The baroness was standing at the foot of the bed with Eex,
unconscious of the tears that streamed from her eyes, her hands
clasped before her as though in prayer. She looked like the
figure of a sainted woman of old. As for Rex himself, he was
trembling a little and was conscious that if he had attempted to
speak he would not have heard his own voice. But otherwise
his outward demeariour betrayed nothing of what was passing
within him. He knew as well as the physician that Greif had
survived the most dangerous moment and that he would in all
probability recover, and he knew that if Hilda's sudden entrance
had not given a new impulse to the ebbing life, all would have
been over by that time. For a few seconds he was scarcely
conscious, though he looked calmer and colder than the doctor
himself. He saw nothing but Greif, and his impression of
Hilda's appearance was no clearer than it had been when she
had rushed past him at the door with a gleam like a meteor.
Half an hour later, Greif was asleep. If all went well he
might remain in this state for any length of time from twelve to
twenty-four hours. Hilda had been prevailed upon to leave the
room with her mother. The assistant took his place by the bed-
side, and Eex was with the doctor in the adjoining apartment.
" Science is a very pretty plaything," said the great authority,
stroking his grey beard thoughtfully. "You know so much,
Herr Kex, that you and I can ailord to look at each other like
the augurs and laugh, for we certainly know nothing at all.
