loving
diminutives would always come naturally to the lips when speaking of
Erica, she had in truth lost the extreme youthfulness of manner which
had always characterized her. It had to a great extent been crushed out
of her by the long months of wearing anxiety, and though she was often
as merry and kittenish as ever her habitual manner was that of a strong,
quick temperament kept in check. The restraint showed in everything.
She was much more ready to hear and much less ready to criticize, her
humorous talk was freer from sarcasm, her whole bearing characterized by
a sort of quiet steadfastness which made her curiously like her father.
His philosophical calm had indeed been gained in a very different way,
but in each the calmness was the direct result of exceptionally trying
circumstances brought to bear on a noble nature.

"Herr Haeberlein has come here to be nursed," said Raeburn when the
greetings were over. "Will you see that a room is got ready, dear?"

He went out into the hall to dismiss the cab, and Haeberlein seized the
opportunity to correct his words.

"He thinks I shall get better, but it is impossible, my Herzblattchen;
it is only a question of weeks now, possibly only of days. Was I wrong
to come to you?"

"Of course not," she said with the sort of tender deference with which
she always spoke to him. "Did you think father would let you go anywhere
else?"

"I didn't think about it," said Haeberlein wearily; "but he wouldn't, you
see."

Raeburn returned while he was speaking, and Erica went away quickly to
see to the necessary preparations. Herr Haeberlein had come, and she did
not for a moment question the rightness of her father's decision; but
yet in her heart she was troubled about it, and she could see that both
her aunt and Tom were troubled too. The fact was that for some time
they had seen plainly enough that Raeburn's health was failing, and they
dreaded any additional anxiety for him. A man can not be involved
in continual and harassing litigation and at the same time agitate
perseveringly for reform, edit a newspaper, write books, rush from
Land's End to John O'Groat's, deliver lectures, speak at mass meetings,
teach science, befriend every unjustly used person, and go through the
enormous amount of correspondence, personal supervision, and inevitable
interviewing which falls to the lot of every popular leader, without
sooner or later breaking down.

Haeberlein had come, however, and t