never knew anything
so strange."

Uncle Geoffrey resolved to put an end to it, if possible; and soon after
leaving Fred's room he knocked at his niece's door. She was sitting by
the fire with a book in her hand, but not reading.

"Good morning, my dear," said he, taking her languid hand. "I bring you
a message from Fred, that he hopes you are soon coming down to see him."

She turned away her head. "Poor dear Fred!" said she; "but it is quite
impossible. I cannot bear it as he does; I should only overset him and
do him harm."

"And why cannot you bear it as he does?" said her uncle gravely. "You
do not think his affection for her was less? and you have all the
advantages of health and strength."

"Oh, no one can feel as I do!" cried Henrietta, with one of her
passionate outbreaks. "O how I loved her!"

"Fred did not love her less," proceeded her uncle. "And why will you
leave him in sorrow and in weakness to doubt the sister's love that
should be his chief stay?"

"He does not doubt it," sobbed Henrietta. "He knows me better."

"Nay, Henrietta, what reason has he to trust to that affection which
is not strong enough to overcome the dread of a few moments' painful
emotion?"

"Oh, but it is not that only! I shall feel it all so much more out
of this room, where she has never been; but to see the rest of the
house--to go past her door! O, uncle, I have not the strength for it."

"No, your affection for him is not strong enough."

Henrietta's pale cheeks flushed, and her tears were angry. "You do not
know me, Uncle Geoffrey," said she proudly, and then she almost choked
with weeping at unkindness where she most expected kindness.

"I know this much of you, Henrietta. You have been nursing up your grief
and encouraging yourself in murmuring and repining, in a manner which
you will one day see to have been sinful: you are obstinate in making
yourself useless."

Henrietta, little used to blame, was roused to defend herself with the
first weapon she could. "Aunt Geoffrey is just as much knocked up as I
am," said she.

If ever Uncle Geoffrey was made positively angry, he was so now, though
if he had not thought it good that Henrietta should be roused, he would
have repressed even such demonstrations as he made. "Henrietta, this is
too bad! Has she been weakly yielding?--has she been shutting herself up
in her room, and keeping aloof from those who most needed her, lest she
should pain her own feelings? Have no