ink;" and I would
answer coldly, "Thank you; I suffer a little, but it will pass away. It
is only weakness. Pray, do not trouble yourself so much about me."

My only excuse was that my heart was breaking; but this I could not
explain. And still she was faithful and winning, would not take offence,
and would not be repelled. It was hard work trying to hate her, and I
gave it up at last. One time when her hand hovered by me I caught it
going past, kissed it, and burst into tears. "Forgive me," I said; "you
are an angel, and I--" I felt that I had been something very evil in the
past few days. "My poor little nervous darling!" she said, down on her
knees, with her arms about me, "what shall we do to make you strong?"
"Little" she called me, though I was as tall as she. I acknowledged her
superior greatness for compelling love, and letting the bitterness roll
out of my heart for the time, like a huge load, I laid my head upon her
shoulder for a long miserable cry. Desperately I invented excuses for my
tears, but I shed them, and they did me good. After that I no longer
struggled against the spell of her attraction. I loved her even out of
the depths of the misery she had caused.

She saw that I was growing to love her, and she was glad, and I winced
at her delight. She was thinking that by and by, when I should have "got
over it," she and I would be friends. I smarted silently, and smiled. I
would not be a weeping, deserted damsel. I would try to be strong and
generous, and keep my sorrow to myself.

During this illness of mine, which lasted about a week, John came often
to the Hall to inquire for me. Good little Mrs. Hill would come into the
room smiling, and say, "Rachel, you must go down to Mr. Hollingford. He
wants to hear from your own lips about your patient." And she would sit
with me, talking about her dogs and the county families, till Rachel's
return, who always brought me kind messages, and seemed anxious to
deliver them faithfully. I thought she always came back with signs of
disturbance in her face, either very pale, or with a heightened colour.
Once I thought she looked as if she had been crying; she pulled down the
blinds immediately on entering the room, and sat with her back to the
light.

"Margery," said she by and by, "Mrs. Hollingford is coming to see you
to-morrow."

"Is she?" said I, with a great pang at my heart.

I could not say "I am glad," for the dear old lady's true face rose up
before me,