e effort she
made to control herself.

"It is the thing of all others that I cannot do, Mr.
Landholm."

"Learn it now, then. Which is the room?"

Elizabeth told him, without raising her eyes; and stood
motionless on the floor where he left her, without stirring a
finger, as long as she could hear the sound of his footsteps.
They went first to the front door, and she heard him turn the
key; then they went up the stairs.

The locking of that door went to her heart, with a sense of
comfort, of dependence, of unbounded trust in the hand, the
heart, the head, that had done it. It roused, or the taking
off of restraint roused again, all the tumult of passions that
had raged after her first coming in. She dropped on her knees
by the sofa and wrapping her arms round the cushion as she had
done before, she laid her head down on it, and to all feeling
laid her heart down too; such bitter and deep and long sobs
shook and racked her breast.

She was alive to nothing but feeling and the indulgence of it,
and careless how much time the indulgence of it might take. It
was passion's time. She was startled when two hands took hold
of her and a grave voice said,

"If you do in this way, I shall have two patients instead of
one, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth suffered herself to be lifted up and placed on the
sofa, and sat down like a child. Even at the instant came a
flash of recollection bringing back the time, long past, when
Winthrop had lifted her out of the rattlesnake's way. She felt
ashamed and rebuked.

"This is not the lesson I set you," he said gently.

Elizabeth's head drooped lower. She felt that he _had_ two
patients -- if he had only known it!

"You might set me a great many lessons that I should be slow
to learn, Mr. Landholm," she said sadly.

"I hope not," he said in his usual tone. "There is no present
occasion for this distress. I cannot see that Mr. Haye'
symptoms are particularly unfavourable."

Elizabeth could have answered a great deal to that; but she
only said, tearfully,

"How good you are to take care of him!"

"I will be as good as I can," said he smiling a little. "I
should like to have you promise to do as much."

"That would be to promise a great deal, Mr. Landholm," said
Elizabeth looking up earnestly.

"What then?"

Elizabeth looked down and was silent, but musing much to
herself.

"Is it too much of a promise to make?" said he gravely.

"No --" said Elizabeth slowly, -- "but m