ed at the news which Ethel gave her; made light of if,
however, and was quite confident that a very few words from her would
place matters on their old footing, and determined on forthwith setting
out for Kehl. She would have carried Ethel with her, but that the
poor Baronet with cries and moans insisted on retaining his nurse, and
Ethel's grandmother was left to undertake this mission by herself, the
girl remaining behind acquiescent, not unwilling, owning openly a great
regard and esteem for Kew, and the wrong which she had done him, feeling
secretly a sentiment which she had best smother. She had received
a letter from that other person, and answered it with her mother's
cognisance, but about this little affair neither Lady Anne nor her
daughter happened to say a word to the manager of the whole family.

CHAPTER XXXVIII. In which Lady Kew leaves his Lordship quite convalescent

Immediately after Lord Kew's wound, and as it was necessary to apprise
the Newcome family of the accident which had occurred, the good-natured
young Kew had himself written a brief note to acquaint his relatives
with his mishap, and had even taken the precaution to antedate a couple
of billets to be despatched on future days; kindly forgeries, which
told the Newcome family and the Countess of Kew, that Lord Kew was
progressing very favourably, and that his hurt was trifling. The fever
had set in, and the young patient was lying in great danger, as most of
the laggards at Baden knew, when his friends there were set at ease
by this fallacious bulletin. On the third day after the accident, Lady
Walham arrived with her younger son, to find Lord Kew in the fever which
ensued after the wound. As the terrible anxiety during the illness
had been Lady Walham's, so was hers the delight of the recovery. The
commander-in-chief of the family, the old lady at Baden, showed her
sympathy by sending couriers, and repeatedly issuing orders to have
news of Kew. Sick-beds scared her away invariably. When illness befell
a member of her family she hastily retreated from before the sufferer,
showing her agitation of mind, however, by excessive ill-humour to all
the others within her reach.

A fortnight passed, a ball had been found and extracted, the fever
was over, the wound was progressing favourably, the patient advancing
towards convalescence, and the mother, with her child once more under
her wing, happier than she had been for seven years past, during