moiselle will receive back the month's wages, as I have not been
in the least a loser by her dismissal. I enter the service of madame
immediately."

And then Celine had smiled blandly, bowed, and taken her departure,
leaving the spinster to wonder how on earth she should manage her
hair-dressing, and to wish that Edward had not insisted upon setting
the girl adrift until a substitute had been found.

The fact that the girl was retained in the house annoyed Mr. Percy not
a little. But it did not surprise him that Cora should wish to keep
her. He had long before made the discovery that the sisters-in-law
were not more fond of each other than was essential to the comfort of
both.

Celine had been but two days in the service of her new mistress when
that lady found herself too ill to be dressed for breakfast, even in
her own room, and she kept her bed all day.

John Arthur, in some alarm, had declared his intention of calling a
physician. But Cora objected so strongly that he had refrained. Before
evening came, however, Celine sought him, as he was sitting in what he
chose to call his "study," and said:

"Pardon my intrusion, monsieur, but I am distressed about madame. This
afternoon she is not so well, and surely she should have some
medicine."

The old man wrinkled his brows in perplexity, as he replied: "Yes,
yes, girl; but she won't let me call a doctor."

Celine sighed, and moving a step nearer, murmured: "Monsieur, I will
venture to repeat what madame but now said to me, if I may."

He signed her to proceed.

"Madame said that a stranger would only make her worse; that she would
distrust anyone she did not know; but that if her dear old physician,
who had attended her always in sickness, could see her, she would be
glad. Alas! he was in New York, and she did not like to ask that he
might be sent for. It would seem to you childish."

Of course this speech had been made at Cora's instigation, but it had
the desired effect. John Arthur bounded up, and bade Celine precede
him to his wife's chamber; and the result of his visit was what the
invalid had intended it to be. She was so pretty, and so pathetic, and
so very ill! Celine declared that she was growing more fevered every
moment, and as for her pulse, it was like a trip-hammer.

John Arthur had an unutterable fear of illness, and after trying in
vain to persuade Cora to see one of the village doctors, whom, he
declared, were very good ones, he announced