t was going on, and was of
course impelled to spare her as much as possible.

'Thank you' said she, 'if you are able!'

'Oh, yes; I'll go at once!'

'Stop,' said she, as he was setting forth; 'you don't know what you are
going to say.'

He put his hand to his head in confusion.

'He wished to be buried here,' said Amabel, 'and--'

But this renewal of the assurance of the death was too much; and
covering his face with his hands, he sank back in another paroxysm of
violent sobs. Amabel could not leave him.

'Ask Mr. Morris to be so good as to wait, and I will come directly,'
said she, then returned to her task of comfort till she again saw Philip
lying, with suspended faculties, in the repose of complete exhaustion.

She then went to Mr. Morris, with a look and tone of composure
that almost startled him, thanking him for his assistance in the
arrangements. The funeral was to be at sunrise the next day, before the
villagers began to keep the feast of St. Michael, and the rest was to
be settled by Arnaud and Mr. Morris. He then said, somewhat reluctantly,
that his brother had desired to know whether Lady Morville wished to see
him to-day, and begged to be sent for; but Amy plainly perceived that
he thought it very undesirable for his brother to have any duties to
perform to-day. She questioned herself whether she might not ask him to
read to her, and whether it might be better for Philip; but she thought
she ought not to ask what might injure him merely for her own comfort;
and, besides, Philip was entirely incapable of self-command, and it
would not be acting fairly to expose him to the chance of discovering to
a stranger, feelings that he would ordinarily guard so scrupulously.

She therefore gratefully refused the offer, and Mr. Morris very nearly
thanked her for doing so. He took his leave, and she knew she must
return to her post; but first she indulged herself with one brief visit
to the room where all her cares and duties had lately centred. A look--a
thought--a prayer. The beauteous expression there fixed was a help, as
it had ever been in life and she went back again cheered and sustained.

Throughout that day she attended on her cousin, whose bodily
indisposition required as much care as his mind needed soothing. She
talked to him, read to him, tried to set him the example of taking food,
took thought for him as if he was the chief sufferer, as if it was the
natural thing for her to do, working in the s