id
much: for she is very quick--and ten to one but the first word of such a
thing turns her blood to gall. Sir, I once knew a poor woman--she was
a carpenter's wife--a-nursing her child in the afternoon--and in runs a
foolish woman, and tells her he was killed dead, off a scaffold. 'Twas
the man's sister told her. Well, sir, she was knocked stupid like, and
she sat staring, and nursing of her child, before she could take it in
rightly. The child was dead before supper-time, and the woman was not
long after. The whole family was swept away, sir, in a few hours, and
I mind the table was not cleared he had dined on, when they came to lay
them out. Well-a-day, nurses see sorrow!"

"We all see sorrow that live long, Mrs. Briscoe. I am heart-broken
myself; I am desperate. You are a good soul, and I'll tell you. When
my nephew married this poor girl, I was very angry with him; and I soon
found she was not fit to be a struggling man's wife; and then I was very
angry with her. She had spoiled a first-rate physician, I thought. But,
since I knew her better, it is all changed. She is so lovable. How I
shall ever tell her this terrible thing, God knows. All I know is, that
I will not throw a chance away. Her body SHALL be stronger, before I
break her heart. Cursed idiots, that could not save a single man, with
their boats, in a calm sea! Lord forgive me for blaming people, when I
was not there to see. I say I will give her every chance. She shall not
know it till she is stronger: no, not if I live at her door, and sleep
there, and all. Good God! inspire me with something. There is always
something to be done, if one could but see it."

Mrs. Briscoe sighed and said, "Sir, I think anything is better than for
her to hear it from a servant--and they are sure to blurt it out. Young
women are such fools."

"No, no; I see what it is," said Dr. Philip. "I have gone all wrong from
the first. I have been acting like a woman, when I should have acted
like a man. Why, I only trusted YOU by halves. There was a fool for you.
Never trust people by halves."

"That is true, sir."

"Well, then, now I shall go at it like a man. I have a vile opinion of
servants; but no matter. I'll try them: they are human, I suppose. I'll
hit them between the eyes like a man. Go to the kitchen, Mrs. Briscoe,
and tell them I wish to speak to all the servants, indoors or out."

"Yes, sir."

She stopped at the door, and said, "I had better get back to her, as