d Richard. "It is our duty not to question
our father's judgments. It would be wrong of you to stay up."

"Wrong?" said Ethel.

"Of course. It would be against the articles of war," said Harry,
opening his door another inch. "But, Ritchie, I say, do tell me whether
it has hurt Margaret."

"She is better now," said Richard, "but she has a headache, chiefly, I
believe, from distress at having brought this on you. She is very sorry
for her fright."

"I had not the least intention of frightening the most fearsome little
tender mouse on earth," said Harry.

"No, indeed!" said Ethel.

"And at another time it would not have signified," said Richard; "but,
you know, Margaret always was timid, and now, the not being able to
move, and the being out of health, has made her nerves weak, so that she
cannot help it."

"The fault was in our never heeding her when we were so eager to hear
Harry's story," said Ethel. "That was what made the palpitation so bad.
But, now papa knows all, does he not understand about Harry?"

"He was obliged to go out as soon as Margaret was better," said Richard,
"and was scarcely come in when I came up."

"Go down, Ethel," repeated Harry. "Never mind me. Norman told me that
sort of joke never answered, and I might have minded him."

The voice was very much troubled, and it brought back that burning
sensation of indignant tears to Ethel's eyes.

"Oh, Harry! you did not deserve to be so punished for it."

"That is what you are not to say," returned Harry. "I ought not to have
played the trick, and--and just now too--but I always forget things--"

The door shut, and they fancied they heard sobs. Ethel groaned, but made
no opposition to following her brother down to tea. Margaret lay, wan
and exhausted, on the sofa--the doctor looked very melancholy and rather
stern, and the others were silent. Ethel had begun to hope for the
warm reaction she had so often known after a hasty fit, but it did
not readily come; Harry was boy instead of girl--the fault and its
consequence had been more serious--and the anxiety for the future
was greater. Besides, he had not fully heard the story; Harry, in his
incoherent narration, had not excused himself, and Margaret's panic had
appeared more as if inspired by him, than, as it was, in fact, the work
of her fancy.

Thus the evening passed gloomily away, and it was not till the others
had said good-night that Dr. May began to talk over the affair with his
eldes