"For now,"--she mused--"they can say nothing at all about him at MY expense. Even Roxmouth's tongue must stop calumniating me,--for though many people are very heartless, they do draw the line at slandering a crippled woman! It's all for the best,--I'm sure it's all for the best!"

And a serene contentment took possession of her,--a marvellous peace that brought healing in its train, for with the earliest days of February, when the first snowdrops were beginning to make their white way through the dark earth, she was able to be moved from her bed, and carried down to the morning room, where, lying on her couch, near a sparkling fire, with a bunch of early flowering aconites opening their golden eyes in a vase beside her, she looked almost as if she were getting well enough soon to rise and walk again. She was bright and calm, and quickly managed to impart her own brightness and calmness to others. She summoned all the servants of the household to her in turn, and spoke to them so kindly, and thanked them so sweetly for the trouble and care they had taken and were taking on her behalf that they could scarcely hide their tears. As for poor Mrs. Spruce, who had nervously hesitated to approach her for fear of breaking down in her presence, she no sooner made her appearance than Maryllia stretched out her arms like a child, with a smile on her face.

"Come and kiss me, Spruce!" she said, almost playfully--"and don't cry! I'm not crying for myself, you see, and I don't want anyone else to cry for me. You'll help to make the cripple-time pleasant, won't you?--yes, of course you will!--and I can do the housekeeping just the same as ever--nothing need alter that. Only instead of running about all over the place, and getting in the way, I shall have to keep still,--and you will always know where to find me. That's something of an advantage, Spruce! And you'll talk to me!--oh yes!--trust you for talking, you dear thing!--and I shall know just as much about everybody as I want to,--there Spruce!--you WILL cry!- -so run away just now, and come back presently when you feel better- -and braver!" Whereat Mrs. Spruce had kissed her on the cheek at her own request, and had caught her little hand and kissed that, and had then hurried out of the room before her rising sobs could break out, as they did, into rebellious blubbering.




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