trust to her than to Rachel, or the book!"

"Well, the more Rachel talked book, the more amiable surprise passed
between her mother and Lady Temple that the poor little follow should
have lived at all, and I believe they were very angry with me for
thinking her views very sensible. Lady Temple is so happy with him. She
says it is so melancholy to have a house without a baby, that she comes
in twice or three times a day to console herself with this one."

"Did you not tell me that she and the Curtises spent the evening with
you?"

"Yes, it was rather shocking to receive them without you, but it was the
only way of being altogether on Rachel's one evening here; and it was
very amusing, Mrs. Curtis so happy with her daughter looking well and
bright, and Rachel with so much to tell about Bishopsworthy, till at
last Grace, in her sly odd way, said she thought dear Alexander had even
taught Rachel curatolatry; whereupon Rachel fired up at such an idea
being named in connexion with Mr. Clare, then came suddenly, and very
prettily, down, and added, 'Living with Alick and Mr. Clare has taught
me what nonsense I talked in those days.'"

"Well done, Rachel! It proves what Alick always said, that her great
characteristic is candour!"

"I hope she was not knocked up by the long night journey all at one
stretch. Mrs. Curtis was very uneasy about it, but nothing would move
her; she owned that Alick did not expect her, for she had taken care he
should not object, by saying nothing of her intention, but she was sure
he would be ill on Wednesday morning, and then Mrs. Curtis not only gave
in directly, but all we married women turned upon poor Grace for
hinting that Alick might prefer a day's solitary illness to her being
over-tired."

"She was extremely welcome! Alick was quite done for by all he had gone
through; he was miserably ill, and I hardly knew what to do with him,
and he mended from the moment his face lightened up at the sight of
her."

"There's the use of strength of mind! How is Alick?"

"Getting better under M'Vicar and Edinburgh winds. It was hard on him to
have borne the brunt of all the nursing that terrible last week, and in
fact I never knew how much he was going through rather than summon me.
His sauntering manner always conceals how much he is doing, and poor
Keith was so fond of him, and liked his care so much that almost the
whole fell upon him at last. And I believe he said more that was good
for Keith,