n ever! He took, with an
impatient involuntary commotion, the chair placed beside the sofa, and
sat down in it abruptly with the briefest salutations. His hopes and
anticipations all went bitterly back upon his heart. The very rustle of
Nettie's arm as she spread out that little black frock upon the table,
and put on its melancholy trimmings, exasperated afresh the man who five
minutes ago did not believe it possible that he ever could feel an
impulse of displeasure against her again.

"I cannot say that I expected to see you, Mr Edward," said Mrs Fred,
lifting her handkerchief to her eyes; "indeed, when I remember the last
time you were here, I wonder you could think of coming near us. But now
my poor dear Fred is gone, we have nobody to protect us--and of course
you don't mind how you hurt my feelings. If you had done your duty by my
poor fellow when he was living, he might never--never----"

Here Mrs Fred paused, choked by spiteful tears.

"Dr Edward, don't mind what Susan says," said Nettie. "It is very kind
of you to come after everything---- If you would only tell the people
not to take any notice, but just to let us go on as usual. They all want
to be kind, you know--they keep coming, and asking what they can do; and
you understand very well there is nothing to do," said Nettie, with a
little pride. "We are just as we were before--nothing is changed: one
does not like to be unkind, but nobody needs to do anything. We shall
get along all the same."

"So it seems, indeed," said Dr Rider, with irrepressible bitterness;
"all the same! But, indeed, I came specially to ask what my sister-in-law
meant to do," continued the doctor, bent on one last appeal. "Now that
you are left to yourself, Mrs Rider, what do you think of doing? Of
course you must have some plans about the children and your future
life?"

Mrs Fred looked up at him with momentary alarm and dismay. She did not
know what the question meant, but a certain vague terror seized her. It
seemed to imply somehow that she was now to be left to her own resources.
She gave a certain gasp of appeal to "Nettie!" and took refuge once more
in her handkerchief. The doctor was desperate--he had no mercy in him.

"Nettie! always Nettie!" cried the young man. "And is it true, Nettie--is
it all the same? Are you always to go on toiling for the miserable
comforts of other people? What is to become of us? Have you sold
yourself to this fate?"

Nettie laid down the litt