ce answer him, "there's nothing that any reasonable
being need make a fuss about. I've been doing everything for Margaret's
interests and yours--and she'll be back by twelve--and Mr. Mannion takes
care of her--and I don't know what you would have--and it's devilish
hard, so ill as I am too, to cut up rough with me like this--devilish
hard!"

"I am sorry for your illness, Mr. Sherwin; and I don't doubt your good
intentions, or the advantage of Mr. Mannion's protection for Margaret;
but I feel disappointed, nevertheless, that she should have gone out
to-night."

"I said she oughtn't to go at all, whatever her aunt wrote--_I_ said
that."

This bold speech actually proceeded from Mrs. Sherwin! I had never
before heard her utter an opinion in her husband's presence--such an
outburst from _her,_ was perfectly inexplicable. She pronounced the
words with desperate rapidity, and unwonted power of tone, fixing her
eyes all the while on me with a very strange expression.

"Damn it, Mrs. S.!" roared her husband in a fury, "will you hold your
tongue? What the devil do you mean by giving _your_ opinion, when nobody
wants it? Upon my soul I begin to think you're getting a little cracked.
You've been meddling and bothering lately, so that I don't know what
the deuce has come to you! I'll tell you what it is, Mr. Basil," he
continued, turning snappishly round upon me, "you had better stop that
fidgetty temper of yours, by going to the party yourself. The old lady
told me she wanted gentlemen; and would be glad to see any friends of
mine I liked to send her. You have only to mention my name: Mannion will
do the civil in the way of introduction. There! there's an envelope
with the address to it--they won't know who you are, or what you are, at
Margaret's aunt's--you've got your black dress things on, all right
and ready--for Heaven's sake, go to the party yourself, and then I hope
you'll be satisfied!"

Here he stopped; and vented the rest of his ill-humour by ringing the
bell violently for "his arrow-root," and abusing the servant when she
brought it.

I hesitated about accepting his proposal. While I was in doubt, Mrs.
Sherwin took the opportunity, when her husband's eye was off her, of
nodding her head at me significantly. She evidently wished me to join
Margaret at the party--but why? What did her behaviour mean?

It was useless to inquire. Long bodily suffering and weakness had but
too palpably produced a corresponding feebl