tacitly forbidden. If he went now to Mr
Bradshaw's without being asked, or sent for, he thought it would seem
like presuming on his knowledge of the hidden disgrace of one of the
family. Yet he longed to go: he knew that Mr Farquhar must be writing
almost daily to Jemima, and he wanted to hear what he was doing. The
fourth day after her husband's departure she came, within half an
hour of the post-delivery, and asked to speak to Mr Benson alone.

She was in a state of great agitation, and had evidently been crying
very much.

"Oh, Mr Benson!" said she, "will you come with me, and tell papa this
sad news about Dick? Walter has written me a letter at last to say he
has found him--he could not at first; but now it seems that, the day
before yesterday, he heard of an accident which had happened to the
Dover coach; it was overturned--two passengers killed, and several
badly hurt. Walter says we ought to be thankful, as he is, that Dick
was not killed. He says it was such a relief to him on going to the
place--the little inn nearest to where the coach was overturned--to
find that Dick was only severely injured; not one of those who was
killed. But it is a terrible shock to us all. We had had no more
dreadful fear to lessen the shock; mamma is quite unfit for anything,
and we none of us dare to tell papa." Jemima had hard work to keep
down her sobs thus far, and now they overmastered her.

"How is your father? I have wanted to hear every day," asked Mr
Benson, tenderly.

"It was careless of me not to come and tell you; but, indeed, I have
had so much to do. Mamma would not go near him. He has said something
which she seems as if she could not forgive. Because he came to
meals, she would not. She has almost lived in the nursery; taking out
all Dick's old playthings, and what clothes of his were left, and
turning them over, and crying over them."

"Then Mr Bradshaw has joined you again; I was afraid, from what Mr
Farquhar said, he was going to isolate himself from you all?"

"I wish he had," said Jemima, crying afresh. "It would have been more
natural than the way he has gone on; the only difference from his
usual habits is, that he has never gone near the office, or else he
has come to meals just as usual, and talked just as usual; and even
done what I never knew him do before, tried to make jokes--all in
order to show us how little he cares."

"Does he not go out at all?"

"Only in the garden. I am sure he does care