stoical
justice and the love of souls, but a good deal by prejudice and a good
deal by skilful artifice, and very little indeed by that highest motive
which she called the glory of God? And it was Jack who had set all this
before her clear as daylight. No wonder the excellent woman was
disconcerted. She went to bed gloomily with her headache, and would
tolerate no ministrations, neither of sal-volatile nor eau-de-Cologne,
nor even of green tea. "It always does Miss Dora a power of good," said
the faithful domestic who made this last suggestion; but Miss Leonora
answered only by turning the unlucky speaker out of the room, and
locking the door against any fresh intrusion. Miss Dora's innocent
headaches were articles of a very different kind from this, which
proceeded neither from the heart nor the digestion, but from the
conscience, as Miss Leonora thought--with, possibly, a little aid from
the temper, though she was less conscious of that. It was indeed a long
series of doubts and qualms, and much internal conflict, which resulted
through the rapidly-maturing influences of mortification and humbled
self-regard, in this ominous and awe-inspiring Headache which startled
the entire assembled family, and added fresh importance to the general
crisis of Wentworth affairs.

"I should not wonder if it was the Wentworth complaint," said Miss
Dora, with a sob of fright, to the renewed and increased indignation
of the Squire.

"I have already told you that the Wentworth complaint never attacks
females," Mr Wentworth said emphatically, glad to employ what sounded
like a contemptuous title for the inferior sex.

"Yes, oh yes; but then Leonora is not exactly what you would call--a
female," said poor Miss Dora, from whom an emergency so unexpected
had taken all her little wits.

While the house was in such an agitated condition, it is not to be
supposed that it could be very comfortable for the gentlemen when they
came up-stairs to the drawing-room, and found domestic sovereignty
overthrown by a headache which nobody could comprehend, and chaos
reigning in Miss Leonora's place. Naturally there was, for one of the
party at least, a refuge sweet and close at hand, to which his
thoughts had escaped already. Frank Wentworth did not hesitate to
follow his thoughts. Against the long years when family bonds make up
all that is happiest in life, there must always be reckoned those
moments of agitation and revolution, during which the bos