etters out
of his way for a few weeks, my dear child.'

For Constance, who had been dreadfully frightened by the sight of the
physician's carriage, which seemed to her inexperienced eyes the omen of
something terrible, fairly burst into tears of relief.

'Oh, I am so glad!' she said, as caresses passed--which might have been
those of mother and daughter for heartfelt sympathy and affection.

'You will miss your Saturdays and Sundays, my dear,' continued the aunt,
'for we shall have to go abroad, so as to be quite out of the way of
everything.'

'Never mind that, dear aunt, if only Uncle Frank is better. Will it be
long?'

'I cannot tell. He says six weeks, Dr. Smith says three months. It is
to be bracing air--Switzerland, most likely.'

'Oh, how delightful! How you will enjoy it!'

'It has always been a dream, and it is strange now to feel so downhearted
about it,' said her aunt, smiling.

'Uncle Frank is sure to be better there,' said Constance. 'Only think of
the snowy mountains--

Mont Blanc is the monarch of mountains;
They crown'd him long ago
On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds,
With a diadem of snow.'

And the girl's eyes brightened with an enthusiasm that the elder woman
felt for a moment, nor did either of them feel the verse hackneyed.

'Ah, I wish we could take you, my dear,' said Lady Northmoor; then, 'Do
you know where Herbert is?'

'No,' said Constance. 'Oh, aunt, I am so sorry! I don't think he would
have done it if the other boys had not teased him.'

'Perhaps not; but, indeed, I am grieved, not only on the poor rook's
account, but that he should have the heart to vex your uncle just now.
However, perhaps he did not understand how ill he has been all this week.
And I am afraid that young Stanhope is not a good companion for him.'

'I do not think he is,' said Constance; 'it seems to me that Stanhope
leads him into that betting, and makes him think it does not signify
whether he passes or not, and so he does not take pains.'

Herbert was not to be found either then or at dinner-time. It turned out
that he had taken from the stables the horse he was allowed to ride, and
had gone over to display his victim to Stanhope, and then on to the
bird-stuffer; had got a meal, no one wished to know how, only returning
in time to stump upstairs to bed.

He thus avoided an interview with his uncle over the rook, unaware that
his aunt had left him the grace of con