"I think it is very possible she knows," he said. "Kit had a private talk with her yesterday. Wait till she comes."
"Oh, Toby, if you had only telegraphed for me from Stanborough, instead of packing him off!"
"I wish to God I had!" said Toby drearily.
Jack took up his letters, as Toby had told him, and began opening them. There was one from Mr. Alington enclosing a cheque. He barely looked at it. Money, his heart's desire, had been given him, and the leanness of it had entered into his soul. But seeing the sense of Toby's advice to do something, he answered some of these letters, mechanically and correctly.
Before long Lily was announced, and Toby rose quickly, and went out into the hall to meet her.
"Ah, Toby," she said, "you did quite right to send for me. They just caught me before I went out. You needn't tell me anything. Kit told me all."
"Yes, if he would care to see me. Ask him whether he will or not."
But Jack had followed Toby, and before he could answer had come out of his room.
"It is awfully good of you to come, Lily!" he said. "But go away again. It is not fit you should be here."
"If Kit wants me, I shall see her," she said. "Please let her know that I am here, Jack."
"I think differently," said Lily gently. "Please tell her at once, Jack."
Jack looked at her a moment in silence, biting his lip nervously.
"Ah God!" he cried, suddenly stung by some helpless remorse and regret, and without more words he went upstairs to see whether Kit would see her. He could not bring himself to go into the room, but asked through the maid. Soon he appeared again at the head of the stairs, beckoning to Lily, who was waiting in the hall below, and she went up. He held the door of Kit's bedroom open for her, and she went in.
The room was very dark, and, like Toby, it took her a few seconds before she could distinguish objects. From the corner to the right of the rose-square of the window came a faint moaning. Lily walked across to the bedside.
"Kit," she said, "my poor Kit! I have come."
There was silence, and the moaning ceased. Then came Kit's voice in a whisper:
"Lily," she said, "I told him. I told him all. Then--then--I somehow fell down those stairs leading from his room, and hurt myself awfully. My fault entirely.... I was not looking where I was going. Oh, I have felt so terribly ill since this morning, and it is only morning still, isn't it? Have they sent for the doctor?"