d Minna's depression vexed the
more volatile sister; moreover, Minna always dreaded Mary's desire to
carry her away--as, poor child, she looked paler, and her eyes heavier
and darker, every day.

No one else, except, of course, Dr. May, was admitted. Henry would not
let his sister see Mr. Scudamour or Mr. Wilmot, lest she should be
excited; and Averil's 'No one' was vehement as a defence against Mrs.
Pugh or Mrs. Ledwich, whom she suspected of wanting to see her, though
she never heard of more than their daily inquiries.

Mrs. Pugh was, in spite of her exclusion, the great authority with the
neighbourhood for all the tidings of 'the poor Wards,' of whom she
talked with the warmest commiseration, relating every touching detail
of their previous and present history, and continually enduring the
great shock of meeting people in shops or in the streets, whom she knew
to be reporters or photographers. In fact, the catastrophe had taken a
strong hold on the public mind; and 'Murder of an Uncle by his Nephew,'
'The Blewer Tragedy,' figured everywhere in the largest type; newsboys
on the railway shouted, 'To-day's paper-account of inquest;' and the
illustrated press sent down artists, whose three-legged cameras stared
in all directions, from the Vintry Mill to Bankside, and who aimed at
the school, the Minster, the volunteers, and Dr. Hoxton himself. Tom
advised Ethel to guard Mab carefully from appearing stuffed in the
chamber of horrors at Madame Tussaud's; and the furniture at the mill
would have commanded any price. Nay, Mrs. Pugh was almost certain she
had seen one of the 'horrid men' bargaining with the local photographer
for her own portrait, in her weeds, and was resolved the interesting
injury should never be forgiven!

She really had the 'trying scenes' of two interviews with both Mr.
Bramshaw and the attorney from Whitford who was getting up the
prosecution, each having been told that she was in possession of
important intelligence. Mr. Bramshaw was not sanguine as to what he
might obtain from her, but flattered her with the attempt, and ended by
assuring her, like his opponent, that there was no need to expose her
to the unpleasantness of appearing in court.

Aubrey was not to have the same relief, but was, like his father,
subpoenaed as a witness for the prosecution. He had followed his
father's advice, and took care not to disclose his evidence to the
enemy, as he regarded the Whitford lawyer. He was ve