bed, in such intense anxiety as those only
can endure who know how to pray, and to pray in resignation and faith.

All was still in the darkening twilight; but the distant roar of the
world surged without, and a gaslight shone flickering through the
branches of the trees, and fell on the rich dress spread on the couch,
and the ornaments on the toilet-table. There was a sense of oppression,
and of being pursued by the incongruous world, and Dr. May sighed to
silence all around, and see his poor daughter in the calm of her own
country air; but she had chosen for herself, and here she lay, stricken
down in the midst of the prosperity that she had sought.

He could hear every respiration, tightened and almost sobbing, and he
was hesitating whether to run the risk of addressing her; when, as if it
had occurred to her suddenly that she was alone and deserted, she raised
up her head with a startled movement, but, as she saw him, she again hid
her face, as if his presence were still more intolerable than solitude.

"Flora! my own, my dearest--my poor child! you should not turn from me.
Do I not carry with me the like self-reproachful conviction?"

Flora let him turn her face towards him and kiss her forehead. It was
burning, and he brought water and bathed it, now and then speaking a few
fond, low, gentle words, which, though she did not respond, evidently
had some soothing effect; for she admitted his services, still, however,
keeping her eyes closed, and her face turned towards the darkest side of
the room. When he went towards the door, she murmured, "Papa!" as if to
detain him.

"I am not going, darling. I only wanted to speak to George."

"Don't let him come!" said Flora.

"Not till you wish it, my dear."

George's step was heard; his hand was on the lock, and again Dr. May was
conscious of the sudden rush of blood through all her veins. He
quickly went forward, met him, and shut him out, persuading him, with
difficulty, to remain outside, and giving him the occupation of sending
out for an anodyne--since the best hope, at present, lay in encouraging
the torpor that had benumbed her crushed faculties.

Her father would not even venture to rouse her to be undressed; he gave
her the medicine, and let her lie still, with as little movement as
possible, standing by till her regular breathings showed that she had
sunk into a sleep; when he went into the other room and found that
George had also forgotten his sorrows in