except for a little headache.'

While Ethel obeyed, Dr. May began a minute interrogation of his son, so
lengthened that Tom could hardly restrain sharp impatient replies to
such apparent trifling with his agony to learn how long his father
thought he could keep his treasure, and how much suffering might be
spared to her.

At last Dr. May said, 'I may be wrong. Your science is fresher than
mine; but to me there seem indications that the organic disease is in
the way of being arrested. Good health of course she cannot have; but
if she weathers another winter, I think you may look for as many years
of happiness with her as in an ordinary case.'

It was the first accent of hope since the hysteric scream that had been
his greeting, and all his reserve and dread of emotion: could not
prevent his covering his face with his hands, and sobbing aloud.
'Father, father,' he said, 'you cannot tell what this is to me!'

'I can in part, my boy,' said the Doctor, sadly.

'And,' he started up and walked about the room, 'you shall have the
whole treatment. I will only follow your measures. No one at New York
saw the slightest hope of checking it.'

'They had your account, and you hardly allowed enough for the
hysterical affection. I do not say it is certainty--far less, health.'

'Any way, any way, if I may only have her to lie and look at me, it is
happiness unlooked for! You don't think I could have treated her
otherwise?'

'No. Under His blessing you saved her yourself. You would have
perceived the change if she had been an indifferent person.'

Tom made another turn to the door, and came back still half wild, and
laid his face on his arms upon the table. 'You tell her,' he said, 'I
shall never be able--'

Knocking at Averil's door, Dr. May was answered by a call of 'Tom.'

'Not this time, my dear. He is coming, but we have been talking you
over. Ave, you have a very young doctor, and rather too much
interested.'

'Indeed!' she said, indignantly; 'he has made me much better.'

'Exactly so, my dear; so much better that he agrees with me that he
expressed a strong opinion prematurely.'

'They thought the same at New York,' she said, still resolved on his
defence.

'My dear, unless you are bent on growing worse in order to justify his
first opinion, I think you will prove that which he now holds. And,
Ave, it was, under Providence, skill that we may be proud of by which
he has subdued the really fatal disord