s room till dinner-time, when he came down prepared
to comfort the family, but fulfilled his mission rather by doing
such good as a blister, which lessens the force of the malady by
counter-irritation.

Julius came up to be with Miles, and to help them through the
dinner, the first which had been laid for many a long day. His
enquiry for Cecil was answered: "She is progressing as favourably
as there can be reason to expect, but I have not seen her. I follow
the judgment of her faithful Grindstone."

"Then she still knows nothing--"

"Of her bereavement? No. Her state does not yet warrant it. In
fact, I almost wish I had obeyed my original impulse, and brought
down Venn to make the melancholy communication."

To every one's surprise Anne bristled up, saying, "Why, here is
Julius, Mr. Charnock!"

Mr. Charnock bowed: "I understand that my Cousin Julius has been
engrossed by his wife's family and by the adjoining parish, the care
of which he has assumed."

Anne fairly coloured up, and exclaimed, "Julius has been our main-
stay and help in everything--I can't think how he has done it. He
has been here whenever we needed him, as well as at Wil'sbro', where
people have been dying everywhere, the poor Vicar and all--"

"Far be it from me to discourage philanthropy," said Mr. Charnock,
"only I would have it within due bounds. I am an old-fashioned
squire, of a school, it may be, antiquated, an advocate of the
parochial system; and I cannot help thinking that if this had been
closely adhered to by hot-headed young clergymen, my poor child
might not have been a childless widow at two-and-twenty."

Julius was too much tired and too sad-hearted to heed greatly what
Mr. Charnock said. It was so strange to have Miles in sight, yet to
feel so unable to be glad, that he scarcely heard anything. But
Anne again took up the cudgels: "Mr. Charnock, you don't suppose
that it was anything Julius did that brought this fever here. It
was going to the town-hall among the drains."

"My dear Mrs. Miles Charnock, I am sure your husband will agree with
me that sanitary arrangements and all connected with them are beyond
the range of ladies, who are happily exempted from all knowledge of
the subject."

Anne could not say aloud that she wished Cecil had held this
opinion, but she subsided, while Mr. Charnock prosed on, asking
questions about the arrangements, and seeming shocked to hear that
the funeral must be early the nex