"Can you spare me?" said she, as if it was a new light.

"Why not? Who can be thought of but Amy? She ought not to be a day longer without you."

"Dr. Mayerne would look in on you," said she, considering, "and Laura can manage for you."

"Oh, I shall do very well. Do you think I could bear to keep you from her?"

"Some one must go," said Mrs. Edmonstone, "and even if I could think of letting Laura run the risk, this unhappy affair about Philip puts her going out of the question."

"No one but you can go, said Charles; "it is of no use to talk of anything else."

It was settled that if the next account was not more favourable, Mr.

and Mrs. Edmonstone should set off for Recoara. Laura heard, in consternation at the thought of her father"s meeting Philip, still weak and unwell, without her, and perhaps with Guy too ill to be consulted.

And oh! what would Philip think of her? Her weakness had disclosed his secret, and sunk her beneath him, and he must hear it from others. She felt as if she could have thrown herself at her mother"s feet as she implored her to forbear, to spare him, to spare her. Her mother pitied her incoherent distress, but it did not make her feel more in charity with Philip. She would not promise that the subject should, not be discussed, but she tried to rea.s.sure Laura by saying that nothing should be done that could r.e.t.a.r.d his recovery.

With this Laura was obliged to content herself; and early the second morning, after the letter arrived, she watched the departure of her father and mother.

She had expected to find the care of Charles very anxious work, but she prospered beyond her hopes. He was very kind and considerate, and both he and Charlotte were so sobered by anxiety, that there was no fear of their spirits overpowering her.

Mary Ross used to come almost every afternoon to inquire. One day she found Charles alone, crutching himself slowly along the terrace, and she thought nothing showed the forlorn state of the family so much as to see him out of doors with no one for a prop.

"Mary! Just as I wanted you!"

"What account?" said she, taking the place of one of the crutches.

"Excellent; the fever and drowsiness seem to be going off. It must have been a light attack, and the elders will hardly come in time for mamma to have any nursing. So there"s Guy pretty well off one"s mind."

"And Amy?"

"This was such a long letter, and so cheerful, that she must be all right. What I wanted to speak to you about was Laura. You know the state of things. Well, the captain--I wish he was not so sorry, it deprives one of the satisfaction of abusing him--the captain, it seems, was brought to his senses by his illness, confessed all to Guy, and now has written to tell the whole truth to my father."

"Has he? That is a great relief!"

"Not that I have seen his letter; Laura ran away with it, and has not said a word of it. I know it from one to papa from Amy, trying to make the best of it, and telling how thoroughly he is cut up. She says he all but fainted after writing. Fancy that poor little thing with a great man, six foot one, fainting away on her hands!"

"I thought he was pretty well again."

"He must be to have written at all, and a pretty tolerably bitter pill it must have been to set about it. What a thing for him to have had to tell Guy, of all people--I do enjoy that! So, of course, Guy takes up his cause, and sends a message, that is worth anything, as showing he is himself better, though in any one else it would be a proof of delirium.

My two brothers-in-law might sit for a picture of the contrast."

"Then you think Mr. Edmonstone will consent?"

"To be sure; we shall have him coming home, saying--

It is a fine thing to be father in-law To a very magnificent three-tailed bashaw.

He will never hold out against Guy and Amy, and Philip will soon set up a patent revolver, to be turned by the little G.o.d of love on the newest scientific principles."

"Where is Laura?" said Mary, smiling.

"I turned her out to walk with Charlotte, and I want some counsel, as mamma says I know nothing of lovers."

"Because I know so much?"

"You know feminine nature I want to know what is the best thing to do for Laura. Poor thing! I can"t bear to see her look so wretched, worrying herself with care of me. I have done the best I could by taking Charlotte"s lessons, and sending her out to mope alone, as she likes best; but I wish you would tell me how to manage her."

"I know nothing better for her than waiting on you."

"That"s hard," said Charles, "that having made the world dance attendance on me for my pleasure, I must now do it for theirs. But what do you think about telling her of this letter, or showing it, remembering that not a word about her troubles has pa.s.sed between us?"

"By all means tell her. You must judge about showing it, but I should think the opening for talking to her on the subject a great gain."

"Should you? What, thinking as I do of the man? Should I not be between the horns of a dilemma if I had to speak the honest truth, yet not hurt her feelings?"

"She has been so long shut up from sympathy, that any proof of kindness must be a comfort."

"Well, I should like to do her some good, but it will be a mercy, if she does not make me fall foul of Philip! I can get up a little Christian charity, when my father or Charlotte rave at him, but I can"t stand hearing him praised. I take the opportunity of saying so while I can, for I expect he will come home as her betrothed, and then we shall not be able to say one word."

"No, I dare say he will be so altered and subdued that you will not be so disposed to rail. This confession is a grand thing. Good-bye I must get back to church. Poor Laura! how busy she has been about her sketch there lately."

"Yes, she has been eager about finishing it ever since Guy began to be ill. Good-bye. Wish me well through my part of confidant to-night. It is much against the grain, though I would give something to cheer up my poor sister."

"I am sure you would," thought Mary to herself, as she looked back at him: "what a quant.i.ty of kind, right feeling there in under that odd, dry manner, that strives to appear to love nothing but a joke."

As soon as Charlotte was gone to bed, Charles, in accordance with his determination, said to Laura,--

"Have you any fancy for seeing Amy"s letter?"

"Thank you;" and, without speaking, Laura took it. He forbore to watch her expression as she read. When she had finished, her face was fixed in silent unhappiness.

"He has been suffering a great deal, I am sure," said Charles, kindly.

It was the first voluntary word of compa.s.sion towards Philip that Laura had heard, and it was as grateful as unexpected. Her face softened, and tears gushed from her eyes as she said,--

"You do not know how much. There he is grieving for me! thinking they will be angry with me, and hurting himself with that! Oh! if this had but come before they set off!"

"Guy and Amy will tell them of his having written."

"Dear, dear Guy and Amy! He speaks so earnestly of their kindness. I don"t fear it so much now he and Guy understand each other."

Recollecting her love, Charles refrained, only saying, "You can rely on their doing everything to make it better."

"I can hardly bear to think of what we owe to them," said Laura.

"How glad I am that Amy was there after he wrote, when he was so much overcome! Amy has written me such a very kind note; I think you must see that--it is so like her own dear self."

She gave it to him, and he read:--