hing would have induced her,
daring these first days, to undertake the responsibility of breakfast or
dinner without Graeme's special overlooking. She would walk miles to do
her a kindness; but she could not step lightly or speak softly, or shut
the door without a bang, and often caused her torture when doing her
very best to help or cheer her.

But whatever happened through the day, for the evening Graeme exerted
herself to seem well and cheerful. It was easy enough to do when Harry
was at home, or when Arthur was not too busy to read to them. Then she
could still have the arm-chair or the sofa, and hear, or not hear, as
the case might be. But when any effort was necessary--when she must
interest herself, or seem to interest herself in her work, or when
Arthur brought any one home with him, making it necessary for Graeme to
be hospitable and conversational, then it was very bad indeed. She
might get through very well at the time with it all, but a miserable
night was sure to follow, and she could only toss about through the slow
hours exhausted yet sleepless.

Oh, how miserable some of these sultry August nights were, when she lay
helpless, her sick fancy changing into dear familiar sounds the hum that
rose from the city beneath. Now it was the swift spring-time rush of
Carson's brook, now the gentle ripple of the waters of the pond breaking
on the white pebbles of the beach. The wind among the willow-boughs
whispered to her of the pine grove and the garden at home, till her
heart grew sick with longing to see them again. It was always the same.
If the bitter sorrow that bereavement had brought made any part of what
she suffered now; if the void which death had made deepened the
loneliness of this dreary time, she did not know it. All this weariness
of body and sinking of heart might have come though she had never left
Merleville, but it did not seem so to her. It was always of _home_ she
thought. She rose up and lay down with longing for it fresh and sore.
She started from troubled slumber to break into passionate weeping when
there was no one to see her. She struggled against the misery that lay
so heavily upon her, but not successfully. Health and courage failed.

Of course, this state of things could not continue long. They must get
either better or worse, Graeme thought, and worse it was. Arthur and
Harry coming home earlier than usual found her as she had never allowed
them to find her before, ly