unfortunate. Dear, dear Katherine, but she has such a heart! All
the women have in our family, and none of the men, 'tis so odd. Mr.
Glastonbury, water if you please, that glass of water; sal volatile;
where is the sal volatile? My own, own Katherine, pray, pray restrain
yourself! Ferdinand is here; remember, Ferdinand is here, and he will
soon be well; soon quite well. Believe me, he is already quite another
thing. There, drink that, darling, drink that. You are better now?'

'I am so foolish,' said Miss Grandison, in a mournful voice. 'I never
can pardon myself for this. Let me go.'

Glastonbury bore her out of the room; Lady Armine turned to her son.
He was lying back in his chair, his hands covering his eyes. The mother
stole gently to him, and wiped tenderly his brow, on which hung the
light drops of perspiration, occasioned by his recent exertion.

'We have done too much, my own dear Ferdinand. Yet who could have
expected that dear girl would have been so affected? Glastonbury was
indeed right in preventing you so long from meeting. And yet it is a
blessing to see that she has so fond a heart. You are fortunate, my
Ferdinand: you will indeed be happy with her.'

Ferdinand groaned.

'I shall never be happy,' he murmured.

'Never happy, my Ferdinand! Oh! you must not be so low-spirited. Think
how much better you are; think, my Ferdinand, what a change there is for
the better. You will soon be well, dearest, and then, my love, you know
you cannot help being happy.'

'Mother,' said Ferdinand, 'you are deceived; you are all deceived:
I--I------'

'No! Ferdinand, indeed we are not. I am confident, and I praise God for
it, that you are getting better every day. But you have done too much,
that is the truth. I will leave you now, love, and send the nurse, for
my presence excites you. Try to sleep, love.' And Lady Armine rang the
bell, and quitted the room.

CHAPTER XIV.

_In Which Some Light Is Thrown upon Some Circumstances Which
Were Before Rather Mysterious_.

LADY ARMINE now proposed that the family should meet in Ferdinand's room
after dinner; but Glastonbury, whose opinion on most subjects generally
prevailed, scarcely approved of this suggestion. It was therefore but
once acted upon during the week that followed the scene described in
our last chapter, and on that evening Miss Grandison had so severe a
headache, that it was quite impossible for her to join the circle. At
length, howeve