Sankey is not going to the mill today.
That will make her delay her preparations for moving until tomorrow, and
will give us time to see what is best to be done."

"I have brought the box, mistress," Abijah said as she entered Mrs.
Mulready's room; "but I don't think as you will want to pack today, for
I hear as Mr. Ned ain't a-going to the mill. You see all the town will
be coming to see him to shake hands with him and tell him how glad they
is that he is cleared."

"And only I can't!" Mrs. Mulready wailed. "To think of it, only I, his
mother, can't see him! And I must stop in the house for another day! Oh!
it is too hard! But I deserve it, and everything else."

"There is Dr. Green's knock," Abijah said.

"I can't see him, Abijah. I can't see him."

"I think you had better see him, ma'am. You always do see him, you know,
and it will look so strange if you don't. There, I will pop these things
into the drawers again and hide the box."

Abijah bustled about actively, and before Mrs. Mulready had time to take
any decided step Dr. Green knocked at the door and came in.

"How are you today, Mrs. Mulready?" he asked cheerfully. "This is a
joyful day indeed for us all. The whole place is wild with the news, and
I expect we shall be having a deputation presently to congratulate Ned."

"I am not feeling very well," Mrs. Mulready said faintly. "The shock has
been too much for me."

"Very natural, very natural, indeed," Dr. Green said cheerily. "We could
hardly hope it would be otherwise; but after this good news I expect we
shall soon make a woman of you again. Your son will be the most popular
man in the place. People will not know how to make enough of him. Porson
and I, who have been cheering him all along, will have to snub him now
or his head will be turned. Now let me feel your pulse. Dear! dear! this
will not do at all; it's going like a mill engine. This will never do.
If you do not calm yourself we shall be having you in bed again for a
long bout. I will send you a bottle of soothing medicine. You must take
it every two hours, and keep yourself perfectly quiet. There, I will not
talk to you now about this good news, for I see that you are not fit to
stand it. You must lie down on the sofa at once, and not get off again
today. I will look in this evening and see how you are."

Frightened at the threat that if she were not quiet she might be
confined to her bed for weeks; Mrs. Mulready obeyed orders, took her