said, "I've begun, and I'll go through with it."--Well, I was standing
there when what should I see but a parlour maid pop up from the area
steps next door, and she says to me over the railings, "The doctor's
just been." Just like that, excited. So I said, "Thank you, miss." I
hope it's nothing serious?

CARVE. Pneumonia.

JANET. Pneumonia. What a mercy!

CARVE. Mercy?

JANET. If you look at it sensibly it's about the best illness anybody
could have in hot weather like this. You've got to keep them warm. The
weather does it for you. If it was typhoid now, and you'd got to keep
them cool--that would be awkward. Not but it passes me how anybody can
catch pneumonia in August.

CARVE. Coming over from the Continent.

JANET. Oh! the Continent. It's not Mr. Shawn that's ill?

CARVE. (Hesitating.) Mr. Shawn? Oh no, no! It's Ilam Carve.

JANET. (Half whispering. Awed.) Oh, him! Poor thing. And nobody but
men in the house.

CARVE. And who told you that?

JANET. Well! (waves her hand to indicate the state of the room, smiling