Jessie leaned heavily on his arm, and they went quickly out of the building and into the carriage.
All the way home his arm supported her, and her head leaned helplessly on his shoulder.
Dorothy followed with her wraps up to Miss Staple's boudoir.
"Thank you—that will do," she said, wearily, dismissing her at her door, and Dorothy turned away.
One of the maids had rocked little Pearl to sleep, and the babe lay slumbering quietly in her crib.
Dorothy did not go toward it, as was her wont upon entering her room at night—indeed, she had forgotten about the child until she heard her cough, a little later on.
She was just about to cross the room to the little one, when one of the maids came hurriedly to her door.
"Would you mind sitting up with Miss Staples?" she cried, breathlessly; "she is anything but well. It looks to me as though she has a fever, but she will not hear to having a doctor called, or even of letting Mrs. Garner know how ill she is. She declares that, with a good night's rest, she will be all right in the morning."
Dorothy went hastily to Jessie Staples' room, while the girl remained to take charge of the child for the night.
She found Jessie as the maid had declared—quite ill and feverish-looking, but still wearing the soft chiffon dress she had worn at the opera, with the sapphire necklace gleaming on her white throat, and bracelets shining on her polished arms.