Bad Hugh

"I did not mean to distress you so. I am sorry if I have done a wrong,"

she said to him softly, a sound of tears in her own voice.

He turned his white, suffering face toward her, and answered with

quivering lip: "It is not so much that. It is everything combined. I am weak, I'm sick,

I'm discouraged," and Hugh could not restrain the tears. Soon rallying,

however, he continued: "You think me a snivelling coward, no doubt, but believe me, Miss

Johnson, it is not my nature thus to give way. Tears and Hugh

Worthington are usually strangers to each other. I am a man, and I will

prove it to you, when I get well, but now I am not myself, and I grant

the favor you ask, simply because I can't help it. You meant it in

kindness. I take it as such. I thank you, but it must not be repeated.

You have come to be my friend, my sister, you say. God bless you for

that. I need a sister's love so much, and Adah has given it to me. You

like Adah?" and he fixed his eyes inquiringly on Alice, who answered: "Yes, very much."

Now that the money matter was settled Hugh did not care to talk longer

of that or of himself, and eagerly seized upon Adah as a topic

interesting to both, and which would be likely to keep Alice with him

for a while at least, so, after a moment's silence, during which Alice

was revolving the expediency of leaving him lest he should become too

weary, he continued: "Miss Johnson, you don't know how much I love Adah Hastings; not as men

generally love," he hastily added, as he caught an expression of

surprise on Alice's face, "not as that villain professed to love her,

but, as it seems to me, a brother might love an only sister. I mean no

disrespect to 'Lina," and his chin quivered a little, "but I have

dreamed of a different, brotherly love from what I feel toward her, and

my heart has beaten so fast when I built castles of what might have been

had we both been different, I, more forbearing, more even tempered, more

like the world in general, and she, more--more"--he knew not what, for

he would not speak against her, so he finally added, "had she known,

just how to take me--just how to make allowances for my rough, uncouth

ways, which, of course, annoy her."

Poor Hugh! he was trying now to smooth over what 'Lina had told Alice of

himself--trying to apologize for them both, and he did it so skillfully,

that Alice felt an increased respect for the man whose real character

she had so misunderstood. She, knew, however, that it could not be

pleasant for him to speak of 'Lina, and so she led him back to Adah by

saying: "I had thought to talk with you of a plan which Mrs. Hastings has in

view, but think, perhaps, I had better wait till you are stronger."