read Greek plays to him as you can do. I can only nurse him
in his illness and endeavour to do my duty. Do you know, Grace, that
I am beginning to fear that he half doubts me?"

"Oh, mamma!"

"That he half doubts me, and is half afraid of me. He does not think
as he used to do, that I am altogether, heart and soul, on his side.
I can see it in his eyes as he watches me. He thinks that I am tired
of him,--tired of his sufferings, tired of his poverty, tired of the
evil which men say of him. I am not sure but what he thinks that I
suspect him."

"Of what, mamma?"

"Of general unfitness for the work he has to do. The feeling is not
strong as yet, but I fear that he will teach himself to think that
he has an enemy at his hearth,--not a friend. It will be the saddest
mistake he ever made."

"He told me to-day that you were the best of women. Those were his
very words."

"Were they, my dear? I am glad at least that he should say so to you.
He has been better since you came;--a great deal better. For one day
I was frightened; but I am very sorry now that I sent for you."

"I am so glad, mamma; so very glad."

"You were happy there,--and comfortable. And if they were glad to
have you, why should I have brought you away?"

"But I was not happy;--even though they were very good to me. How
could I be happy there when I was thinking of you and papa and Jane
here at home? Whatever there is here, I would sooner share it with
you than be anywhere else,--while this trouble lasts."

"My darling!--it is a great comfort to see you again."

"Only that I knew that one less in the house would be a saving to you
I should not have gone. When there is unhappiness, people should stay
together;--shouldn't they, mamma?" They were sitting quite close to
each other, on an old sofa in a small upstairs room, from which a
door opened into the larger chamber in which Mr. Crawley was lying. It
had been arranged between them that on this night Mrs. Crawley should
remain with her husband, and that Grace should go to bed. It was now
past one o'clock, but she was still there, clinging to her mother's
side, with her mother's arm drawn round her. "Mamma," she said, when
they had both been silent for some ten minutes. "I have got something
to tell you."

[Illustration: "Mamma, I've got something to tell you."]

"To-night?"

"Yes, mamma; to-night, if you will let me."

"But you promised that you would go to bed. You were up all last
night."