o relieve Martha, dreaming nothing at all of that other
doubt to which the important personage downstairs was now subject.
Dorothy was, in truth, very fond of the new friend she had made; but
it had never occurred to her that he might be a possible suitor to
her. Her old conception of herself,--that she was beneath the notice
of any man,--had only been partly disturbed by the absolute fact of
Mr. Gibson's courtship. She had now heard of his engagement with
Camilla French, and saw in that complete proof that the foolish man
had been induced to offer his hand to her by the promise of her
aunt's money. If there had been a moment of exaltation,--a period in
which she had allowed herself to think that she was, as other women,
capable of making herself dear to a man,--it had been but a moment.
And now she rejoiced greatly that she had not acceded to the wishes
of one to whom it was so manifest that she had not made herself in
the least dear.

On the second day of his visit, Brooke was summoned to Miss
Stanbury's room at noon. She was forbidden to talk, and during a
great portion of the day could hardly speak without an effort; but
there would be half hours now and again in which she would become
stronger than usual, at which time nothing that Martha and Dorothy
could say would induce her to hold her tongue. When Brooke came to
her on this occasion he found her sitting up in bed with a great
shawl round her; and he at once perceived she was much more like her
own self than on the former day. She told him that she had been an
old fool for sending for him, that she had nothing special to say
to him, that she had made no alteration in her will in regard to
him,--"except that I have done something for Dolly that will have to
come out of your pocket, Brooke." Brooke declared that too much could
not be done for a person so good, and dear, and excellent as Dorothy
Stanbury, let it come out of whose pocket it might. "She is nothing
to you, you know," said Miss Stanbury.

"She is a great deal to me," said Brooke.

"What is she?" asked Miss Stanbury.

"Oh;--a friend; a great friend."

"Well; yes. I hope it may be so. But she won't have anything that
I haven't saved," said Miss Stanbury. "There are two houses at St.
Thomas's; but I bought them myself, Brooke;--out of the income."
Brooke could only declare that as the whole property was hers, to do
what she liked with it as completely as though she had inherited it
from her own fat