tion, they entertained the least
fear of being left to themselves. As their freedom from all further
apprehension, however, left no pretext for his insisting on mounting
guard, he was obliged to abandon the citadel, and to retire with the
trusty Tim.

Nearly three hours of silence passed away. Kate blushed to find, when
Nicholas returned, how long she had been sitting alone, occupied with
her own thoughts.

'I really thought it had not been half an hour,' she said.

'They must have been pleasant thoughts, Kate,' rejoined Nicholas gaily,
'to make time pass away like that. What were they now?'

Kate was confused; she toyed with some trifle on the table, looked up
and smiled, looked down and dropped a tear.

'Why, Kate,' said Nicholas, drawing his sister towards him and kissing
her, 'let me see your face. No? Ah! that was but a glimpse; that's
scarcely fair. A longer look than that, Kate. Come--and I'll read your
thoughts for you.'

There was something in this proposition, albeit it was said without the
slightest consciousness or application, which so alarmed his sister,
that Nicholas laughingly changed the subject to domestic matters, and
thus gathered, by degrees, as they left the room and went upstairs
together, how lonely Smike had been all night--and by very slow
degrees, too; for on this subject also, Kate seemed to speak with some
reluctance.

'Poor fellow,' said Nicholas, tapping gently at his door, 'what can be
the cause of all this?'

Kate was hanging on her brother's arm. The door being quickly opened,
she had not time to disengage herself, before Smike, very pale and
haggard, and completely dressed, confronted them.

'And have you not been to bed?' said Nicholas.

'N--n--no,' was the reply.

Nicholas gently detained his sister, who made an effort to retire; and
asked, 'Why not?'

'I could not sleep,' said Smike, grasping the hand which his friend
extended to him.

'You are not well?' rejoined Nicholas.

'I am better, indeed. A great deal better,' said Smike quickly.

'Then why do you give way to these fits of melancholy?' inquired
Nicholas, in his kindest manner; 'or why not tell us the cause? You grow
a different creature, Smike.'

'I do; I know I do,' he replied. 'I will tell you the reason one day,
but not now. I hate myself for this; you are all so good and kind. But I
cannot help it. My heart is very full; you do not know how full it is.'

He wrung Nicholas's hand before he released