?"

She felt a pulse beat fast in her temples; she felt, too, her brain in
strange activity. Her spirits were raised; hundreds of busy and broken
but brilliant thoughts engaged her mind. A glow rested on them, such as
tinged her complexion.

Now followed a hot, parched, thirsty, restless night. Towards morning
one terrible dream seized her like a tiger; when she woke, she felt and
knew she was ill.

How she had caught the fever (fever it was) she could not tell. Probably
in her late walk home, some sweet, poisoned breeze, redolent of
honey-dew and miasma, had passed into her lungs and veins, and finding
there already a fever of mental excitement, and a languor of long
conflict and habitual sadness, had fanned the spark to flame, and left a
well-lit fire behind it.

It seemed, however, but a gentle fire. After two hot days and worried
nights, there was no violence in the symptoms, and neither her uncle,
nor Fanny, nor the doctor, nor Miss Keeldar, when she called, had any
fear for her. A few days would restore her, every one believed.

The few days passed, and--though it was still thought it could not long
delay--the revival had not begun. Mrs. Pryor, who had visited her
daily--being present in her chamber one morning when she had been ill a
fortnight--watched her very narrowly for some minutes. She took her hand
and placed her finger on her wrist; then, quietly leaving the chamber,
she went to Mr. Helstone's study. With him she remained closeted a long
time--half the morning. On returning to her sick young friend, she laid
aside shawl and bonnet. She stood awhile at the bedside, one hand placed
in the other, gently rocking herself to and fro, in an attitude and with
a movement habitual to her. At last she said, "I have sent Fanny to
Fieldhead to fetch a few things for me, such as I shall want during a
short stay here. It is my wish to remain with you till you are better.
Your uncle kindly permits my attendance. Will it to yourself be
acceptable, Caroline?"

"I am sorry you should take such needless trouble. I do not feel very
ill, but I cannot refuse resolutely. It will be such comfort to know you
are in the house, to see you sometimes in the room; but don't confine
yourself on my account, dear Mrs. Pryor. Fanny nurses me very well."

Mrs. Pryor, bending over the pale little sufferer, was now smoothing the
hair under her cap, and gently raising her pillow. As she performed
these offices, Caroline, smiling, lifte