eclared
her intention of remaining to keep house with Cousin Deborah. Unless
Averil would come with her, nothing should induce her to leave
Massissauga, certainly not while Ella and Averil were alternately laid
low by the spring intermittent fever. Perhaps the fact was that,
besides her strong affection for Averil, she felt that in her ignorance
she had assisted her father in unscrupulously involving them in a
hazardous and unsuccessful speculation, and that she was the more
bound, in justice as well as in love and pity, to do her best for their
assistance. At any rate, Rufus had no sooner left home, than she
insisted on the three sisters coming to relieve her loneliness--in
other words, in removing them from the thin ill-built frame house,
gaping in every seam with the effects of weather, and with damp oozing
up between every board of the floor, the pestiferous river-fog, the
close air of the forest, and the view of the phantom trees, now
decaying and falling one against another.

Cousin Deborah, who had learnt to love and pity the forlorn English
girls, heartily concurred; and Averil consented, knowing that the dry
house and pure air were the best hope of restoring Ella's health.

Averil and Ella quickly improved, grew stronger in the intervals, and
suffered less during the attacks; but Minna, who in their own house had
been less ill, had waited on both, and supplied the endless
deficiencies of the kindly and faithful, but two-fisted Katty; Minna,
whose wise and simple little head had never failed in sensible
counsels, or tender comfort; Minna, whom the rudest and most
self-important far-wester never disobliged, Minna, the peace-maker, the
comfort and blessing--was laid low by fever, and fever that, as the
experienced eyes of Cousin Deborah at once perceived, 'meant mischief.'
Then it was that the real kindliness of heart of the rough people of
the West showed itself. The five wild young ladies, whose successive
domestic services had been such trouble, and whose answer to a summons
from the parlour had been, 'Did yer holler, Avy? I thort I heerd a
scritch,' each, from Cleopatra Betsy to Hetta Mary, were constantly
rushing in to inquire, or to present questionable dainties and nostrums
from their respective 'Mas'; the charwomen, whom Minna had coaxed in
her blandest manner to save trouble to Averil and disgust to Henry,
were officious in volunteers of nursing and sitting up, the black cook
at the hotel sent choic