never to tell you!" said Henrietta.

"O, that was her consideration. She knew how foolishly anxious I should
be. I have no doubt that she is doing right. How did he seem to be?"

"Very faint, I thought," said Henrietta, "there seemed to be a great
deal of bleeding, but Aunt Geoffrey would not let me come near."

"She knows exactly what to do," said Mrs. Frederick Langford. "How well
it was that she should be here."

Henrietta began to be so fretted at her mother's complete confidence in
her aunt, that without thinking of the consequences she tried to argue
it away. "Aunt Geoffrey is so quick--she does things without half the
consideration other people do. And she likes to settle everything."

But happily the confiding friendship of a lifetime was too strong to be
even harassed for a moment by the petulant suspicions of an angry girl.

"My dear, if you were not vexed and anxious, I should tell you that you
were speaking very improperly of your aunt. I am perfectly satisfied
that she is doing what is right by dear Fred, as well as by me; and if I
am satisfied, no one else has any right to object."

There was nothing left for Henrietta in her present state of spirits but
to have a hearty cry, one of the best possible ways she could find of
distressing her mother, who all the time was suffering infinitely more
than she could imagine from her fears, her efforts to silence them, and
the restraint which she was exercising upon herself, longing as she did
to fly to her son's room, to see with her own eyes, and only detained by
the fear that her sudden appearance there might agitate him. The
tears, whatever might be their effect upon her, did Henrietta good, and
restored her to something more like her proper senses. She grew rather
alarmed, too, when she saw her mamma's pale looks, as she leant back
almost exhausted with anxiety and repressed agitation.

Mrs. Langford came up to bring them some tea, and she, having little
idea of the real state of things, took so encouraging a view as to cheer
them both, and her visit did much service at least to Henrietta. Then
they heard sounds announcing Philip Carey's arrival, and presently after
in came Bennet with a message from Mr. Frederick that he was better, and
that his mother was not to be frightened. At last came Aunt Geoffrey,
saying, "Well, Mary, he is better. I have been very sorry to leave you
so long, and I believe Henrietta," looking at her with a smile, "thinks
I have