er physician.

Having procured the documents in question, she transmitted them,
enclosed in a letter, to Lord Cockletown, stating that her son Woodward,
who had been seized by a pleuritic attack, would not be able, she
feared, to pay his intended visit to Miss Biddle so soon as he had
expected; but, in the meantime, she had the honor of enclosing him the
documents she alluded to on the occasion of her last visit. And this
she did with the hope of satisfying his lordship on the subject they
had been discussing, and with a further hope that he might become an
advocate for her son, at least until he should be able to plead his own
cause with the lady herself, which nothing but indisposition prevented
him from doing. The doctor, she added, had advised him to try the waters
of the Spa of Ballyspellan for a short time, as he had little doubt that
they would restore him to perfect health. She sent her love to dear Miss
Riddle, and hoped ere long to have the pleasure of clasping her to her
heart as a daughter.

CHAPTER XX. Woodward's Visit to Ballyspellan.

After a consultation with his mother our worthy hero prepared for his
journey to this once celebrated Spa, which possessed even then a certain
local celebrity, that subsequently widened to an ampler range. The
little village was filled with invalids of all classes; and even the
farmers' houses in the vicinity were occupied with individuals in quest
of health. The family of the Goodwins, however, were still in deep
affliction, although Alice, for the last few days, was progressing
favorably. Still, such was her weakness, that she was unable to walk
unless supported by two persons, usually her maid and her mother or her
father. The terrible influence of the Evil Eye had made too deep and
deadly an impression ever, she feared, to be effaced; for, although
removed from Woodward's blighting gaze, that eye was perpetually upon
her, through the medium of her strong but diseased imagination. And who
is there who does not know how strongly the force of imagination acts?
On this subject she had now become a perfect hypochondriac. She could
not shake it off, it haunted her night and day; and even the influence
of society could scarcely banish the dread image of that mysterious and
fearful look for a moment.

The society at Ballyspellan was, as the society in such places usually
is, very much mixed and heterogeneous. Many gentry were there--gentlemen
attempting to repair con