trance with Aunt
Geoffrey, bringing a message of invitation from grandpapa to Henrietta,
to walk with him to Sutton Leigh. She went; and Aunt Geoffrey, after
putting a book within Fred's reach, and seeing that he and grandmamma
were quite willing to be companionable, again returned to his mother.

Mrs. Langford thought him low and depressed, and began talking about his
health, and the present mode of treatment,--a subject on which they were
perfectly agreed: one being as much inclined to bestow a good diet as
the other could be to receive it. If his head was still often painfully
dizzy and confused; if his eyes dazzled when he attempted to read for
a long time together; if he could not stand or walk across the room
without excessive giddiness--what was that but the effect of want of
nourishment? "If there was a craving, that was a sure sign that the
thing was wholesome." So she said, and her grandson assented with his
whole heart.

In a few minutes she left the room, and presently returned with a most
tempting-looking glass of clear amber-coloured jelly.

"O, grandmamma!" said Fred, doubtfully, though his eyes positively
lighted up at the sight.

"Yes, my dear, I had it made for your mamma, and she says it is very
good. It is as clear as possible, and quite innocent; I am sure it must
do you good."

"Thank you! O, thank you! It does look very nice," said Fred, gazing on
it with wistful eyes, "but really I do not think I ought."

"If it was to do you any harm, I am sure I should not think of such a
thing," said Mrs. Langford. "But I have lived a good many more years in
the world than these young people, and I never saw any good come of all
this keeping low. There was old Mr. Hilton, now, that attended all the
neighbourhood round when I was a girl; he kept you low enough while the
fever was on you, but as soon as it was gone, why then reinvigorate the
system,--that was what he used to say."

"Just like old Clarke, of Rocksand!" sighed Fred. "I know my system
would like nothing better than to be re-invigorated with that splendid
stuff; but you would know it would put them all in a dreadful state if
they knew it."

"Never mind," said grandmamma; "'tis all my doing, you know. Come, to
oblige me, taste it, my dear."

"One spoonful," said Fred--"to oblige grandmamma," added he to himself:
and he let grandmamma lift him on the cushions as far as he could
bear to have his head raised. He took the spoonful, then starte