those
coloured frocks now--there! that bundle with the pink and the blue. One
would suppose that even a man might know coloured frocks when he saw
them," said Nettie, with despairing resignation, springing up from her
knees to seize what she wanted. "Thank you--I think, perhaps, if you
would just go and make yourself comfortable, and read your paper, I
should get on better. I am not used to having anybody to help me. I
got on quite as well, thank you, by myself."

Smith withdrew, not without some confusion and discomfort, to his
condemned cell, and Nettie went on silent and swift with her labours.
"Quite as well! better!" said Nettie to herself. "Other people never
will understand. Now, I know better than to try anybody." If that hasty
breath was a sigh, there was little sound of sorrow in it. It was a
little gust of impatience, indignation, intolerance even, and hasty
self-assertion. She alone knew what she could do, and must do. Not one
other soul in the world beside could enter into her inevitable work and
way.

Nettie did not hear the footstep which she might have recognised ringing
rapidly down the frosty road. She was too busy rustling about with
perpetual motion, folding and refolding, and smoothing into miraculous
compactness all the heterogeneous elements of that mass. When a sudden
knock came to the door she started, struck with alarm, then paused a
moment, looking round her, and perceiving at one hasty glance that nobody
could possibly enter without seeing both herself and her occupation,
made one prompt step to the door, which nobody appeared to open. It was
Mrs Smith, no doubt; but the sudden breathless flutter which came upon
Nettie cast doubts upon that rapid conclusion. She opened it quickly,
with a certain breathless, sudden promptitude, and looked out pale and
dauntless, understanding by instinct that some new trial to her fortitude
was there. On the other hand, Edward Rider pressed in suddenly, almost
without perceiving it was Nettie. They were both standing in the hall
together, before they fully recognised each other. Then the doctor,
gazing round him at the unusual confusion, gave an involuntary groan out
of the depths of his heart. "Then it is true!" said Dr Rider. He stood
among the chaos, and saw all his own dreams broken up and shattered in
pieces. Even passion failed him in that first bitterness of conviction.
Nettie stood opposite, with the sleeves of her black dress turned up
from her litt