they
would never awake. She had arranged and rearranged the room, the
breakfast, everything; and was employed in mending a rent in Minette's
frock, when she heard the little girl say 'Mamma!' She went into the
bedroom, and found Minette sitting up in bed, and her mother still
sleeping. She washed and dressed the child, who seemed to take to her
naturally, and then led her into the sitting-room. Her delight was so
unbounded at the sight of the breakfast and the flowers on the table,
that her exclamations pierced the thin partition, and awoke her mother.

'He is come! he is come!' cried Netta, jumping out of bed, and hastening
into the sitting-room in her night-dress through the door that
communicated with the bedroom.

When Gladys saw the wild excitement of Netta's manner, and the unusual
gleam of her eyes, she understood what Rowland meant by saying that her
mind was unsettled; when she saw Gladys, she started, and ran back again
into the bedroom, whither Gladys followed her. A fit of depression and
pain at the heart succeeded, as they always did, this new
disappointment; and it was evident to Gladys that the only chance of
restoring her to health of mind or body was by keeping her amused, and
distracting her thoughts from her husband.

Minette brought in the flowers, and Gladys ventured to say that they
came from Glanyravon, and that Miss Gwynne had sent them. The flowers,
or their associations, brought the tears, which were the best outlets
for poor Netta's hysterical feelings, and when she had minutely examined
each--chrysanthemums, verbenas, salvias, geraniums--she shook the one
carnation from the vase, and kissing it, and pressing it to her heart,
said,--

'This came from mother, how good of her to think of me.'

Then she let Gladys help her to dress, and went to the well-stored
breakfast-table, sitting down on a chair Gladys placed for her. She
seemed to take up the teapot mechanically, and began to pour out the
tea; Gladys did not attempt to sit down, but waited upon her and
Minette, as if she were, indeed, the servant she professed to be. Either
Netta took this as a matter of course, or was too much absorbed in other
thoughts to give it consideration.

'Mamma, I should like Gladys to have some breakfast with us,' said
Minette, 'she must be so hungry. I think she is a lady, mamma; I like
her, she is so kind.'

'Yes, Gladys, do,' said Netta, 'you know this is not Abertewey. But
where did you get this gam