with him. I'd stay as long
as I got a chance, if I was anybody!"

"Then what made you come home?"

"I don' know," said Clam. "He wouldn't let me stay. He don't
stop to make everything clear; he thinks it's good enough for
him to say so; and so it is, I suppose; and he told me to
come."

"I am afraid you didn't do your duty well."

"I'd like to see who wouldn't," said Clam. "I did mine as well
as he did his'n."

"How is Winifred?"

"She's pretty bad. I guess he don't think he'll have much more
of her, and he means to have all he can these last days. And
she thinks she's almost in Paradise when he's alongside of
her."

Elizabeth laid her face down and asked no more questions.

But she concerned herself greatly to know how much and what
she might do in the premises, to shew her kind feeling and
remembrance, without doing too much. She sent Clam once with
jellies; then she would not do that again. Should she go to
see Winifred herself? Inclination said yes; and backed its
consent with sundry arguments. It was polite and kind; and
everybody likes kindness; she had known Winifred, and her
brother, long ago, and had received kindness in the family,
yes, even just now from Winthrop himself; and though his
visiting had so long been at an end, this late intercourse of
notes and business gave her an opening. And probably Winifred
had very few friends in the city to look after her. And again
inclination said "Go." But then came in another feeling that
said "Go not. You have not opening enough. Mr. Landholm's long
and utter cessation of visits, from whatever cause, says
plainly enough that he does not desire the pleasure of your
society; don't do anything that even looks like forcing it
upon him. People will give it a name that will not please
you." "But then," said inclination on the other hand, "my
going could not have that air, to him, for he knows and I know
that in the existing state of affairs it is perfectly
impossible that he should ever enter the doors of my father's
house -- let me do what I will." "People don't know as much,"
said the other feeling; "err on the safe side if at all, and
stay at home." "And I don't care much for people," -- said
Elizabeth.

It was so uncommon a thing for her to find any self-imposed
check upon what she wished to do, that Miss Haye was very much
puzzled; and tried and annoyed out of all proportion by her
self-consultations. She was in a fidget of uneasiness all day
long; an