore。
“Sonobodydied，andeverythingwent~ffasitshould，andIkissedTheDowd，PollyIfeelsooldDoesitshowinmyface？”
“Kissesdon’tasarule，dothey？Of~ourseyouknowwhattheresultofTheDowd’sprovidentialarrivalhasbeen。”
“Theyoughttobuildherastatu~onlynosculptordarecopythoseskirts。”
“Ah！”saidMrsMallowe，quietly“Shehasfoundanotherreward。
TheDancingMasterhasbeensmirkingthroughSimlagivingeveryonetounderstandthatshecamebecau渆ofherundyingloveforhim-forhim-tosavehischild，andallSimlanaturallybelievesthis。”
“ButMrsBent“-“MrsBentbelievesitmorethananyoneelseShewon’tspeaktoTheDowdnowIsn’tTheDancingMasteranangel？”
MrsHauksbeelifteduphervoiceandragedtillbedtimeThedoorsofthetworoomsstoodopen。
“Polly。”saidavoicefromthedarkness，“whatdidthatAmerican-heiress-globe-trottergirlsaylastseasonwhenshewastippedoutofher’rickshawturningacorner？Someabsurdadjectivethatmadethemanwhopickedherupexplode。”
“’Paltry，’“saidMrsMallowe“Throughhernos~likethis-’Ha-owpahltry！’“
“Exactly。”saidthevoice“Ha-owpahltryitallis！”
“Which？”
“EverythingBabies，Diphtheria，MrsBentandTheDancingMaster，Iwhoopinginachair，andTheDowddroppinginfromthecloudsIwonderwhatthemotivewas~llthemotives。”
“Whatdoyouthink？”
“Don’taskmeGotosleep。”
O~lyaS~attern——NotonlytoenforcebycommandbuttoencouragebyexampletheenergeticdischargeofdutyandthesteadyenduranceofthedifficultiesandprivationsinseparablefromMilitaryService。~BengalArmyRegulations。
THEYmadeBobbyWickpassanexaminationatSandhurstHewasagentlemanbeforehewasgazetted，so，whentheEmpressannouncedthat“Gentleman-CadetRobertHannaWick“waspostedasSecondLieutenanttotheTynesideTailTwistersatKramBokhar，hebecameanofficerandagentleman，whichisanenviablething；andtherewasjoyinthehouseofWickwhereMammaWickandallthelittle~TicksfellupontheirkneesandofferedincensetoBobbybyvirtueofhisachievements。