en he heard the
medical man, who had spent the night there, speaking to Arthur on the
stairs. 'A shade of improvement' was the report. 'Asleep now; and if we
can only drag her through the next few days there may be hope, as long
as fever does not supervene.'

'Thank Heaven!' said John, fervently. 'I did not venture to hope for
this.'

But Arthur was utterly downcast, and could not take heart. It was his
first real trouble, and there was little of the substance of
endurance in his composition. That one night of watching, grief, and
self-reproach, had made his countenance so pale and haggard, and his
voice so dejected and subdued, that John was positively startled, as he
heard his answer--

'I never saw any one so ill.'

'Come and have some breakfast, you look quite worn out'

'I cannot stay,' said he, sitting down, however. 'She must not miss me,
or all chance would be over. You don't mind the door being open?'

'No, indeed. Is she sensible now?'

'Clear for a minute, if she has my hand; but then she dozes off, and
talks about those miserable accounts--the numbers over and over again.
It cuts me to the heart to hear her. They talk of an over-strain on the
mind! Heigh-ho! Next she wakes with a dreadful frightened start, and
stares about wildly, fancying I am gone.'

'But she knows you,' said John, trying to speak consolingly.

'Yes, no one else can do anything with her. She does not so much as hear
them. I must be back before she wakes; but I am parched with thirst. How
is this? Where is the tea?'

'I suppose you put in none. Is this the chest?'

Arthur let his head drop on his hand, helpless and overcome, as this
little matter brought home the sense of missing his wife, and the
remembrance of the attentions he had allowed her to lavish upon him.
His brother tried the tea-chest, and, finding it locked, poured out some
coffee, which he drank almost unconsciously, then gave his cup for
more, sighed, pushed his hair back, and looked up somewhat revived. John
tended him affectionately, persuading him to take food; and when he had
passively allowed his plate to be filled, his appetite discovered that
he had tasted nothing since yesterday morning, and therewith his spirits
were refreshed; he looked up cheerfully, and there was less despondency
in his tone as he spoke of her sleep towards morning having been less
disturbed.

'The child woke her with a squall, and I thought we were undone, but
no such thing. I dec