'That's what I call a fine girl!' thought Dr. Donaldson, when he

was seated in his carriage, and had time to examine his ringed

hand, which had slightly suffered from her pressure. 'Who would

have thought that little hand could have given such a squeeze?

But the bones were well put together, and that gives immense

power. What a queen she is! With her head thrown back at first,

to force me into speaking the truth; and then bent so eagerly

forward to listen. Poor thing! I must see she does not overstrain

herself. Though it's astonishing how much those thorough-bred

creatures can do and suffer. That girl's game to the back-bone.

Another, who had gone that deadly colour, could never have come

round without either fainting or hysterics. But she wouldn't do

either--not she! And the very force of her will brought her

round. Such a girl as that would win my heart, if I were thirty

years younger. It's too late now. Ah! here we are at the

Archers'.' So out he jumped, with thought, wisdom, experience,

sympathy, and ready to attend to the calls made upon them by this

family, just as if there were none other in the world.

Meanwhile, Margaret had returned into her father's study for a

moment, to recover strength before going upstairs into her

mother's presence.

'Oh, my God, my God! but this is terrible. How shall I bear it?

Such a deadly disease! no hope! Oh, mamma, mamma, I wish I had

never gone to aunt Shaw's, and been all those precious years away

from you! Poor mamma! how much she must have borne! Oh, I pray

thee, my God, that her sufferings may not be too acute, too

dreadful. How shall I bear to see them? How can I bear papa's

agony? He must not be told yet; not all at once. It would kill

him. But I won't lose another moment of my own dear, precious

mother.' She ran upstairs. Dixon was not in the room. Mrs. Hale lay back

in an easy chair, with a soft white shawl wrapped around her, and

a becoming cap put on, in expectation of the doctor's visit. Her

face had a little faint colour in it, and the very exhaustion

after the examination gave it a peaceful look. Margaret was

surprised to see her look so calm.

'Why, Margaret, how strange you look! What is the matter?' And

then, as the idea stole into her mind of what was indeed the real

state of the case, she added, as if a little displeased: 'you

have not been seeing Dr. Donaldson, and asking him any

questions--have you, child?' Margaret did not reply--only looked

wistfully towards her. Mrs. Hale became more displeased. 'He

would not, surely, break his word to me, and'-'Oh yes, mamma, he did. I made him. It was I--blame me.' She knelt

down by her mother's side, and caught her hand--she would not let

it go, though Mrs. Hale tried to pull it away. She kept kissing

it, and the hot tears she shed bathed it.




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