n.
Dr. Spencer and Mary would take care of Dr. May; and Ethel had begun to
look forward to a tete-a-tete with Aubrey by the sea, which they had
neither of them ever seen, when her anticipations were somewhat dashed
by her father's exclaiming, that it would be the best thing for Leonard
Ward to go with them. She said something about his not being well
enough to travel so soon.

'Oh, yes, he will,' said Dr. May; 'he only wants stimulus to get on
fast enough. I declare I'll ask Henry about it; I'm just going to meet
him at the hospital.'

And before another word could be said, he let himself out at the back
door of the garden, in which they had been meeting Richard, who was now
allowed to come thus far, though both for Daisy's sake and his flock's,
he had hitherto submitted to a rigorous quarantine; and the entire
immunity of Cocksmoor from the malady was constantly adduced by each
doctor as a convincing proof of his own theory.

'Well, I do hope that will go off!' exclaimed Ethel, as soon as her
father was out of hearing. 'It will be a terrible upset to all one's
peace and comfort with Aubrey!'

'Indeed--what harm will the poor boy do?' asked Richard.

'Make Aubrey into the mere shame-faced, sister-hating, commonplace
creature that the collective boy thinks it due to himself to be in
society,' said Ethel, 'and me from an enjoying sister, into an elderly,
care-taking, despised spinster--a burden to myself and the boys.'

'But why, Ethel, can't you enjoy yourself!'

'My dear Richard, just imagine turning loose a lot of boys and girls,
with no keeper, to enjoy themselves in some wild sea place! No, no:
the only way to give the arrangement any shade of propriety, will be to
be elderly, infuse as much vinegar as possible into my countenance,
wear my spectacles, and walk at a staid pace up and down the parade,
while my two sons disport themselves on the rocks.'

'If you really think it would not be proper,' said Richard, rather
alarmed, 'I could run after my father.'

'Stuff, Richard; papa must have his way; and if it is to do the boy
good, I can sacrifice a crab--I mean myself--not a crustacean. I am
not going to be such a selfish wretch as to make objections.'

'But if it would not be the correct thing? Or could not you get some
one to stay with you?'

'I can make it the correct thing. It is only to abstain from the fun I
had hoped for. I meant to have been a girl, and now I must be a woman,
that's all;