eman
has left word that he shall call with his daughter at one o'clock."

"Well, let them come. If he is home, well and good; if not, they must
wait till he arrives."

Hester started up, and walked about the room.

"I know what is in your mind," said Margaret. "The truth is, you are
afraid of another accident. I do not wonder at it; but, dearest Hester,
you must control this fear. Consider; supposing it to be Heaven's
pleasure that you and he should live for forty or fifty years together,
what a world of anxiety you will inflict on yourself if you are to
suffer in this way every time he rides six miles out and back again!"

"Perhaps I shall grow used to it: but I do wish he would give up those
almshouses."

"Suppose we ask him to give up practice at once," said Margaret, "that
we may have him always with us. No, no, Hester; we must consider him
first, and ourselves next, and let him have his profession all to
himself, and as much of it as he likes."

"Ourselves!" cried Hester, contemptuously.

"Well, yourself, then," said Margaret, smiling. "I only put myself in
that I might lecture myself at the same time with you."

"Lecture away, dear," said Hester, "till you make me as reasonable as if
I had no husband to care for."

Margaret might have asked whether Hester had been reasonable when she
had had neither husband nor lover to care for; but, instead of this, she
opened the piano, and tempted her sister away from her watch to practise
a duet.

"I will tell you what I am thinking of," cried Hester, breaking off in
the middle of a bar of the second page. "Perhaps you thought me hasty
just now; but you do not know what I had in my head. You remember how
late Edward was called out, the night before last?"

"To Mrs Marsh's child? Yes; it was quite dark when he went."

"There was no moon. Mr Marsh wanted to send a servant back with him as
far as the high-road: but he was sure he knew the way. He was riding
very fast, when his horse suddenly stopped, and almost threw him over
its head. He spurred in vain; the animal only turned round and round,
till a voice called from somewhere near, `Stop there, for God's sake!
Wait till I bring a light.' A man soon came with a lantern, and where
do you think Edward found himself? On the brink of a mill-dam! Another
step in the dark night, and he might have been heard of no more!"

Margaret was not at all surprised that Hester covered her face with her
hands at t