s only just
able to sit up, and he is very weak. And then while Mr. Alwyn is in
this nervous state he is hardly to be trusted."

"Yes, we must be patient, I suppose. I have perfect faith in Dr.
Luttrell's opinion," and then her manner changed, and she said,
mournfully, "Do you know how badly he thinks of father? He is afraid
he will never leave his bed again."

"Yes, I know; and Dr. Bevan agrees with him. Poor Greta, I am so sorry
for you," and she laid her hand affectionately on her shoulder.

"Yes, but I dare not murmur," returned the girl, in a low voice. "It
would be more merciful to let him die than linger on in suffering,
and"--with a little burst of feeling--"the disease that is killing him
has not been brought on by his own fault. Oh, the gratitude I felt
when Dr. Luttrell said that it has been latent in the system, and that
only lately Dr. Bevan suspected it. But, oh, dear Mrs. Luttrell, do
not wish him to live. No one who cared for him could wish it."

"Poor child. Yes, I know; Marcus explained things to me."

"He is quite himself," went on Greta, drying her eyes. "And so dear
and affectionate, but it hurt me so to hear him asking my pardon for
the life he had led me. 'I have not deserved such a good daughter,' he
said over and over again. 'Since your poor mother died you have been
my one blessing.'"

"Dear Greta, you will let these words comfort you?"

"Oh, yes; I was repeating them in my dreams all night. When he was
talking to me I felt that I had got the old father back. What do you
think, Mrs. Luttrell? he actually asked me if I should go on living at
Brunswick Place when he was gone, and then it came into my head to tell
him about Ivydene, and he was so interested. I am sure he was pleased
when I told him that I should like to go back there. He actually
wanted me to write to the lawyer about it. But when he saw how shocked
I was at the idea, he said perhaps we had better wait a little."

Olivia thought over this conversation when Greta left her; her heart
ached for the lonely girl. When Marcus came in a few minutes later, he
seemed struck with her unusual gravity.

"Is there anything wrong, Livy?" he asked. "You seem in the doldrums."
And as she smiled and shook her head, he continued cheerfully, "I am
glad to hear it. Do you know I have actually a free evening until ten?
I feel as though I was a schoolboy again, and had an unexpected
holiday. In my opinion, only busy peopl