if it were not much used now. There was a sickening hush over everything. It was as silent as the little house on the ranch.
Rutherford brought in Mrs. Manly. She was a thin little woman, neat and capable, with small inquisitive black eyes. If Mrs. McNair would make herself comfortable for a few minutes she would have her rooms opened and made up. Perhaps she would like tea. Nora came, dour and repressed as ever, faintly embarrassed at Kay's shaking hands, but glad to see her nevertheless. Afterwards she was to remember that her only real welcome home was by the servants.
Mrs. Manly went out. Nora stood by the door.
"How is she?"
"Up and down. They have a nurse now."
"What do the doctors say?"
"You know your father, Miss Kay. We don't hear anything. But she wants you. I've seen it in her face over and over. That's why I wrote to you."
All at once Nora's face began to twist. She fumbled in the pocket of her black silk apron and found a handkerchief.
"I think she's dying, Miss Kay."
Kay felt faint and cold. The tea tray came in, Nora still standing there weeping. She looked up. Rutherford stood by the tray, James behind him with the curate stand, and Nora by the door. There they were, all four of them, grieving together, and yet with that terrible artificial barrier of class between them.
"Lemon or cream, madam?"
Oh, my God, and her mother dying upstairs alone, surrounded by this barrier, cut off by this gulf. Lonely. Horribly, terribly lonely.
"Lemon, please, Rutherford."
But she could not hold the cup. For the first time in her strong young life she fainted quietly away in her chair.
When she came to there was another person in the room, a white-clad young woman, cold, efficient, capable. Kay sat up in her chair and said, strangely, "That makes five." She felt very dizzy, but her mind was quite clear.
