She looked at it and passed on to her bedroom.
But after she had unlaced and, hair unbound, stood staring vacantly about her, she remembered the desk; and drawing on her silken chamber-robe, went into the writing-room.
At intervals, during her writing, she would rise and gaze from the window across the darkness where in the sick-room a faint, steady glow remained; and she could see the white curtains in his room stirring like ghosts in the soft night wind and the shadow of the nurse on wall and ceiling.
"Dear, dear dad and mother," she wrote; "Mr.Portlaw was so anxious for Louis to begin his duties that we decided to come at once, particularly as we both were somewhat worried over the serious illness of Mr.Hamil.
"He is very, very ill, poor fellow.

The sudden change from the South brought on pneumonia.

I know that you both and Gray and Cecile and Jessie will feel as sorry as I do.

His aunt, Miss Palliser, is here.

To-night I was permitted to see him.