en to see you.'

"I asked if the doctor thought me very ill.

"He thinks you have narrowly escaped a nervous fever; and he has given
some positive orders. One of them is that your slightest wishes are to
be humoured. If he had not said that, Mrs. Gallilee would have prevented
me from seeing you. She has been obliged to give way; and she hates
me--almost as bitterly, Carmina, as she hates you.'

"This called to my mind the interruption of the previous night, when
Miss Minerva had something important to tell me. When I asked what it
was, she shook her head, and said painful subjects of conversation were
not fit subjects in my present state.

"Need I add that I insisted on hearing what she had to say? Oh, how
completely my poor father must have been deceived, when he made his
horrible sister my guardian! If I had not fortunately offended the
music-master, she would have used Mr. Le Frank as a means of making Ovid
jealous, and of sowing the seeds of dissension between us. Having failed
so far, she is (as Miss Minerva thinks) at a loss to discover any other
means of gaining her wicked ends. Her rage at finding herself baffled
seems to account for her furious conduct, when she discovered me in Miss
Minerva's room.

"You will ask, as I did, what has she to gain by this wicked plotting
and contriving, with its shocking accompaniments of malice and anger?

"Miss Minerva answered, 'I still believe that money is the motive. Her
son is mistaken about her; her friends are mistaken; they think she is
fond of money--the truer conclusion is, she is short of money. There is
the secret of the hard bargains she drives, and the mercenary opinions
she holds. I don't doubt that her income would be enough for most other
women in her position. It is not enough for a woman who is jealous of
her rich sister's place in the world. Wait a little, and you will see
that I am not talking at random. You were present at the grand party she
gave some week's since?'

"'I wish I had stayed in my own room,' I said. 'Mrs. Gallilee was
offended with me for not admiring her scientific friends. With one
or two exceptions, they talked of nothing but themselves and their
discoveries--and, oh, dear, how ugly they were!'

"'Never mind that now, Carmina. Did you notice the profusion of
splendid flowers, in the hall and on the staircase, as well as in the
reception-rooms?'

"'Yes.'

"'Did you observe--no, you are a young girl--did you hear any of the
gen