ever sleep a night again in peace if they got
off. Was it true that they had packed up all the liqueurs?'

Phoebe exonerated them from this aggravated guilt.

'I say, my dear, would you tell the butler to bring up some of the claret
that was bought at Mr. Rollestone's auction. I told Sir Nicholas that he
should taste it, and I don't like to mention it to poor Mervyn, as he
must not drink wine.'

'There is some up,' said Phoebe; 'Mervyn fancies that Bertha liked it.'

'My dear, you don't give Bertha that claret! you don't know what poor
papa gave for it.'

'If Bertha would only enjoy anything, Mervyn would be overjoyed.'

'Yes, it is as Juliana says; it is nothing but spoiling that ails her,'
said Augusta. 'Did you say she was in the garden? I may as well go and
see her.'

This Phoebe withstood with entreating looks, and representations that
Bertha had as yet seen no fresh face, and was easily startled; but her
sister insisted that she was no stranger, and could do no harm, till
Phoebe had no choice but to run on and announce her, in the hope that
surprise might lessen the period of agitation.

In the sunniest and most sheltered walk was a wheeled chair over which
Miss Fennimore held a parasol, while Mervyn and Maria were anxiously
trying to win some token of pleasure from the languid, inanimate occupant
to whom they were displaying the little dog. As the velvet-bordered
silk, crimson shawl, and purple bonnet neared the dark group, a nervous
tremor shot through the sick girl's frame, and partly starting up, she
made a gesture of scared entreaty; but Lady Bannerman's portly embrace
and kind inquiries were not to be averted. She assured the patient that
all was well since she could get out of doors, the air would give her a
famous appetite, and if she was able to drink claret, she would be strong
enough in a day or two to come up to Juliana in London, where change and
variety would set her up at once.

Bertha scarcely answered, but made an imperious sign to be drawn to the
west wing, and as Phoebe succeeded in turning Augusta's attention to the
hothouses Mervyn beckoned to Robert, rather injudiciously, for his
patient was still tremulous from the first greeting. Her face had still
the strangely old appearance, her complexion was nearly white, her hair
thin and scanty, the almost imperceptible cast of the eye which had
formerly only served to give character to her arch expression, had
increased to a decided