conciliation; and the first use he made of his returning strength was
to ride over by night to Wildfell Hall, to see his sister. It was a
hazardous enterprise both for him and for her, but he thought it
necessary to consult with her on the subject of her projected departure,
if not to calm her apprehensions respecting his health, and the worst
result was a slight relapse of his illness, for no one knew of the visit
but the inmates of the old Hall, except myself; and I believe it had not
been his intention to mention it to me, for when I came to see him the
next day, and observed he was not so well as he ought to have been, he
merely said he had caught cold by being out too late in the evening.

'You'll never be able to see your sister, if you don't take care of
yourself,' said I, a little provoked at the circumstance on her account,
instead of commiserating him.

'I've seen her already,' said he, quietly.

'You've seen her!' cried I, in astonishment.

'Yes.' And then he told me what considerations had impelled him to make
the venture, and with what precautions he had made it.

'And how was she?' I eagerly asked.

'As usual,' was the brief though sad reply.

'As usual--that is, far from happy and far from strong.'

'She is not positively ill,' returned he; 'and she will recover her
spirits in a while, I have no doubt--but so many trials have been almost
too much for her. How threatening those clouds look,' continued he,
turning towards the window. 'We shall have thunder-showers before night,
I imagine, and they are just in the midst of stacking my corn. Have you
got yours all in yet?'

'No. And, Lawrence, did she--did your sister mention me?'

'She asked if I had seen you lately.'

'And what else did she say?'

'I cannot tell you all she said,' replied he, with a slight smile; 'for
we talked a good deal, though my stay was but short; but our conversation
was chiefly on the subject of her intended departure, which I begged her
to delay till I was better able to assist her in her search after another
home.'

'But did she say no more about me?'

'She did not say much about you, Markham. I should not have encouraged
her to do so, had she been inclined; but happily she was not: she only
asked a few questions concerning you, and seemed satisfied with my brief
answers, wherein she showed herself wiser than her friend; and I may tell
you, too, that she seemed to be far more anxious lest you should think
t