第30章

"'Under these circumstances, I could only wait to hear from the hospital when the patient was sufficiently recovered to be able to speak to me.Some weeks passed without my receiving any communication from the doctors.On calling to make inquiries I was informed that fever had set in, and that the poor creature's condition now alternated between exhaustion and delirium.In her delirious moments the name of your aunt, Lady Janet Roy, frequently escaped her.Otherwise her wanderings were for the most part quite unintelligible to the people at her bedside.I thought once or twice of writing to you, and of begging you to speak to Lady Janet.But as the doctors informed me that the chances of life or death were at this time almost equally balanced, I decided to wait until time should determine whether it was necessary to trouble you or not.'""You know best, Julian," said Lady Janet."But I own I don't quite see in what way I am interested in this part of the story.""Just what I was going to say," added Horace."It is very sad, no doubt.But what have we to do with it?""Let me read my third extract," Julian answered, "and you will see."He turned to the third extract, and read as follows: