best to be alone with mother's picture. You don't
misunderstand me, Mag?"

"Of course I don't. Good-night, _dear_ Basil; good-night, darling.
This talk with you has been as good as two or three days at
Glendower."

Marjorie ran off, and Basil was alone. He went and knelt down under
the girlish picture of his dead mother. The moonbeams were shining
full into the room, and they touched his dark head, and lit up his
young mother's fair face. Basil said no words aloud. He knelt quietly
for a moment; then he rose, and with tears in his eyes gave another
long look at the picture as he turned to leave the room.

CHAPTER XXI.

SUSY'S FEVERISH DESIRE.

Hudson was waiting for Marjorie when she came back to her bedroom.

"I don't know what to do, miss," she said to the little girl. "I'm
aware it's Mr. Wilton's orders, but still, what am I to do with the
poor woman? She's crying fit to break her heart, and it do seem cruel
not to sympathize with her. It's a shame to worry you, Miss Maggie,
but you're a very understanding little lady for your years."

"Well, Hudson, I'll help if I can," said Marjorie. "Who's the poor
woman? and what is she crying about?"

"It's Mrs. Collins, my dear. It seems that Susy isn't going on at all
satisfactory. The doctor says she has a kind of low fever, no way
catching, but very bad for the poor little girl. Susy cries quite
piteous to see Miss Ermengarde, and it does seem cruel that under the
circumstances there should be distinctions in rank."

"But Ermie is away," said Marjorie. "Susy can't see her, however much
she wishes to. Did you tell Mrs. Collins that?"

"I did, dear, and she said she daren't go back to the poor child with
a message of that sort; that she was so fretted, and contrary, and
feverish as it was, that she quite feared what would happen."

"But what's to be done, Hudson? Ermie really is far away, and nothing,
nothing that we can do can bring her back to-night."

"I know, Miss Maggie, but poor women with only children are apt to be
unreasonable, and Mrs. Collins does go on most bitter. She says she
knows there's a secret on Susy's mind, and she feels certain sure that
the child will never take a turn for the better until she can let out
what's preying on her. Mrs. Collins is certain that Miss Ermengarde
knows something about Susy, and that they have had some words between
them, and she says there'll be no rest for the poor little creature
until she and Miss Ermie