console or benefit Edith or
Miriam? No, no, they would augment grief. It was better to leave things
as they were--better to remain dead to them--a dead sorrow might be
forgotten--living one never! For herself, it was better to take fate as
she found it--to go home to England, and devote her newly restored life,
and her newly acquired fortune, to those benevolent objects that had so
lately occupied so large a share of her heart. Some means also should be
found--when she should grow stronger, and her poor head should be
clearer, so that she should be able to think--to make Edith and Miriam
the recipients of all the benefit her wealth could possibly confer upon
them. And so in recollecting, meditating, planning, and trying to reason
correctly, and to understand her embarrassed position, and her difficult
duty, passed the days of her convalescence. As her mind cleared, the
thought of Angelica began to give her uneasiness--she could not bear to
think of leaving that young lady exposed to the misfortune of becoming
Thurston's wife--and her mind toiled with the difficult problem of how
to shield Angelica without exposing Thurston.

A few days after this, Marian related to her kind friends all of her
personal history that she could impart, without compromising the safety
of others: and she required and received from them the promise of their
future silence in regard to her fate.

As they approached the shores of England, Marian improved so fast as to
be able to go on deck. And though extremely pale and thin, she could no
longer be considered an invalid, when, on the thirtieth day out, their
ship entered the mouth of the Mersey. Upon their arrival at Liverpool,
it had been the intention of Dr. Holmes and his wife to proceed to
London; but now they decided to delay a few hours until they should see
Marian safe in the house of her friends. The Rev. Theodore Burney was a
retired dissenting clergyman, living on his modest patrimony in a
country house a few miles out of Liverpool, and now at eighty years
enjoying a hale old age. Dr. Holmes took a chaise and carried Marian and
Rachel out to the place. The house was nearly overgrown with climbing
vines, and the grounds were beautiful with the early spring verdure and
flowers. The old man was overjoyed to meet Marian, and he received her
with a father's welcome. He thanked her friends for their care and
attention, and pressed them to come and stay several days or weeks. But
Dr. Holmes