Mr Benson, by telling you, in her presence,
of all I have observed about her this last three weeks, that has made
me sure of the good qualities I shall find in this boy of hers. I was
watching her when she little thought it. Do you remember that night
when Hector O'Brien was so furiously delirious, Mrs Denbigh?"

Ruth went very white at the remembrance.

"Why now, look there! how pale she is at the very thought of it. And
yet, I assure you, she was the one to go up and take the piece of
glass from him which he had broken out of the window for the sole
purpose of cutting his throat, or the throat of any one else, for
that matter. I wish we had some others as brave as she is."

"I thought the great panic was passed away!" said Mr Benson.

"Aye! the general feeling of alarm is much weaker; but, here and
there, there are as great fools as ever. Why, when I leave here, I am
going to see our precious member, Mr Donne--"

"Mr Donne?" said Ruth.

"Mr Donne, who lies ill at the Queen's--came last week, with the
intention of canvassing, but was too much alarmed by what he heard of
the fever to set to work; and, in spite of all his precautions, he
has taken it; and you should see the terror they are in at the hotel;
landlord, landlady, waiters, servants--all; there's not a creature
will go near him, if they can help it; and there's only his groom--a
lad he saved from drowning, I'm told--to do anything for him. I must
get him a proper nurse, somehow or somewhere, for all my being a
Cranworth man. Ah, Mr Benson! you don't know the temptations we
medical men have. Think, if I allowed your member to die now, as he
might very well, if he had no nurse--how famously Mr Cranworth would
walk over the course!--Where's Mrs Denbigh gone to? I hope I've not
frightened her away by reminding her of Hector O'Brien, and that
awful night, when I do assure you she behaved like a heroine!"

As Mr Benson was showing Mr Davis out, Ruth opened the study-door,
and said, in a very calm, low voice:

"Mr Benson! will you allow me to speak to Mr Davis alone?"

Mr Benson immediately consented, thinking that, in all probability,
she wished to ask some further questions about Leonard; but as Mr
Davis came into the room, and shut the door, he was struck by her
pale, stern face of determination, and awaited her speaking first.

"Mr Davis! I must go and nurse Mr Bellingham," said she at last,
clenching her hands tight together, but no other part of her