nsisted that the rite should be performed in her
presence; nor was she satisfied when Rachel had brought in her uncle,
but insisted on likewise calling in her brother, who vaguely anxious,
and fully conscious of the small size of the room, had remained
down-stairs.

Mr. Clare always baptized his infant parishioners, and no one was
anxious about his manner of handling the little one, the touch of whose
garments might be familiar, as being no other than his own parish baby
linen. He could do no otherwise than give the child the name reiterated
by the mother, in weak but impatient accents, "Alexander Clare," her
brother's own name, and when the short service was concluded, she called
out triumphantly, "Make Alick kiss him, Rachel, and do homage to his
young chieftain."

They obeyed her, as she lay watching them, and a very pretty sight she
was with her dark hair lying round her, a rosy colour on her cheeks,
and light in her eyes; but Mr. Clare thought both her touch and voice
feverish, and entreated Rachel not to let her talk. Indeed Alick longed
to take Rachel away, but this was not at present feasible, since her
maid was occupied with the infant, and Nurse Jones was so entirely
a cottage practitioner that she was scarcely an available attendant
elsewhere. Bessie herself would by no means have parted with
her sister-in-law, nor was it possible to reduce her to silence.
"Alexander!" she said joyfully, "I always promised my child that he
should not have a stupid second son's name. I had a right to my own
father's and brother's name, and now it can't be altered," then catching
a shade of disapproval upon Rachel's face, "not that I would have
hurried it on if I had not thought it right, poor little fellow, but now
I trust he will do nicely, and I do think we have managed it all with
less trouble than might have been expected."

Sure by this time that she was talking too much, Rachel was glad to hear
that Mr. Harvey was come. He was a friendly, elderly man, who knew them
all intimately, having attended Alick through his tedious recovery, and
his first measure was to clear the room. Rachel thought that "at her
age" he might have accepted her services, rather than her maid's, but
she suspected Alick of instigating her exclusion, so eagerly did he
pounce on her to make her eat, drink, and lie on the sofa, and so
supremely scornful was he of her views of sitting up, a measure which
might be the more needful for want of a bed.