d sullenness.

Thus passed day after day, always in the same feverish lethargic
oppression which baffled medical skill, and kept the sick mind beyond the
reach of human aid; and so uniform were the days, that her illness seemed
to last for months instead of weeks.

Miss Fennimore insisted on the night-watching for her share. Phoebe
divided with her and Lieschen the morning cares; and Miss Charlecote came
in the forenoon and stayed till night, but slept at home, whither Maria
was kindly invited; but Phoebe did not like to send her away without
herself or Lieschen, and Robert undertook for her being inoffensive to
Mervyn. In fact, she was obliging and unobtrusive, only speaking when
addressed, and a willing messenger. Mervyn first forgot her presence,
then tolerated her saucer eyes, then found her capable of running his
errands, and lastly began to care to please her. Honora had devised
employment for her, by putting a drawer of patchwork at her disposal, and
suggesting that she should make a workbag for each of Robert's 139 school
girls; and the occupation this afforded her was such a public benefit,
that Robert was content to pay the tax of telling her the destination of
each individual bag, and being always corrected if he twice mentioned the
same name. When Mervyn dozed in his chair, she would require from Robert
'stories' of his scholars; and it even came to pass that Mervyn would
recur to what had then passed, as though he had not been wholly asleep.

Mervyn was chiefly dependent on his brother for conversation,
entertainment, and assistance in his affairs; and though not a word
passed upon their differences and no professions were made, the common
anxiety, and Mervyn's great need of help, had swept away all traces of
unfriendliness. Not even when children in the nursery had they been so
free from variance or bitterness as while waiting the issue of their
sister's illness; both humbled, both feeling themselves in part the
cause, each anxious to cheer and console the other--one, weak, subdued,
dependent--the other, considerate, helpful, and eager to atone for past
harshness. Strange for brothers to wait till the ages of twenty-nine and
twenty-seven to find out that they really did prefer each other to every
one else, in spite of the immense differences between their characters
and habits!

'I say,' asked Mervyn, one day, when resting after having brought on
giddiness and confusion by directing Robert how to