er mother to leave Charles, and her only fear was of being
dull company for him; but as he was so kind as to bear it, she would
do her best, and perhaps their neighbours would come and enliven him
sometimes.

Charles threw his influence into the same scale. His affectionate
observation had shown him that it oppressed Amabel's spirits to be the
object of such constant solicitude, and he was convinced it would be
better for her, both to have some necessary occupation and to be free
from that perpetual mournful watching of her mother's that caused her
to make the efforts to be cheerful which did her more harm than anything
else.

To let her alone to look and speak as she pleased without the fear of
paining and disappointing those she loved, keep the house quiet, and
give her the employment of household cares and attending on himself,
was, he thought, the best thing for her; and he was full of eagerness
and pleasure at the very notion of being of service to her, if only by
being good for nothing but to be waited on. He thought privately that
the spring of his mother's mind had been so much injured by the grief
she had herself suffered for 'her son Guy,' her cruel disappointment in
Laura, and the way in which she threw herself into all Amy's affliction,
that there was a general depression in her way of observing and
attending Amy, which did further harm; and that to change the current of
her thoughts, and bring her home refreshed and inspirited, would be the
beginning of improvement in all. Or, as he expressed it to Dr. Mayerne,
'We shall set off on a new tack.'

His counsel and Mr. Edmonstone's wishes at length decided mamma, on
condition that Mary Ross and Dr. Mayerne would promise to write on
alternate weeks a full report, moral and physical, as Charles called
it. So in due time the goods were packed, Mrs. Edmonstone cried heartily
over the baby, advised Amabel endlessly about her, and finally looked
back through her tears, as she drove away, to see Charles nodding and
waving his hand at the bay-window, and Amabel standing with her parting
smile and good-bye on the steps.

The reports, moral and physical, proved that Charles had judged wisely.
Amabel was less languid as she had more cause for exertion, and
seemed relieved by the absence of noise and hurry, spending more time
down-stairs, and appearing less weary in the evening. She still avoided
the garden, but she began to like short drives with her brother in the
p