that you have now been distrusting me--not I you? Shall
I begin to question whether you love me? Could you complain of
injustice if I did, when you have been tempting my honour, insulting my
trust in you, and wounding my soul? Is this the love you imagine I
cannot estimate and return? This is madness, Hester. Rouse yourself
from it. Waken up the most generous part of yourself. We shall both
have need of it all."

"Oh, God! what do you intend? Consider again, before you break my
heart, if you mean to say that we must... Edward! forgive me, Edward!"

"I mean to say that we must support each other under troubles of God's
sending, instead of creating woes of our own."

"Support each other! Thank Heaven!"

"I see how your spirit rouses itself at the first sound of threatening
from without. I knew it would. Rough and trying times are coming,
love, and I must have your support. Trouble is coming--daily and hourly
annoyance, and no end of it that I can see: and poverty, perhaps,
instead of the ease to which we looked forward when you married me. I
do not ask you whether you can bear these things, for I know you can. I
shall look to you to help me to keep my temper."

"Are you not mocking me?" doubtfully whispered Hester.

"No, my love," her husband replied, looking calmly in her face. "I know
you to be a friend made for adversity."

"Let it come, then!" exclaimed she. And she felt herself on the
threshold of a new life, in which all the past might yet be redeemed.

They soon rejoined Margaret, and went home to relate and to hear what
new threats the day had disclosed.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

DEERBROOK COMMOTIONS.

Among many vague threats, there was one pretty definite menace which had
encountered Hope from various quarters of late. By whose agency, and by
what means, he did not know, but he apprehended a design to supplant him
in his practice. There was something more meant than that Mr Foster
from Blickley appeared from time to time in the village. Hope imagined
that there was a looking forward to somebody else, who was to cure all
maladies as soon as they appeared, and keep death at a distance from
Deerbrook. It seemed to be among the poor people chiefly that such an
expectation prevailed. Philip was sure that Mr Rowland knew nothing of
it, nor Mrs Enderby. Mr Grey, when spoken to, did not believe it, but
would quietly and discreetly inquire. Mrs Grey was sure that the
Deerbrook peopl